Eagles 2023-2024 Season

[bkeich]

I don’t know if every teams fans think this, but we always seem to have luck with undrafted players.

Hollis Thomas was simply a solid player. He was one of the better ones, but he had the best line about him. When he was suspended for Steroids one of the guys on the team (Hugh Douglas, Trent Cole?) said “anyone who has seen Hollis without his shirt on knows he is not on steroids”

[xogfog]

So they did sign Gabe Hall as an UDFA, signings so far;

Baylor DT Gabe Hall
Tennessee TE McCallan Castles
Marshall WR Talik Keaton
LSU S Andre Sam
Georgia RB Kendall Milton
Howard OT Anim Dankwah

Roseman said in his press conference that they are only going to sign 7 UDFA as they put more emphasis on futures contract earlier, so expect 1 more.

[xogfog]

So after the draft, here is my guess at the Eagles 53

QB (3) Hurts, Pickett, McKee
RB (3) Barkley, Gainwell, Shipley
WR (6) A. J. Brown, D. Smith, Parker, Covey, A. Smith, Campbell
TE (3) Goedert, Caclcaterra, Uzomah
OL (9) Mailata, Dickerson, Jurgens, Steen, L. Johnson, Toth, Hennessy, Keegan, McMahon
DL (11) Sweat, Davis, Carter, Huff, N. Smith, Hunt, Willams, Ojomo, Graham, Tuipolotu, Hall
LB (5) Dean, White, VanSumeren, Baun, Trotter Jr.
S (4) Gardner-Johnson, Blankenship, S. Brown, DeJean
CB (6) Slay, Bradberry, Mitchell, Ringo, Ricks, Rodgers
K Elliot
P Mann
LS Lovato

Practice Squad: QB Grier, RB Milton, WR Wilson, WR Keaton, WR Ngata, TE Okwuegbunam, TE Togai, OL F. Johnson, OL Dankwah, DE Jackson, DT Elliss, LB B Smith, LB P. Johnson, CB Jobe, CB Garner, S Sam

[phillychuck]

2024 Draft Summary

Round 1: No. 22- Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
Round 2: No. 40 (from WAS through CHI)-Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa
Round 3: No. 94 (from SF)- Jalyx Hunt, EDGE, Houston Christian
Round 4: No. 127 (from HOU)- Will Shipley, RB, Clemson
Round 5: No. 152 (from WAS through SEA)-Ainias Smith, WR, Texas A&M
Round 5: No. 155 (from LAR through PIT)-Jeremiah Trotter Jr, LB, Clemson
Round 5: No. 172-Trevor Keegan, G. Michigan
Round 6: No 185 (from NYJ)-Johnny Wilson, WR, Florida State
Round 6: No. 190 (from NO)-Dylan McMahon, C, North Carolina State

2025 3rd round pick (Miami)
2025 4th round pick (Detroit -- Eagles' own pick traded for D'Andre Swift)
2025 5th round pick (Houston)

I like all their picks where they made them with only 2 complaints. I think Hunt will never play for them and better players (Linemen and linebackers) were available, and I wold have taken TE McLachlan or Bell and G Mahogany with 190 and another late pick (via trade). A+ draft, though. #2 in the league in average athletic score, #1 in players over 9.0:

Howie made 9 trades during the draft, setting the record since trades have been counted.

Milton and Hall are good UDFA signings, too.

I like your roster projection xogfog, the only obvious "holes" are O-line depth and tight end depth. Still time to fix those, of course...

[bkeich]

So after the draft, here is my guess at the Eagles 53

QB (3) Hurts, Pickett, McKee
RB (3) Barkley, Gainwell, Shipley
WR (6) A. J. Brown, D. Smith, Parker, Covey, A. Smith, Campbell
TE (3) Goedert, Caclcaterra, Uzomah
OL (9) Mailata, Dickerson, Jurgens, Steen, L. Johnson, Toth, Hennessy, Keegan, McMahon
DL (11) Sweat, Davis, Carter, Huff, N. Smith, Hunt, Willams, Ojomo, Graham, Tuipolotu, Hall
LB (5) Dean, White, VanSumeren, Baun, Trotter Jr.
S (4) Gardner-Johnson, Blankenship, S. Brown, DeJean
CB (6) Slay, Bradberry, Mitchell, Ringo, Ricks, Rodgers
K Elliot
P Mann
LS Lovato

Practice Squad: QB Grier, RB Milton, WR Wilson, WR Keaton, WR Ngata, TE Okwuegbunam, TE Togai, OL F. Johnson, OL Dankwah, DE Jackson, DT Elliss, LB B Smith, LB P. Johnson, CB Jobe, CB Garner, S Sam

Great job on the list.

I think Avonte Maddox holds on to his roster spot, I guess it would cost Hall his spot. We are at the point that any signings probably cost us someone we were hoping to keep.

Patrick Johnson ‘s spot may not be secure. I also think Dankwah probably has to show a lot to win a PS spot. Having a total of 13 DL on the roster and PS is probably too many than we can afford.

[Docs]

I think Hunt will never play for them

Never? Even the linebacker from Louisville I think his name is Smith made the team a couple years. I like to think there’s a difference between playing for the Eagles, and fulfilling the potential upside.

[bkeich]

My guess is that Hunt will come down with a paper cut or the sniffles and end up on IR this year. That will give them a chance to get him some badly needed training and start to get him ready for the 3 level jump in competition that he will be facing.

My other guess is that start him on Specisl Teams and with a few spot plays on defense to get his feet wet. I see where PC is going (I think) he is going to need a fair amount of time to get any substantial playing time probably. Remember, this guy was at Cornell (not exactly a football powerhouse) and couldn’t get off the bench. He has a long way to go.

[Squire]

Here's my early guess at the 53

QB (3): Hurts, Pickett, McKee
RB (3): Barkley, Gainwell, Shipley
WR (6): AJ Brown, D. Smith, Campbell, Covey, Wilson, A. Smith
TE: (3): Goedert, Okwuegbunam, Calcaterra
OL (9): Mailata, Dickerson, Jurgens, Steen, L. Johnson, Hennessey, F. Johnson, Keegan, McMahon
DE (5): Sweat, Huff, N. Smith, Graham, Hunt
DT (6): Davis, Carter, Williams, Ojomo Tuipulotu, Hall
LB (5): Dean, White, VanSumeran, Trotter Jr., Burks
CB (6): Slay, Mitchell, Ringo, Rodgers, Ricks, Garner
S (4): Gardner-Johnson, DeJean, Blankenship, Maddox
Specialists (3): Elliott, Mann, Lovato

PUP (1): Sydney Brown
June 1 Cut: Bradberry

[bkeich]

The funny part to me is that we drafted 2 guys to play LB with exact opposite problems. A guy with all of the physical tools you could dream of but not much experience (Hunt) and Trotter, who is probably the smartest football guy on the team today but questionable speed, too small and needs more “tools”. Combine them and you have a great player (and an atrocious one).

Our LB coaching staff has a huge job standing in front of them.

[phillychuck]

Re: Hunt....

Never? Even the linebacker from Louisville I think his name is Smith made the team a couple years. I like to think there’s a difference between playing for the Eagles, and fulfilling the potential upside.

OK, so "never" is probably too strong. I think his career will look like Davion Taylor, a few snaps here and there, but never really "playing", meaning never starting or bering a rotational player or even a core special team player. Fair complaint.

Marcus Smith got a lot of chances because they spent first-round draft pick on him. Hunt will get fewer chances because of the Eagles' less costly third-round investment.

[zambonir]

3 level jump in competition that he will be facing.

What are the three levels? He was a Division 1 FCS football player, just like Carson Wentz or Jeremiah Trotter (Sr.) or Bailey Zappe (who played for the same school). Two levels, certainly.

I tend to think the opposite, this was still a not insignificant pick to spend on someone, the third guy they took, and they knew they could get him by trading down because they felt they saw something other teams did not, and liked him better than more highly rated players. That's someone they think they can really help in 1-2 years not a coin flip.

[bkeich]

My 3 levels were a little of an exaggeration, but he is going from Houston Christian.

1 level up to “average” FCS. His school is very much at the bottom of FCS competitive football. They have never had a player drafted before.
1 up to FBS
1 up to NFL.

Slight exaggeration, but to say he faced the same competition as Wentz, etc who were is FCS is also not really right. Houston Christian might give up 100 to any of the 4 Dakota FCS schools. They did give up 66 to the powerhouse UT Martin football team last season and even forfeited one game (not sure of the story, weather related?). Honestly, they are closer to a Division 3 school than FCS. Most of their players are ACTUALLY students. Imagine.

[bkeich]

3 level jump in competition that he will be facing.

….

I tend to think the opposite, this was still a not insignificant pick to spend on someone, the third guy they took, and they knew they could get him by trading down because they felt they saw something other teams did not, and liked him better than more highly rated players. That's someone they think they can really help in 1-2 years not a coin flip.

I don’t think it was a coin flip. I trust. Looking at thi ms guy he looks like an incredible athlete, and that is what is being said.

The story was crazy. He couldn’t get off the bench at Cornell, put in 68 lbs (looks like all muscle) and transferred to somewhere that would certainly play him. This is honestly a unique story to go in the 3rd round of the NFL draft.

I am giving you the wrong impression, I think it was maybe a reach, but everyone said that about Brian Westbrook also. I am excited for this guy.

I think we agree, it is going to take time to get him ready. Maybe a couple years.

[bkeich]

In case anyone missed it, we did get one other unique player in today’s game.

Shipley graduated from Clemson (a difficult academic school) in 3 years with a 4.0 while playing football.

[LegoDoom]

Hunt actually reminds me of a Bryan Smith or Chris Gocong pick. Both old 3rd round picks from smaller schools. Bryan Smith didn't play for the Eagles.

Obviously the first two picks are great, but I wouldn't have minded to keep the 2nd rounders and taken Adonai Mitchell and Mike Sainristil. I guess that depends on if the Eagles want DeJean to play safety or not.

And with the recent draft picks, I wouldn't keep Covey on the team. He just doesn't provide anything on offense.

EDIT: I pasted the wrong commie draft pick.

[zambonir]

They have never had a player drafted before.

They have had two other players drafted (the school changed its name from Houston Baptist in 2022). And the Southland is really not a bad conference though it has been levelled out quite a bit by recent realignments. It is a conference that has had more than 200 players drafted. And DPOY in that conference is not nothing. To me the fact that he started as an Ivy League player and was part of the COVID seasons seems like a plus not a minus. Had he had a normal career he's a higher pick. Had he done better at Cornell he would have gone to a better FCS or FBS school and been a higher pick. Obviously he has developed quite a bit physically from being a safety and track athlete.

But yes it seems we agree vs. PhillyChuck's prediction.

[LegoDoom]

I also am curious about how Hunt was used in college. His tape is mostly of him sitting at the LOS and reacting. His senior bowl film shows a more physical side. It will be interesting to see how this shakes out, but there were certainly safer picks and I'm not sure how much of an upside Hunt has.

[phillychuck]

I'm rooting for Hunt, but I am skeptical. Most NFL players would dominate at Cornell, not be on the bench, even when they are young and immature physically. He matured and bulked up, and played two years for Hoston Christian, becoming Southland DPOY as a senior, when he was playing at age 24 vs 20-year-olds. Good job, but the relative age discounts the performance. To Hunt's credit, he was good at the Senior Bowl, which the Eagles seem to value heavily. The tapes of him at the SB show him delivering hard shots to offensive linemen, who recover and keep him blocked. His college tape shows a lot of him being blocked and recovering to make tackles 5-10 yards downfield. I saw a couple of clips of him being successful running the hoop (like Reddick) to get to the QB. I hope they develop him into a good edge, but I doubt he plays much in the next two seasons. As I wrote, I'm not optimistic about his chances to ever become a rotation player. I'm wrong a lot, hope I'm wrong this time, too.

[zambonir]

It seems like his in-person workout is what tipped the scales. But we've heard that one before!

The fact that he was one of their "Top 30" seems meaningful. If they are right.

Agreed he probably won't play much over the next two seasons but your original prediction sounded much bolder than that.

[xogfog]

Final UDFA signings

RB Kendall Milton, Georgia
WR Talik Keaton, Marshall
TE McCallan Castles, Tennessee
OT Anim Dankwah, Howard
DT Gabe Hall, Baylor
S Andre Sam, LSU
S Kanion Roy, Tulsa

WR Praise Olatoke, International Player Pathway Program (Invited to Minicamp)