Eagles / Combine Talk - Offense

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Let's talk about some prospects at the Combine who might fit the Eagles.  We'll only cover offense for now.

RB

I've talked all year about a guy from Auburn named Ben Tate.  He had a terrific Senior year.  He looked good at the Senior Bowl.  He followed that up with a strong workout.  He's 5'11, 220.  He did well in all the athletic tests.  The thing I love about Tate is that he's a complete back.  He stood out in the blocking drills in Mobile.  He's also a good runner and solid receiver.

A couple of RBs reminded me of Buck.  One is Montario Hardesty of Tennessee.  He had a breakout year and blew me away.  He goes about 225.  Montario posted great numbers in the athletic tests and may have really opened some eyes.  I now wonder if he'll even make it to the 3rd round.  The other guy is James Starks of Buffalo.  He missed the year with a shoulder injury, but goes about 6'1, 218.  He is a N-S runner with some wiggle.  Deceptively strong.  Starks will be a late round pick, but has the potential to be a good NFL player.

Toby Gerhart had a real strong weekend.  He measured in at 6'0, 231.  That makes him a big RB and not just a sledgehammer with feet.  Gerhart posted some real good numbers.  He also passed the eyeball test.  He looked smooth in the running drills.  Most important, he caught the ball in the pass catching drills.  He showed soft hands and looked natural as a receiver.  You wonder if Reid watching Weaver play this year may have opened his eyes a bit.  Could Toby be of interest?  Big Red actually had interest in Brandon Jacobs back when he was in the draft.  Gerhart isn't a huge freak like that, but he's still not your average RB.  Toby is 231 pounds in great shape.  He may play normally closer to 240.  What makes him special is that he has very good feet.  He's nimble.  Most big guys don't have that ability.  Toby can dodge defenders, make tough moves, and get around trash when he's running in traffic.  Most guys turn into Earl Campbell and just lower the shoulder.  I do wonder if the Eagles will have interest or not.

LeGarrette Blount didn't stand out to me.  He also measured in at 6'0, 241.  He's like the less talented version of Gerhart, but with some extra baggage.  I'm now starting to think he won't be a target at all.

I go back and forth with Dexter McCluster.  I'm sure Reid loves his potential, but is he worth a 2nd round pick to a team like ours that already has weapons in DJax, Mac, and Shady?  McCluster weighed in at 172 pounds, a good sign for him.  He didn't stand out at the Combine.  Whats unusual about him is that he's still more of a football player than athlete, despite being tiny.


WR

I"m going to skip guys likely to go in the Top 75.  We're already 3-deep at the top.  Spending an early pick would just be a waste for us.  Donald Jones of Youngstown State caught my eye.  He had a solid day.  Good combination of size, speed, strength, and production.  I need to watch tape on him.

Jacoby Ford is someone I've wondered about if he slides to the late 3rd or 4th.  He has blazing speed.  He has RS ability.  He was productive at Clemson.  I'm just not sure that he's a natural pass catcher.  Both Maclin and Jackson looked very natural in the last couple of Combines and that showed up in their play.  Ford may not be our cup of tea.

I may have undervalued WR Blair White of Michigan State.  He had a terrific season for the Spartans.  I loved his hands, quickness, and route running, but had questions about his speed and potential outside of the slot.  White had a real good showing in Indy.  I also didn't realize Blair was 6'2, 209.  That's good size.  He could be of interest as a late round guy to bring in as a backup.

UConn's Marcus Easley reminds me a bit of Miles Austin.  No, that doesn't mean he just beat Sheldon Brown and Sean Jones for a long touchdown.  I'm referring to the fact that he's big, athletic, and full of potential.  He's also raw.  If we knew that we'd stay healthy at WR I'd love to add Easley.  I'm just not sure he could contribute much in 2010.  If we keep Reggie around then Easley could be a late target.  Marcus has the potential to develop into a good starter.

Stephen Williams from Toledo may be fool's gold.  He's big and has some speed.  He caught the ball really well.  His game tape didn't impress me at all.


OL

The more I watch G Mike Iupati the more I think Reid will covet him.  Does he have a chance to slide down to 24 or would we have to go after him?  I'm not sure that he has much of a chance to make it to us.

T Jared Veldheer has short arms, something the Eagles don't like in their O-linemen.  That is a big point of emphasis for them, actually.  Veldheer had a solid Combine and could be a 3rd round target.  He could play either OT spot in the future.

Chris Scott of Tennessee played LT in college, but he's meant to play G in the NFL.  He is a big guy and fits the Eagles requirements in a blocker.

Shelley Smith and Chris Degeare are G prospects that could be of interest.

Maurkice Pouncey is the only Center prospect to really get excited about.  I still don't have a good feel for whether the Eagles will be interested in him.  He didn't measure in at 6'5, 320 like we hoped.  He magically shrunk down to 6'4, 304.  That is still good size for a C.  It just doesn't make him special.  I've always been of the belief that we'd pass on taking a C early in the draft.  The Eagles seem to prefer taking a guy in the mid to late rounds to develop.  We've never had an incumbent injured, though.  Jamaal Jackson's agent said that he's doing okay in rehab, but won't be on the field til mid-August.  That would give him 3 or so weeks to get ready for the season.  Or we could put him on the PUP list and make do with Cole/McGlynn/? for the first 6 weeks.  Color me confused, highly confused.  I've been asking around to see if anyone has thoughts on Mike McGlynn or AQ Shipley, but all I'm getting  is crickets chirping.  Doesn't everybody obsess on the backup Centers?  What is wrong with these people?


ANSWERS

RE:  Brandon Graham

He is a very exciting prospect, but be careful.  Those 31 reps he did don't mean a whole lot.  Brandon has short arms and a big chest.  The bar didn't have far to go.  The fact that he's 6'1 and has short arms isn't something to sneeze at.  Graham is not a lock to go in the 1st round, let alone the Top 20.


RE:  Hank Fraley

He was a backup to rookie Alex Mack in 2009.  I'm not sure how good Hank is anymore.  The last time I know he played well was 2007.  He could be of interest, but I just haven't watched enough of him recently to have an informed opinion.


RE:  Gerald McCoy

Remember, this is an odd time of the year.  The Eagles could have interviewed him for a number of reasons.  First, maybe they love his potential and are considering a huge deal to try and get up that high.  Not likely, but you never know.  The Eagles could have some other Top 10 target they like.  The meeting with McCoy is a smoke screen to throw off the other 31 teams.  If they hear about an Eagles trade they'll focus on McCoy and not some other player.  The other thing to remember is that these players will all be free agents some day.  The Eagles may just be doing due diligence in that regard.


RE:  Koa Misi

He played DE at Utah.  He was 6'3, 244 at the Senior Bowl and spent most of his time at LB.  I thought Misi showed good LB potential.  He didn't look lost at all, even in coverage.  Tough, physical player with a good motor.  Could be a legit SAM candidate in the 3rd or 4th round.

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