Couple of Roster Tidbits

When I get confused I like to step back and get real basic. That means typing up my own short and long depth charts. That way I get a better feel for the roster. Sometimes just looking at the roster on the PE.com can give you false confidence in some spots and a feeling of need in an area that is actually okay. It sounds funny, but things are different when you type in each name and see how they fit together.

I did this earlier today. A couple of things hit me in the head. I had completely forgotten about the presence of Dimitri Patterson. He was the CB we signed late in the year when Mike McGlynn went on IR. The Eagles thought enough of him that they put him on the roster. That shows you this is a player that they think could help them in the future. He's not a developmental project.

I think Patterson is important because he gives us a hedge with Jack Ikegwounu. Dimitri has been around the league for 3 or 4 years. He'll be 26 this summer. He could play if we needed someone to fill in at CB. Jack is still a mystery.

Patterson could also be a small hedge against losing MmmBop Hanson. He's a FA and could have some suitors. I think Hanson is limited to being a Nickelback, but we've seen teams take chances on role players in the past.

The CFL star we signed, Byron Parker, played CB up there. I figured we put him outside, but PE.com has him listed as a Safety. Interesting. He was a ballhawk in the Great White North. I have no idea what kind of a hitter/tackler he is. I always like the thought of adding someone with good hands to the secondary. If the team really thought he could be a centerfielder type of FS they could slide Demps to SS and avoid taking a Safety in the first 5 rounds. I still think they'll end up taking a SS to develop for the future.

It does feel good to have a strong rotation already in place on the DL.

OL and RB are sorta empty.

ANSWERS TO READER COMMENTS

Someone asked why I'm so down on Shawn Andrews playing next year. Let's just say I have heard quite a few things that the general public doesn't know. The Eagles organization isn't sure about his future. I've talked to numerous people about him and no one knows what to expect. You simply cannot count on this guy.

It isn't anything personal I have against him. I've been a big fan of Shawn's since his Sophomore year at Arkansas. I love dominant run blockers. I hope he gets his head right and comes back to the team. That would be huge for us.

Another person wanted to know about replacing Jamaal Jackson. Possibility. Jamaal looked really good in 2006. I thought we had a Pro Bowl type C on our hands. He's flat-lined the last couple of years. Jamaal isn't a bad player by any stretch, but I am worried about him. He's not heading in the right direction career wise. If Jason Brown of the Ravens makes it to the market I would absolutely have interest in bringing him in. He looks like a terrific young OL. I'm not looking to replace Jamaal unless I know it is an upgrade. I have no interest in some veteran like Jeff Saturday. I'd rather spend a mid-round pick on a guy to develop and challenge JJ in the future. Jason Brown is the one guy who absolutely interests me.
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