Before anything else, please send your thoughts and prayers to Jason Avant and his family. His father died Saturday of injuries sustained in a car crash in New Jersey. Jerry Avant lost control of his Chevy Blazer in Burlington County during the wet conditions and crashed on the opposite side of the road. The Mount Holly native was 51 years old.
If the labor dispute in the NFL is bothering the fan base in Philly, it sure isn't showing. With the annual draft party coming up at the end of the month, the 6,500 free tickets the team gives away have all been spoken for once again. While it's obvious fans don't want to get into the middle of a fight that isn't theirs, it will be interesting to see the draft this year and how the incoming players respond to the mess they will walk into after the draft is over.
With the draft in mind, Muhammad Wilkerson has been my favorite for a while now, and it's reported that the Eagles have been looking at his teammate, Temple safety Jaiquawn Jarrett. Despite the fact that Nate Allen should be back next year and he has a lot of talent at the position, after seeing his injury last season, it couldn't hurt to bring Jarrett onto the team. If nothing else, Jarrett could backup for Allen and possibly replace him one day.
In Kevin Kolb news, the Bengals are the newest team in the sweepstakes. With Carson Palmer about as excited to play in Cincinnati as Kolb is in Philly, this deal might be one of the most promising ones yet. If Palmer was to shake things up, it could make the Bengals more desperate to make a three-team deal. Not that I'm excited about benefiting from another team's desperation, but at this point that's what's driving Kolb's potential stock through the roof, and that's never bad for the Eagles.
Meanwhile, in Eagles alum news, legend Chuck Bednarik was released from the hospital Thursday morning. Bednarik was hospitalized for shortness of breath, but was cleared with minor health comments. Ron Jaworski has caused a stir with his comments to Philadelphia Inquirer writer Jeff McLane regarding the lockout. Jaworski voiced his concerns with the sense of a work stoppage, given the game's popularity, and the sad state of disabled players' medical benefits. He also spoke on the timing of the return of the Arena Football League team, the Philadelphia Soul, to play after a three-year hiatus following their 2008 championship. The Soul make a return sans Bon Jovi, with Jaws as part owner.
Follow on Twitter: @asprice18
Showing posts with label Temple. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Temple. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Eagles Draft Prep
Now that the coaching staff is finally in place, and with the 2011 NFL Draft is looming, there are a lot of things for the Eagles to consider. What takes priority? Clearly, the squads needing the most work are the defensive and offensive lines. I've gone over how the Eagles can address defensive line issues in the free agency, but what about young talent?
Philadelphia owns the 23 pick in the first round of the 2011 draft. Assuming they don't collect more first-round picks in a Kolb-unknown team trade, they will be at the lower-end of the first round. Scout Inc.'s draftee-ranking list has plenty of offensive and defensive line players around it's lower-midsection, so the Eagles could really get something out of it.
Temple's Muhammad Wilkerson is ranked 23rd by Scout Inc., but NFL Draft Scout has him pegged as a second-round pick. If picked up by the Eagles, Wilkerson and his Temple MVP trophy could easily move down Broad Street and spend half the season behind or even displace Trent Cole or Antonio Dixon on the right side, and could potentially add power if the Eagle's don't pick up a cornerback in the free agency to complement Asante Samuel on the left.
Missouri's Aldon Smith is could be an interesting choice for the Eagles. He's ranked 16th by Scout Inc., and he's projected to go in the first round, though there's a hitch. He received a leg injury that slowed the beginning of his season, and some teams may decide that entering the draft now is a mistake, like ESPN's Gil Brandt. This could benefit the Eagles if they pass on him early by allowing them to pick him up later. He could fulfill a role similar to Wilkerson as a defensive end, possibly backing up or outright replacing Juqua Parker on the right side. He could also be used to add depth to or help prop up the Eagles linebacker corps, saving the team money in the free agency.
On the offensive side, Wisconsin's Gabe Carimi, ranked 17th by Scout Inc. and projected to go in the first two rounds could help stop up the cracks defenses found in the Eagles' offensive line as the season dragged on. Having him learn behind Winston Justice or even start next to him, displacing Nick Cole could help protect Vick better from late-season and playoff defensive lines. Strength and depth is not something the Eagles can afford to overlook in this defense-needing offseason.
I'll post more draft preferences, predictions, and analysis as the April 28th event draws nearer, and as things develop in this very fluid offseason for both the Eagles and the NFL as a whole.
Follow on Twitter: @asprice18
Philadelphia owns the 23 pick in the first round of the 2011 draft. Assuming they don't collect more first-round picks in a Kolb-unknown team trade, they will be at the lower-end of the first round. Scout Inc.'s draftee-ranking list has plenty of offensive and defensive line players around it's lower-midsection, so the Eagles could really get something out of it.
Temple's Muhammad Wilkerson is ranked 23rd by Scout Inc., but NFL Draft Scout has him pegged as a second-round pick. If picked up by the Eagles, Wilkerson and his Temple MVP trophy could easily move down Broad Street and spend half the season behind or even displace Trent Cole or Antonio Dixon on the right side, and could potentially add power if the Eagle's don't pick up a cornerback in the free agency to complement Asante Samuel on the left.
Missouri's Aldon Smith is could be an interesting choice for the Eagles. He's ranked 16th by Scout Inc., and he's projected to go in the first round, though there's a hitch. He received a leg injury that slowed the beginning of his season, and some teams may decide that entering the draft now is a mistake, like ESPN's Gil Brandt. This could benefit the Eagles if they pass on him early by allowing them to pick him up later. He could fulfill a role similar to Wilkerson as a defensive end, possibly backing up or outright replacing Juqua Parker on the right side. He could also be used to add depth to or help prop up the Eagles linebacker corps, saving the team money in the free agency.
On the offensive side, Wisconsin's Gabe Carimi, ranked 17th by Scout Inc. and projected to go in the first two rounds could help stop up the cracks defenses found in the Eagles' offensive line as the season dragged on. Having him learn behind Winston Justice or even start next to him, displacing Nick Cole could help protect Vick better from late-season and playoff defensive lines. Strength and depth is not something the Eagles can afford to overlook in this defense-needing offseason.
I'll post more draft preferences, predictions, and analysis as the April 28th event draws nearer, and as things develop in this very fluid offseason for both the Eagles and the NFL as a whole.
Follow on Twitter: @asprice18
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