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ITB: What Are The Eagles' Biggest Draft Needs? · Inside the Birds: A Philadelphia Eagles Podcast

• 0:09
  Speaker 1: Inside the Birds is back. What's up, everybody?
• 0:14
  Speaker 2: Jeff Mosher and Adam Kaplan, we thought we'd start off
• 0:17
  Speaker 2: the week reminding everybody that it's April and the NFL
• 0:21
  Speaker 2: Draft is really right around the corner, about three weeks away.
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: A lot's gonna happen over the next three weeks. It's
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: gonna be more visits things of that nature for the Eagles,
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: and we're really getting into already the nitty gritty of
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: the draft with Greg Cosell and the prospect breakdowns. We
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: thought for this podcast, it would be a really good idea,
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: now that we're knee deep, way deep in free agency,
• 0:42
  Speaker 2: to look at where the Eagles are at, knowing their
• 0:44
  Speaker 2: draft philosophy, and give everybody the top positions that the
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: Eagles will have to address their top needs for the
• 0:53
  Speaker 2: twenty eight NFL Draft Draft needs. Correct Now, Adam, this
• 0:58
  Speaker 2: is gonna be tough for some people because you still
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: come across people who think you draft for immediate need,
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: which you don't and the Eagles don't, and then you get.
• 1:06
  Speaker 3: Teams will by the way, you're going to get fired.
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: Right, That's right.
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: That's the beauty of Ali's job security and his success
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: is that he doesn't have to be pigeonholed into that.
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: I have to draft this player and for this need
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: or else, I'm going to get fired at the end
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: of the year.
• 1:24
  Speaker 3: All right, So on what you just said at the
• 1:27
  Speaker 3: last part, I want to start there when he's done that.
• 1:30
  Speaker 3: I've come up with this term for him, specifically what
• 1:33
  Speaker 3: he frames the pick. Okay, he did in twenty nineteen
• 1:36
  Speaker 3: with Andre Dillard miss. Okay, he was going to replace
• 1:40
  Speaker 3: Jason Peters, talked about this before next year. Unfortunately, it's
• 1:45
  Speaker 3: the last time he's missed on a first round pick.
• 1:46
  Speaker 3: Was Rager. We had put that out on our show
• 1:49
  Speaker 3: in March that were from what we've heard and with
• 1:52
  Speaker 3: our sourcing, we never you know, it's funny, we could
• 1:55
  Speaker 3: have backtracked it. Oh, I don't know, maybe not, you're
• 1:58
  Speaker 3: jeh Jefferson's a better player. No, we were confident it
• 2:01
  Speaker 3: was gonna be Raguer and we never backed off. Oh God,
• 2:03
  Speaker 3: I wish I was wrong. I'm sorry the jail and
• 2:06
  Speaker 3: he's still trying to play. But but since then, because
• 2:09
  Speaker 3: how he framed for speed, because we we we talked
• 2:12
  Speaker 3: about Greg Cosell talked about it. Less offense, he slow
• 2:15
  Speaker 3: us offense he'd seen, remember that, but he takes it.
• 2:18
  Speaker 3: He wasn't wrong. He was right one hundred percent. Oh yeah, yeah,
• 2:20
  Speaker 3: he just told the truth, wasn't He was just saying
• 2:23
  Speaker 3: this is this is offensive too. So so how he
• 2:25
  Speaker 3: did what's called it over correction. He framed it, don't
• 2:28
  Speaker 3: frame it. Let the board come to you. Yes, there,
• 2:31
  Speaker 3: and we're going to outline this, as Jeff said, with
• 2:34
  Speaker 3: how we see it, how we think they see it,
• 2:36
  Speaker 3: based on what we hear, what we know, how they
• 2:38
  Speaker 3: feel they're chopped, their chop draft needs are. But and
• 2:43
  Speaker 3: I'll get into corner because this one's good. This is
• 2:46
  Speaker 3: kind of like it could be a thirty for thirty
• 2:48
  Speaker 3: the corner discussion. There's so much going on with it.
• 2:51
  Speaker 3: I might have an unpopular take or I hate to
• 2:54
  Speaker 3: call it take, but just my my, my gut feeling
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: on that is. We'll see if I'm right. I was
• 2:59
  Speaker 3: right last that how he was not going to dress
• 3:01
  Speaker 3: it early. I had had a suspicion that we thought
• 3:04
  Speaker 3: that let's just go with through Douyts Jackson, Let's see
• 3:07
  Speaker 3: how much he's had left. We've always liked him, and
• 3:09
  Speaker 3: then they would let's see if mac mcwam's come along.
• 3:12
  Speaker 3: He didn't. That was a mistake in terms of not
• 3:15
  Speaker 3: addressing an earlier Now maybe we'll get into this in
• 3:18
  Speaker 3: a couple of minutes. I'll save that, but you know,
• 3:21
  Speaker 3: the discussion of Cooper Egen obviously it's a part of it.
• 3:24
  Speaker 3: But quarterback position is still a big need no matter
• 3:28
  Speaker 3: what people think.
• 3:29
  Speaker 2: Yeah it is, and we'll get into why, because I
• 3:31
  Speaker 2: think the financial element, all of what it's going to
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: look like in a year, also plays into why when
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: the Eagles always look down the road, they do it
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: with finances in mind as well.
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: So let's talk about our first.
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: Need, which happens to be it kind of coincides with
• 3:47
  Speaker 2: both an immediate need but also future and at a
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: position that the Eagles always prioritize anyway in the draft.
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: The only thing will be interesting about it is at
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: twenty three, it may not shape up to get the
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: guy that they might like at that spot, but you
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: never know, because how he's very aggressive and he very
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: rarely picks up the spot that he's originally slated for,
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: but edge out of edge position, this is a spot
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: that last.
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: Year really picked up when the Eagles traded for Jalen Phillips.
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: It made Jelex Hunt into a better player, and it
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: made the rotation that much more deeper and impactful.
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: But he's gone now.
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: Off to the Panthers, and you know, the time of
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: us recording this, we've talked about the trade market. Maybe
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: there's something that the Eagles can do to upgrade that position,
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: to get themselves an impact starter. But even so, they're
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: always looking at the edge position for the future. They'll
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: have to make a decision right on Nolan Smith. They'll
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: pick up the fifth year option, I would imagine, but
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: as far as future will see second is due. Yeah,
• 4:48
  Speaker 2: may second is due, But it's obviously a position that
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: you have to pay attention to with the Eagles always well.
• 4:53
  Speaker 3: I would say this though, if they draft an edge
• 4:59
  Speaker 3: at twenty three, I'm not saying they won't pick it
• 5:02
  Speaker 3: up because it's a reasonable number and it just guarantees
• 5:05
  Speaker 3: you just that fifth year. I mean, so that way,
• 5:08
  Speaker 3: because if he blows it up next season. It's sort
• 5:11
  Speaker 3: of a thick with with Jordan Davis, which was the
• 5:13
  Speaker 3: right decision. If he blows it up, they can't get
• 5:16
  Speaker 3: a contract extension done. They've got it on a fifth
• 5:18
  Speaker 3: year option, so they don't have to worry about it,
• 5:19
  Speaker 3: you know, so, right, But here's the thing. Right now,
• 5:24
  Speaker 3: they could start the season there, They're okay, like Smith, Hunt,
• 5:28
  Speaker 3: try and say Inca Ebiketty if they have to do
• 5:32
  Speaker 3: it for whatever reason, Jose Rimiers, we've talked about if
• 5:35
  Speaker 3: they had to go back to BG, they could do it.
• 5:38
  Speaker 3: So they're okay, they're perfectly fine getting through the season.
• 5:41
  Speaker 3: But they're not trying to do that. They want to
• 5:43
  Speaker 3: set this thing up for the future. That's why they
• 5:45
  Speaker 3: wanted Phillips back. Now, had they got phil Phillips back,
• 5:49
  Speaker 3: it would have been Hunt, Phillips, Smith, Ebicketty. I feel
• 5:54
  Speaker 3: confident Ebiketty would have been here regardless. Now he probably
• 5:56
  Speaker 3: would have gotten the money that he was getting. I
• 5:59
  Speaker 3: think they would have tried to get one more guy.
• 6:01
  Speaker 3: He would have been at Trion. Shrank wouldn't be here,
• 6:03
  Speaker 3: Maybeers wouldn't be been here. But it's all moot because
• 6:08
  Speaker 3: Philips is not here and they are looking for that upgrade. Again,
• 6:11
  Speaker 3: death is not about how many players you have, it's
• 6:14
  Speaker 3: the quality of the players. They want that upgraded edge.
• 6:16
  Speaker 3: That's what we're calling it. I'm putting up there now
• 6:19
  Speaker 3: everyone you can put in the comments. How do you
• 6:21
  Speaker 3: see the needs? I know Jeff and I Jeff before
• 6:25
  Speaker 3: we start taping, he said, hey, you know what, I
• 6:26
  Speaker 3: got to be honest with you, I kind of agree
• 6:28
  Speaker 3: with your order. I was like, really, I thought you
• 6:29
  Speaker 3: would because I think some people are going to put
• 6:31
  Speaker 3: right tackle first.
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: Well I could, I would.
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: I could make an argument that I think it's just
• 6:35
  Speaker 2: as important. But and at twenty three, just in how
• 6:40
  Speaker 2: I think the draft might fall, there are some really
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: good offensive tackles who are perfect to sit in the
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: year or maybe play sporadically year one. We talked about
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: them with Greg Cosel that could then take over in
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: twenty twenty seven for a lane.
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: So I wouldn't rule it out for sure. I think
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: it's right up there.
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: Sure could be under but the Eagles to your point
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: on like the Eugles play a game today with their
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: edge group and be Okay, yes that's not the goal. Agree,
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: But even playing a game, even playing with their edge
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: group right now, it's not superior. It's good, But you
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: wouldn't put it up there with the Bronco. You wouldn't
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: put up there with the Texans. It's there's a reason
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: they traded for Jalen Phillips. It's because they weren't good
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: enough when they had Nolan Smith and Jex Hunt. Even
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: improvement by Jalx Hunt, they're still missing. You gotta have
• 7:25
  Speaker 2: three horses, and I right now they got two two
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: guys and not one real real.
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: True elite stud horse.
• 7:34
  Speaker 3: I would they don't have they don't have a I would.
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: Hunt the benefit of doubt of maybe getting to that
• 7:38
  Speaker 2: at that point, but they're not there yet, right, So he.
• 7:41
  Speaker 3: He really was the terms he's on the com show
• 7:43
  Speaker 3: to big, he's he's you start, He's got that upside
• 7:47
  Speaker 3: you never know. Honestly, he's to me, he's like a
• 7:50
  Speaker 3: year ahead of where people around thought he would be.
• 7:53
  Speaker 3: The hope was that by year three what he did
• 7:55
  Speaker 3: in here two like, that's what he did in here too.
• 7:58
  Speaker 3: So now you're hoping he takes a next step and
• 8:00
  Speaker 3: he's a quality starter. He's getting he's getting to that point,
• 8:04
  Speaker 3: and Nolan Smith has dropped off due to injuries. So
• 8:06
  Speaker 3: it's not good enough. But they have depth. Their death
• 8:09
  Speaker 3: is good. Actually that's a good thing. But they don't
• 8:11
  Speaker 3: have that a level pasture. So they told you how
• 8:13
  Speaker 3: badly they want to fill us back by trying to
• 8:16
  Speaker 3: bring him back. They told you that's what they were
• 8:17
  Speaker 3: looking for, that he It would have looked different had
• 8:20
  Speaker 3: he come back. So I've got it number one. Feel
• 8:23
  Speaker 3: free to disagree with us here or may or whatever,
• 8:26
  Speaker 3: but number two is number two to me. See, this
• 8:32
  Speaker 3: is this is this is the this is the long discussion,
• 8:34
  Speaker 3: which what we'll we'll give the cliff notes version. They
• 8:36
  Speaker 3: don't have a number two corner like for the future.
• 8:39
  Speaker 3: You could retreat will and now see see how he
• 8:42
  Speaker 3: there's a lot of great traits and how he likes traits.
• 8:45
  Speaker 3: He's a traits general manager. He's very if you study
• 8:49
  Speaker 3: how he going back a couple of decades now, he's
• 8:52
  Speaker 3: very treats traits oriented mm hm. And every once in
• 8:57
  Speaker 3: a while, I hope bringing the guys a little bit
• 8:59
  Speaker 3: shorter than you would expect, like the analytic data may
• 9:02
  Speaker 3: not totally hit it. Yeah, as a front of you
• 9:05
  Speaker 3: and I have who works I think somewhere in the AFC.
• 9:11
  Speaker 3: Obviously I'm not gonna hint who it is, but you
• 9:12
  Speaker 3: and I know this guy very well and he's helped
• 9:14
  Speaker 3: us out with traits and be careful of this is
• 9:18
  Speaker 3: some time because this guy knows analytics big time, and
• 9:20
  Speaker 3: he goes. He says, sometimes you have to be careful
• 9:23
  Speaker 3: with RIS scoring to be misleading, but Howie's history is
• 9:28
  Speaker 3: big on RAS. I'm just telling you it's not always,
• 9:31
  Speaker 3: but he's one of the big general matters of RS scores.
• 9:34
  Speaker 2: We did a whole episode, by the way, with Sam Finkel,
• 9:38
  Speaker 2: who does inside the data on Inside the Birds. As
• 9:40
  Speaker 2: people know now, we did a whole episode once on
• 9:44
  Speaker 2: Eagles draft picks over the last few years and their
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: average RAS scores, and it was literally like it had
• 9:50
  Speaker 2: to be over eighty percent of them, especially on day
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: one and day two, where guys who scored either eight
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: point five or higher on a scale of one to ten,
• 9:58
  Speaker 2: and some of them were just like Davis, someone just
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: completely blew the testing.
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: Out of the water. So yeah, they are really big
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: into it.
• 10:07
  Speaker 3: Yeah, no doubt. So corner to me is number two. Now,
• 10:09
  Speaker 3: so well as we develop this, we'll give you the
• 10:12
  Speaker 3: Clifflands version. They don't know who the starter opposite Quinnon
• 10:16
  Speaker 3: Mitchell's going to be past the season. We know that
• 10:19
  Speaker 3: it's going to be Ereek Wool and that's not up
• 10:20
  Speaker 3: to debate, but it's the twelve million dollars. I'll tell
• 10:23
  Speaker 3: you they've already given the answers twelve million dollars. Fully
• 10:25
  Speaker 3: granted he's starting, but that will not preclude them if
• 10:29
  Speaker 3: we don't teams. Reporters don't know how the board is stacked.
• 10:32
  Speaker 3: But if they've got that guy twenty three, if the
• 10:35
  Speaker 3: best corner is there, that's who they're taking. If Howie
• 10:37
  Speaker 3: sticks by his board, and he didn't in twenty twenty,
• 10:41
  Speaker 3: because every reporter who covers the team, it's not a secret.
• 10:47
  Speaker 3: The higher graded player was justin Jefferson how he reached
• 10:50
  Speaker 3: for speed and that was a mistake. He hasn't made
• 10:52
  Speaker 3: that mistake. Boy, I would have to tell you he's
• 10:55
  Speaker 3: learned a lot since then. He's become a really good
• 10:56
  Speaker 3: drafter since then. Yeah, i'll put him bottom half a drafters.
• 10:59
  Speaker 3: Probably that you.
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: Heard what he said right last three year, fourteen out
• 11:03
  Speaker 2: of fifteen guys on day one and day two are starting,
• 11:06
  Speaker 2: I mean.
• 11:07
  Speaker 3: And good for him. He's doing a better job of listening.
• 11:09
  Speaker 3: And I know when that athletic article came out with
• 11:12
  Speaker 3: three or four years ago, were they they a lot
• 11:15
  Speaker 3: of people gave and I don't based on what you
• 11:18
  Speaker 3: and I know because we we talked about that article.
• 11:20
  Speaker 3: We devoted like half a show on that. It called
• 11:23
  Speaker 3: Howie out. It was it was absolutely true, and he's
• 11:26
  Speaker 3: just doing a better job. Now, this is a huge
• 11:30
  Speaker 3: draft for them defensively, they need they have needs. We've
• 11:33
  Speaker 3: we've talked about it. Corner to me, is it See
• 11:35
  Speaker 3: what we don't know is we know Coops the nickel
• 11:38
  Speaker 3: that's not up to debate right now, but are on
• 11:41
  Speaker 3: bass downs, which are rundowns. Is Coops still going to
• 11:43
  Speaker 3: be a cornerback? That's the question that fan Joe did.
• 11:49
  Speaker 3: They ask him that when they talked to him.
• 11:52
  Speaker 2: The last comment he made was very similar to comments
• 11:55
  Speaker 2: he's made in the past that he has no problem
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: moving Cooper to Gene outside as long as he find
• 12:00
  Speaker 2: somebody who can play the.
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: Nickel backspot equally well or around that same. Oh, I
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: remember that, And of course it's very hard to do.
• 12:09
  Speaker 3: Not but yeah, Michael Carter could do it. Maybe Michael
• 12:12
  Speaker 3: Carter is going to be also cross trained safety. He
• 12:16
  Speaker 3: might be a starting safety. We don't know yet. That's
• 12:18
  Speaker 3: draft will give us a lot of answer because how
• 12:20
  Speaker 3: he's already admitted he did to the media last week
• 12:22
  Speaker 3: in Phoenix that they're going to still address it. But
• 12:25
  Speaker 3: to me move this forward, it's still a mystery and
• 12:29
  Speaker 3: it's a major prime position. It's a top five position
• 12:32
  Speaker 3: on an NFL team when you build your value board
• 12:35
  Speaker 3: in terms of quarterback, left offensive tackle, right defensive end.
• 12:38
  Speaker 3: Cornerback is next, so it to me, it's a number
• 12:42
  Speaker 3: two need.
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: I love that the Broncos last year took to die Baron,
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: you know, I think they surprised people because they already
• 12:48
  Speaker 2: had a Nickel retain and Riley Moss.
• 12:51
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, but that just shows you you need three corners.
• 12:54
  Speaker 2: And plus I'm going to talk about the financial part
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: of this that maybe people who might disagree with this
• 12:59
  Speaker 2: ranking have to understand, because again.
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: The draft is about the future.
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: At this time next year when we do this show, Okay,
• 13:06
  Speaker 2: it's very likely that Carter, Jalen Carter will have already
• 13:11
  Speaker 2: been extended and had a lot of money. Jill ex
• 13:14
  Speaker 2: Hunt possibly as well, Quinnon, Mitchell, and Cooper to Gene
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: could have extensions by this time next year. Cooper maybe first,
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: because he's got no fifth year option. You know, he'll
• 13:25
  Speaker 2: be at the end of the year three of a
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: four year deal. At this time next year, But the
• 13:29
  Speaker 2: point is you got to be able to have a corner,
• 13:32
  Speaker 2: especially if you're keeping Cooper at Nickel, Right, you gotta
• 13:34
  Speaker 2: be able to have a corner that you believe in
• 13:36
  Speaker 2: that you can win games with. Who's going to be
• 13:39
  Speaker 2: cheap on a rookie deal because trying to get it
• 13:42
  Speaker 2: on the veterans scrap heap and one year, you're not
• 13:45
  Speaker 2: gonna if if Rieke Wolland has a good year this year,
• 13:47
  Speaker 2: just good?
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: Doesn't that be great?
• 13:48
  Speaker 2: If he's a good year, he's not, he's going to
• 13:49
  Speaker 2: be resigned for more than one year at twelve million,
• 13:51
  Speaker 2: all right, because he's already got the size to speed.
• 13:54
  Speaker 3: Well if they haven't addressed position of the draft, yes, sure.
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: No matter what, he's on a one year deal. So
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: my and is, you have a good year, he's gonna
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: be more expensive, right right.
• 14:02
  Speaker 3: Well wherever he goes, you mean maybe, yeah, yeah, wherever
• 14:05
  Speaker 3: he goes.
• 14:05
  Speaker 2: So it's gonna be tough to even retain him even
• 14:08
  Speaker 2: if he's good, because yeah, so much money Coop, yeah,
• 14:11
  Speaker 2: and the other guys on defense, so they need cheap
• 14:14
  Speaker 2: labor they've had and so I completely agree with this.
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: They if you get a good corner, anywhere, first round,
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: second round there, or really first and second. Fine, get
• 14:24
  Speaker 2: it because that guy is going to be your high
• 14:27
  Speaker 2: level player at a very good cost that you need
• 14:30
  Speaker 2: on defense for at least three years until he gets
• 14:33
  Speaker 2: maybe may need an extension.
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: So that's good.
• 14:36
  Speaker 3: You know. It's interesting as you were saying this, I
• 14:38
  Speaker 3: was looking at how young they are on defense other
• 14:41
  Speaker 3: than bond, and typically they would they would bargain Basement
• 14:46
  Speaker 3: or Walmart the light special at linebacker. But they're so
• 14:49
  Speaker 3: good at linebacker, which is something that's kind of like
• 14:51
  Speaker 3: mind boded. You know. I finally accepted that that they're
• 14:54
  Speaker 3: they're crushing the inside backer position right like they've never
• 14:57
  Speaker 3: done the In fact, they they never really tried. It
• 15:01
  Speaker 3: was as Joe Banner told us, it was what did
• 15:03
  Speaker 3: he say, the dartboards. It was the dartboard dead, Ryan Rolls,
• 15:07
  Speaker 3: Greg Junior.
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: Keem, Jordan Mos, Focus Man. We could go on on.
• 15:15
  Speaker 3: They don't anymore. But but you're saying that they're gonna
• 15:18
  Speaker 3: find some positions to go cheap on. They're kind of
• 15:21
  Speaker 3: running out because how he keeps getting it right. It's
• 15:23
  Speaker 3: kind of the byproduct of getting it right. Yeah, I
• 15:27
  Speaker 3: don't know. I mean is he just gonna I don't know.
• 15:30
  Speaker 3: This is I had not even thought of it. As
• 15:31
  Speaker 3: you were speaking, I was like, I had not thought
• 15:33
  Speaker 3: of it quite like this this before. So I don't
• 15:35
  Speaker 3: know where they can go cheap, because I mean, if
• 15:37
  Speaker 3: less they're willing to move off Bond. But quite frankly,
• 15:40
  Speaker 3: Bond still stud. Like you could say he wasn't as
• 15:42
  Speaker 3: good as year one, Well, how the hell could he be?
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: It's pretty damn good. Last year I think he was. Yeah,
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: he was still a top five linebacker in the league.
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: Last year he was. He was really good.
• 15:51
  Speaker 2: I will never forget Who's I'm like saying, I'll never
• 15:54
  Speaker 2: forget it, But now I can't remember. It was Devonte
• 15:56
  Speaker 2: Williams right he chased Davante Williams dead? Or was it
• 16:00
  Speaker 2: Miles Sanders on that really long run in the UH
• 16:04
  Speaker 2: in that game, remember when the run got broke up
• 16:06
  Speaker 2: the left sideline and Baughn chased the guy all the
• 16:09
  Speaker 2: way down, wound up making the tackle inside the ten
• 16:12
  Speaker 2: saved a touchdown, and I think Press got throw a
• 16:15
  Speaker 2: pick on the next one. But the point is he
• 16:17
  Speaker 2: is really unbelievable, and what a great story he's been.
• 16:21
  Speaker 3: Yeah, he's up there in a way like Jordan my
• 16:25
  Speaker 3: Lot I put sure of my lote. I never played
• 16:26
  Speaker 3: football before, but so unexpected. And it's another one where
• 16:32
  Speaker 3: you say vic Fango and his ability to be a genius.
• 16:35
  Speaker 3: I don't else, He's just he is a league coach man.
• 16:39
  Speaker 3: He's I mean, Jim Johnson was great, but I think
• 16:43
  Speaker 3: Vic I have to take it up a notch this guy. Yeah,
• 16:46
  Speaker 3: he's a big Phillies fan, by the way.
• 16:48
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think he really exemplifies the coaching adage about
• 16:51
  Speaker 2: putting players.
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: In the position to succeed.
• 16:53
  Speaker 2: Yes, because he just seems to like whether it's Nicoby
• 16:56
  Speaker 2: on the blitzing, whether it's using Bonn as both an
• 16:59
  Speaker 2: edged offense under and an.
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: Off ball linebacker, deploying.
• 17:05
  Speaker 2: Degene in the nickel and keeping him there, you know,
• 17:07
  Speaker 2: despite the temptation to move him outside or even taking
• 17:11
  Speaker 2: Mitchell working him at nickel right off the bat. As
• 17:15
  Speaker 2: a rookie, it was like a two month experiment just
• 17:17
  Speaker 2: in case right, and then putting him outside, and then
• 17:20
  Speaker 2: by year two having him travel and understanding when he
• 17:24
  Speaker 2: does and doesn't need safety help. There are just he
• 17:27
  Speaker 2: just knows his personnel so well and deploys it almost
• 17:31
  Speaker 2: perfectly he's created.
• 17:33
  Speaker 3: Yeah, and and think about this before we move on
• 17:36
  Speaker 3: to uh number three top need for the draft for
• 17:39
  Speaker 3: the Eagles. If and Howie Nick were totally unified on Vic,
• 17:45
  Speaker 3: like because Vic, because Nick know how tough it is
• 17:48
  Speaker 3: to to try to beat a fancier defense, and how
• 17:50
  Speaker 3: he they always liked him like he and and and
• 17:54
  Speaker 3: the aggressiveness that they show to get him the first time,
• 17:57
  Speaker 3: you know, just to get to know him on as
• 18:00
  Speaker 3: sabbatical because the Broncos fired him. You know, it's so
• 18:05
  Speaker 3: it makes how he We've had our criticisms when it
• 18:08
  Speaker 3: was warranted. I mean, we were very critical of him
• 18:10
  Speaker 3: up to twenty twenty. But it's hard as hell. Nobody's perfect.
• 18:13
  Speaker 3: But that's another thing. His relationships and his understanding and
• 18:16
  Speaker 3: talking to coaching agents and that stuff's right, but we
• 18:19
  Speaker 3: don't talk about that a lot. Like and I don't
• 18:22
  Speaker 3: think Nick is as verse as he should be with
• 18:25
  Speaker 3: who the great coaches are around the national footbally, But
• 18:27
  Speaker 3: thankfully they were totally unified. This guy's a stud.
• 18:30
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you know yep. Anyway, all right, there's one number
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: three offensive tackle.
• 18:34
  Speaker 3: Now.
• 18:34
  Speaker 2: It wouldn't shock me if this winds up being the
• 18:37
  Speaker 2: first round pick because we went through all the guys
• 18:39
  Speaker 2: with Cosell who look like you know, day one, day
• 18:42
  Speaker 2: two tackles, and there are a lot of There are
• 18:45
  Speaker 2: a lot of what you call like high upside guys
• 18:50
  Speaker 2: that just need a little bit of season. And that's
• 18:52
  Speaker 2: how Greg described like the kid max I from Arizona
• 18:57
  Speaker 2: State or Caden Proctor from Alabama. They are not finished
• 19:01
  Speaker 2: products yet, but they're not far away either, and they
• 19:05
  Speaker 2: could really go. They're the perfect kind of guy, like
• 19:08
  Speaker 2: I mentioned earlier, to sit a year if you need
• 19:10
  Speaker 2: them to behind Blaine Johnson, and then by year two
• 19:14
  Speaker 2: really become that guy. And the Eagles aren't afraid to
• 19:16
  Speaker 2: do that. They've done that with tackle, they've done it
• 19:18
  Speaker 2: with guard and center.
• 19:19
  Speaker 3: Right, and you like that guy to be able to
• 19:21
  Speaker 3: play guard. Possibly possibly it would be kind of nice
• 19:24
  Speaker 3: because it's gonna be a right tackle. Some right tackles
• 19:26
  Speaker 3: get cross trained guard. But so, yes, we would have that.
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: Three.
• 19:30
  Speaker 3: You could put that at one. I would wouldn't argue
• 19:32
  Speaker 3: against it. It's they're all needs. It's kind of like one, one, A,
• 19:35
  Speaker 3: one B.
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 19:37
  Speaker 3: Now four. The only reason why we don't have it
• 19:39
  Speaker 3: won is because tight end is not a value position.
• 19:42
  Speaker 3: But it to me, if I'm in the Eagles, like
• 19:45
  Speaker 3: if you if you're twenty three, you certainly can make
• 19:49
  Speaker 3: the argument that by far the best player there because
• 19:52
  Speaker 3: it's it's one of the deepest tight end drafts in
• 19:55
  Speaker 3: well over a decade. But it's it's Kenyan Seedeek and
• 19:58
  Speaker 3: then everybody else. It's such a drop off.
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: Yep.
• 20:03
  Speaker 3: And I don't believe he mixed there. I'd be surprised
• 20:05
  Speaker 3: if he did, because he's so good and he's so
• 20:08
  Speaker 3: like when you put together the top the first guys who,
• 20:12
  Speaker 3: by the way, first round grades. I we're not done yet,
• 20:16
  Speaker 3: we have some time here. I would be shocked if
• 20:18
  Speaker 3: he doesn't have a first round grade from every NFL team.
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: Oh, I would think so. And uh, you gotta be
• 20:22
  Speaker 1: careful for him.
• 20:24
  Speaker 2: Of those teams that have like multiple first round picks
• 20:26
  Speaker 2: or a lot and might move up a few spots.
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: You're right, the Eagles at twenty three. I mean they'd
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: have to move up quite a bit. Yeah, by the way, yeah, yeah.
• 20:35
  Speaker 3: I grilled Greg on tight end on him specifically because
• 20:39
  Speaker 3: he gave a couple notes that said, but yet I said,
• 20:41
  Speaker 3: when he blocks, how does he you know. I asked
• 20:43
  Speaker 3: him a follow up, and he actually went on for
• 20:44
  Speaker 3: about two more minutes. He convinced me that the kids
• 20:47
  Speaker 3: all world like he is, he could do it all.
• 20:50
  Speaker 3: So now would be number four. And then finally safety
• 20:54
  Speaker 3: is I mean again, you can put it at one,
• 20:56
  Speaker 3: but it's not a value position, right.
• 20:58
  Speaker 2: You would only put it at one if you were
• 20:59
  Speaker 2: the type a person that thought you draft on immediate need, like, oh,
• 21:02
  Speaker 2: you just kicked the BA I need a safety.
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: Let's go get a safety for.
• 21:06
  Speaker 3: There's no debating and it's now had Fangio and this
• 21:12
  Speaker 3: still could happen someday. There's been no hint of it
• 21:15
  Speaker 3: because next to the Macouva, they don't have anyone. It's
• 21:18
  Speaker 3: Michael Carter, it's apps JT. Gray.
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: JT.
• 21:21
  Speaker 3: Gray is a special team player only. Andrew Sam's the
• 21:24
  Speaker 3: fourth safety and Brandon Johnson's crosstrated safety and Nickels, so
• 21:27
  Speaker 3: they don't have a second safety for the future. You know,
• 21:32
  Speaker 3: they may again, they have a lot of needs for
• 21:35
  Speaker 3: the future on defense. That's where it's at on the
• 21:36
  Speaker 3: football team, on both sides of the football. I they
• 21:41
  Speaker 3: don't have to address it now. They could dress it
• 21:43
  Speaker 3: next year. But again, it's it's it's significant future need.
• 21:46
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• 24:05
  Speaker 1: I agree with you.
• 24:05
  Speaker 2: This feels like tight end last year, where you kind
• 24:07
  Speaker 2: of expect them to get somebody because you feel like
• 24:10
  Speaker 2: they really need it, but in it if they don't,
• 24:12
  Speaker 2: they'll figure it out and make do right. I mean,
• 24:16
  Speaker 2: last year you and I thought, I think we went
• 24:17
  Speaker 2: to the draft thinking that.
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: They'd probably get a tight end.
• 24:20
  Speaker 2: There were some really good second and third round value guys.
• 24:24
  Speaker 2: I mean, they were not as good as Warren or Leveling.
• 24:26
  Speaker 2: There was a big drop off. We said it was
• 24:28
  Speaker 2: going to be top heavy, but we felt like there
• 24:30
  Speaker 2: would whether it was a Mason Taylor and an Arroyo or
• 24:33
  Speaker 2: a Fergus. And we just thought that there were I
• 24:34
  Speaker 2: feel like the type of guys that the Eagle was like,
• 24:36
  Speaker 2: and they just they value, they found found value in
• 24:39
  Speaker 2: other positions.
• 24:40
  Speaker 3: It's fine, although and also what's that.
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: That's why I just think that that might be the
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: same case. It's safety. We'll just have to see how
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: it shakes out.
• 24:48
  Speaker 3: Yeah, And I just was going to add that it's
• 24:51
  Speaker 3: not like they haven't tried to address it before. You
• 24:53
  Speaker 3: always have to know that all teams like they have
• 24:57
  Speaker 3: a gold mine. They I'm sure they looked at someone
• 24:59
  Speaker 3: around of drafting one, but guys get drafted from they
• 25:02
  Speaker 3: go to they pivot to another position. But this one
• 25:06
  Speaker 3: they've set it up. They've draft proved it to the
• 25:09
  Speaker 3: point where they don't have to dress it. Goddard's coming
• 25:11
  Speaker 3: up a great year, is a why lots who is
• 25:14
  Speaker 3: a why? Calcaterra is an a f moved tight end. God,
• 25:19
  Speaker 3: it does both. They're good for the season. Stone Smart's
• 25:21
  Speaker 3: highly unlikely to make it. G Jenkins unlikely to make it.
• 25:25
  Speaker 3: But they've they've they've got this thing set so if
• 25:27
  Speaker 3: they don't get that guy, they'll be fine for the season,
• 25:29
  Speaker 3: but they're not fine after the season.
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: That's the Yeah.
• 25:32
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, if if they're if we're holding them
• 25:34
  Speaker 2: to the word the drafts about the future, it's hard
• 25:36
  Speaker 2: to go another draft without.
• 25:37
  Speaker 3: Without Yeah, well, they're gonna have a opportunity to read
• 25:41
  Speaker 3: it's so deep as you were saying, it is so deep.
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you can get good guys here in this draft.
• 25:47
  Speaker 2: All right, Before we get out of here, I want
• 25:48
  Speaker 2: to make which is one notice one mentioned because we
• 25:51
  Speaker 2: are talking about the draft, and the draft is a
• 25:53
  Speaker 2: collaborative effort and there are a lot of people involved
• 25:55
  Speaker 2: to get the information. Since the end of last year's draft,
• 25:59
  Speaker 2: the Eagles have quite a bit of people in their
• 26:02
  Speaker 2: front office who are important to Howie. I mean, they
• 26:04
  Speaker 2: lost two guys to the Raiders, Brenton Hunt, Anthony Patch.
• 26:08
  Speaker 2: They lost Dave Caldwell to University of Florida, right, he's
• 26:12
  Speaker 2: their general. Yeah, And they recently lost I believe Jeff
• 26:15
  Speaker 2: Scott went to Atlanta, and you know, he and Ian
• 26:18
  Speaker 2: Cunningham were together here with the Eagles a couple of
• 26:20
  Speaker 2: years ago when Ian was here. So that's that's some firepower.
• 26:23
  Speaker 2: And I just want to make notice of that, you know,
• 26:26
  Speaker 2: because we always talk about the Elis process and how
• 26:28
  Speaker 2: it's important to be collaborative and have the right guys.
• 26:31
  Speaker 2: And they still have plenty of good personnel people in
• 26:35
  Speaker 2: their front office.
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: But you know, that's four losses. It's hard. It's hard
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: when you lose guys.
• 26:39
  Speaker 3: It's hard. Bill Paulins talked about it. He lost so
• 26:42
  Speaker 3: many speak of Dave call with Dave Caldwell, Oh boy,
• 26:47
  Speaker 3: so many guys are with our our old friend Tom
• 26:48
  Speaker 3: Gamble was with Bill many many years ago. Might've been Carolina,
• 26:52
  Speaker 3: but no, but in Indy. Bill lost late in his career,
• 26:56
  Speaker 3: last four or five years of his career with the Colts.
• 26:57
  Speaker 3: He lost a lot of his people. And you keep
• 27:00
  Speaker 3: losing people, it's hard to replace them, it is. Yeah,
• 27:03
  Speaker 3: it's a fair point. I'm glad you brought that up.
• 27:05
  Speaker 3: So yeah, Jeff Scott, formerly of Washington and Philly. We'll
• 27:09
  Speaker 3: see what how he does after the draft.
• 27:11
  Speaker 2: We will see, all right, that is gonna do it
• 27:14
  Speaker 2: for this edition of Inside the Birds, the leading podcast
• 27:17
  Speaker 2: in Eagles Intel, and as always, we thank you for
• 27:20
  Speaker 2: flying with us Inside the Birds. Be sure to check
• 27:26
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• 27:30
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• 27:34
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• 27:40
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