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Football at Four: Eagles Draft Plan?; Needs For Future vs. 2026 · Inside the Birds: A Philadelphia Eagles Podcast

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  Speaker 1: Sweet sixteen action and another Chance will be the NFL Draft.
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  Speaker 1: We'll have details on our huge NFL Draft party coming
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  Speaker 1: up on the Sports Bass Live for Football at four.
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  Speaker 1: Adam Kaplan from the Inside the Birds podcast is here
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  Speaker 1: They're off se and coverage continues. And the Eagles they
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  Speaker 1: have a draft coming up, and of course we're inside
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  Speaker 1: one month. We're gonna take a look at now that
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  Speaker 1: free agency is in the books, what is their draft plan.
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  Speaker 1: What are some of the things they need for the future.
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  Speaker 1: Adam kaplan is here for our Friday edition of Football
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  Speaker 1: at four as inside one month to the NFL Draft. Now,
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  Speaker 1: Adam and they might not be done with free agency,
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  Speaker 1: how he continues to make some moves around the edges,
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  Speaker 1: but now the focus turns to the draft.
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  Speaker 2: It is, Mike, you know where the draft uh for
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  Speaker 2: four weeks from yesterday? So yeah, we're we're now four
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  Speaker 2: weeks away. You know what's extreme, Mike. I had heard
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  Speaker 2: this before, but I just heard her beginning this week.
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  Speaker 2: NFL teams they do the month draft. They try to
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  Speaker 2: figure out, in particular, what are teams in front of
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  Speaker 2: us going to do. And obviously, if you're picking at
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  Speaker 2: one or two, it doesn't really matter. But if you're
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  Speaker 2: picking a twenty three like the Eagles, you want to
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  Speaker 2: know what are the teams gonna do that are ahead
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  Speaker 2: of us. And that's why it's important to kind of
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  Speaker 2: identify what are the current and future needs for this team,
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  Speaker 2: the Eagles in particular.
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  Speaker 1: All right, let's look at that, you know the needs
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  Speaker 1: for Everybody always says, how can twenty three help me
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  Speaker 1: right now? This year? But as you have said many
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  Speaker 1: times it's about the future too. It's not just hey,
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  Speaker 1: twenty twenty six, this player helps us. So what are
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  Speaker 1: some of the things they're looking for for the future
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  Speaker 1: of this roster?
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  Speaker 2: All right? So Edge, Mike, had they resigned Jalen Phillips,
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  Speaker 2: we would not even be talking about ed because what
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  Speaker 2: would mean it would be Phillips, Hunt, Nolan Smith, and
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  Speaker 2: Arnold Ebukehetty. So they'd be set for the season and
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  Speaker 2: know on the way the Eagles do business, and weren't
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  Speaker 2: surprises if they pick up Nolan Smith fifth year option
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  Speaker 2: or some people will question it. It would surprise if
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  Speaker 2: they picked it up. And that's due by the way,
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  Speaker 2: on May second. But Edge absolutely Eagles kind of told
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  Speaker 2: us this. They try to resign Phillips, they didn't get
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  Speaker 2: him back to Edge is their number one need by
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  Speaker 2: far the way they see it. There are a couple
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  Speaker 2: are under that. But Edge, to me, it's not about
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  Speaker 2: how many players they have. They're looking for a major upgrade.
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  Speaker 2: Although Jlex Hunt has really come on board and he
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  Speaker 2: looked good late last season.
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  Speaker 1: Well, Edge, would you say that at twenty three that's
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  Speaker 1: firmly in picture?
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  Speaker 2: Then, well, Mike, it's always who is the highest graded
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  Speaker 2: player at a position at a position of need for
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  Speaker 2: the future. So Edge will absolutely be in play now. Again,
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  Speaker 2: if the player they want is taken before them, you
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  Speaker 2: look down your list and the worst thing you can
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  Speaker 2: do because you need this position is take a player
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  Speaker 2: that has a lower grade over a position alike, which
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  Speaker 2: is next cornerback that you can't like. The last time
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  Speaker 2: how he really screwed a draft up was twenty twenty
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  Speaker 2: when he framed that pick with Jalen Rager. We put
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  Speaker 2: it out in March that year that that was the
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  Speaker 2: guy that they really wanted over Justin Jefferson, which, how
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  Speaker 2: he's admitted was a mistake. You would admit that over
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  Speaker 2: recent years in interviews and frame picks. When they framed
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  Speaker 2: and Andre Dillar pick twenty nineteen, they were going to
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  Speaker 2: take Jason Peters replacement. You can't do that. It's the
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  Speaker 2: highest player graded on your board for a positional need
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  Speaker 2: of the future.
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  Speaker 1: All right, Adam Kaplan, you mentioned corner They did sign
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  Speaker 1: one to a one year deal. Rick Rohling is here.
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  Speaker 1: They also have Queen and Mitchell and of course Cooper
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  Speaker 1: Degen so they have a really good room. But behind
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  Speaker 1: that what's the future look like?
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  Speaker 2: But much See here's the thing with cool. He's still
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  Speaker 2: a nickel as we understand it. And there are questions
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  Speaker 2: of where Vic Fangio sees Cooper dejene in twenty seven,
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  Speaker 2: twenty eight and twenty nine. Now will Vic be there
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  Speaker 2: that long? We don't know that you must retire this year,
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  Speaker 2: so you have to look at it. But corner right
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  Speaker 2: now for the future. John and Jones is on a
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  Speaker 2: one year deal. Rik Wallen is on a one year deal.
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  Speaker 2: It never worked out with Rendo unfortunately. Jacorean Bennett was
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  Speaker 2: a big disappointment after the trade. He's on the roster.
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  Speaker 2: I mean he still has Tom on our contract. But
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  Speaker 2: they don't have a future a corner opposite Mitchell right now.
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  Speaker 2: So that is clearly a future need, all.
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  Speaker 1: Right, a on Kaplin, we're looking at some need for
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  Speaker 1: the future is less than a month away. They brought
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  Speaker 1: back Dallas Goddard, but they don't have a lot behind
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  Speaker 1: Goddard and Goddard's on a one year deal. The sand
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  Speaker 1: is going through the hour glass on Dallas Goddard for sure.
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  Speaker 2: It is. He's thirty one years old.
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  Speaker 1: Mike.
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  Speaker 2: They really don't have any one on our contract past
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  Speaker 2: the season. It's about the future with a draft. Tight
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  Speaker 2: end's the next man. You know, some people might argue,
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  Speaker 2: would they would they take a tight end at twenty three?
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  Speaker 2: That will talk closer to draft. We like when we
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  Speaker 2: kind of narrow down where we think they'll go. But
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  Speaker 2: the Argon tight end is just he's a unicorn, man.
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  Speaker 2: It's it's a It's an extremely deep draft. A tight
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  Speaker 2: end is one offensive coach told me, who's grading tight
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  Speaker 2: ends for the team that he worked for. He's not
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  Speaker 2: seen the tight end draft. This this deep bud. The
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  Speaker 2: kid at Argon, it's so much better than everyone else.
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  Speaker 2: That's why he's going in the first round because he's studed.
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  Speaker 1: So if he's on the board of twenty three, he
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  Speaker 1: would be in play.
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  Speaker 2: He would be. But here's the thing, Mike, it's then
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  Speaker 2: it comes down a position on value. Some teams not
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  Speaker 2: the Eagles because Egleston Dallas got to remember that. That
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  Speaker 2: stunned me when they took Goddar in the second round
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  Speaker 2: and it turned out to be the right decision. Kurtz
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  Speaker 2: was only twenty seven years old. Think about that, and
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  Speaker 2: you're taking another tight end like that was surprising. But
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  Speaker 2: how is shown a willingness to do it. And by
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  Speaker 2: the way, he would have gone to a team in
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  Speaker 2: the AFC South in the first round. That team told
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  Speaker 2: me and they went up making mistake. They should have
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  Speaker 2: taken him in the first round. So it's not a
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  Speaker 2: value position. But the guy's got to be special, and
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  Speaker 2: the Falcons unfortunately got it wrong. So far with Kyle Pitts,
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  Speaker 2: he's been nowhere as good as they thought he would be.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, well, there's a lot of good young tight ends
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  Speaker 1: in this league right now. You're seeing them all over
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  Speaker 1: the place at COLT Chicago, other places, obviously Oakland, excuse me, Vegas. Uh,
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  Speaker 1: there's a lot of really good tight ends out there. So,
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  Speaker 1: uh see how much more they get out of god
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  Speaker 1: her here safety? Uh blackt Chip gone EPs is back
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  Speaker 1: mcuba last year. That safety room certainly is something they're
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  Speaker 1: probably going to be looking at.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's it's it's absolutely for the future. It's mccuba
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  Speaker 2: and that's it. Michael Carter got his significant pickout as
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  Speaker 2: we expected under Sam got resigned Marcus Epso on a one
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  Speaker 2: year deal. You'd rather be a third safety. J T.
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  Speaker 2: Gray Wally play on special teams. They're Brandon Johnson who
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  Speaker 2: did play a little safety and he could play nickel.
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  Speaker 2: They don't have it, Mike. It's it's for the future,
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  Speaker 2: and they got that. That's another position, Mike. They have
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  Speaker 2: a lot of draft picks that they that they're going
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  Speaker 2: to need to look at sooner rather or later for
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  Speaker 2: the future.
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  Speaker 1: Nine picks this year. Also, they did sign Fred Johnson
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  Speaker 1: uh to come back as kind of a swing tackle.
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  Speaker 1: But you know Lane Johnson, the said is going through
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  Speaker 1: the hour glass on him as well, so UH tackle
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  Speaker 1: ed guard. I guess they gotta start looking at the
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  Speaker 1: line because some of these guys are bagged up and
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  Speaker 1: age is starting to play a factor.
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  Speaker 2: You have to finish this off right tackle. It would
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  Speaker 2: behoove them to look at it real quick, like sooner
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  Speaker 2: for other than later, because this could be Lames last year.
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  Speaker 2: And then guard. It's not that they need it, but
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  Speaker 2: they need Dickerson. He's got knees of a of a
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  Speaker 2: forty year old, not not of a twenty seven or
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  Speaker 2: twenty eight year old. So it would behoove them to
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  Speaker 2: look at a center slash guard. And Jurgen's obviously with
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  Speaker 2: a backfront about his health. It wouldn't hurt them to
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  Speaker 2: take a look at it in tier offensive lineman.
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  Speaker 1: All right, that is for the future. What about for
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  Speaker 1: this season? We all know they have nine picks, They've
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  Speaker 1: got first, second round, two third, two, four, two fifths.
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  Speaker 1: So there's the ability to help this team out this year.
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  Speaker 1: What are some of the needs that they'll be looking
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  Speaker 1: at in this draft.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, so it's edge, but it's a little different for
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  Speaker 2: this season. Like they mike right now, if the season
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  Speaker 2: opened today, it's Dolan Smith, it's Hunt, it's Ebachetti, and
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  Speaker 2: that would be it. So they would have to get
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  Speaker 2: at least add one more. And BG could always come back.
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  Speaker 2: He wants these mini clearer still wants to play, so
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  Speaker 2: they could get away with it by waving and just
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  Speaker 2: sign another free agent. You don't really want to do that.
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  Speaker 2: And Nolan Smith is a good run defender, he has
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  Speaker 2: trouble staying healthy. He's got a smaller build. Edge to
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  Speaker 2: me though, that would be the number one need right now,
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  Speaker 2: just for the season, and as we told you earlier,
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  Speaker 2: it's also a major need for the future.
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  Speaker 1: That's for sure. We know that the edge, as you mentioned,
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  Speaker 1: for the future now and then I would imagine the
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  Speaker 1: interior of that offensive line is also something they have
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  Speaker 1: to look at for this season, especially you know the
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  Speaker 1: way Jurgens, you know, he struggled with injuries and as
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  Speaker 1: we know, Leanda Dickerson thought about even retiring.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, and Tyler's I know how he said at the
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  Speaker 2: combine that he's the starter at right guard. Well it's
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  Speaker 2: easy to say that, March. Let's see what happens when
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  Speaker 2: we get through training camp. But right now, it's if
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  Speaker 2: Willie Lampkin, he's never played in an NFL game, who's
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  Speaker 2: an undrafted free agent they claimed off waivers from the Rams,
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  Speaker 2: Drew Kennell, who's better off at center than guard, the
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  Speaker 2: cross and Jake Majors, who's most of the guys not played,
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  Speaker 2: he's a long shot. Hollis Pearce's he's got tackle length,
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  Speaker 2: who got to cross trained Layton training camp as a guard.
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  Speaker 2: But remember that was just stellin Mike, So again, yeah,
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  Speaker 2: they they need to take a look at this, Mike,
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  Speaker 2: this is this is an issue for this season.
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  Speaker 1: Well, and you know we had Andrew on yesterday about that,
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  Speaker 1: you know, talking about Fred Johnson being back in whether
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  Speaker 1: or not you know, uh, he fits the new you know,
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  Speaker 1: offensive line system that remains to be seen.
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  Speaker 2: Well he does because Mike, he's been with a bunch
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  Speaker 2: of West Coast offensive coaches and like Chris coop or
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  Speaker 2: it's kind of what it's so different than it had
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  Speaker 2: Stalt it here. If Stout didn't fit, think he fit Howie.
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  Speaker 2: I know this as a fact, would not bring the
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  Speaker 2: guy in. He just wouldn't do it. Becton's idea was, actually,
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  Speaker 2: as I understand it, Stouts to play guard. Like no
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  Speaker 2: one thought of that, and what a decision they. I
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  Speaker 2: don't know if they would have won the Super Bowl
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  Speaker 2: two years ago. It's kind of hard to believe that,
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  Speaker 2: but it's true. So yeah, And by the way, Fred
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  Speaker 2: Johnson is their swing tackle. You play back up right
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  Speaker 2: or left, but they don't have a swing into your
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  Speaker 2: alignment a backup guard center. They need that.
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  Speaker 1: Guy right now, all right?
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  Speaker 2: Uh?
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  Speaker 1: And then finally, you know, we looked at future, but
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  Speaker 1: I gotta imagine they are still looking at a safety
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  Speaker 1: or are you comfortable with a Marcus Epps Andrew mccuba duo.
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  Speaker 2: No, you want him to be Mike. He's more of
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  Speaker 2: a block safety. You want him to be your third safety.
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  Speaker 2: And by the way, he is thirty years old. Boy, Wow,
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  Speaker 2: time is really taken heart here. He had the ACL
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  Speaker 2: injury two and a half years ago. Now we believe,
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  Speaker 2: as we reported at the time, that Egans were going
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  Speaker 2: to cross train and safet because that's what he played at. Dude.
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  Speaker 2: Our understanding is he's going to be in the mix
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  Speaker 2: for safety opposite mccoba. Look, they could get away with
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  Speaker 2: it between Epps, mccouba, Sam and Carter and even Brandon Johnson.
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  Speaker 2: They can get away with it. But it's not good enough, Mike,
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  Speaker 2: So why not get an upgrade. It's not about how
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  Speaker 2: many players you have, it's about the quality of the player.
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  Speaker 2: And mccooba is not shown with this build, Mike, that
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  Speaker 2: he's got a build that's going to stay healthy. He's
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  Speaker 2: kind of wiry. I know he's put some mass on
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  Speaker 2: the frame, but that will not definitely keep you healthy.
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  Speaker 2: So they need a little bit better players around.
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  Speaker 1: Him, all right. Of course, Eagles made some moves this week,
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  Speaker 1: Fred Johnson, Elijah Moore. We'll see what else they have.
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  Speaker 1: They traded for Andy Dalton that became official this week
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  Speaker 1: as well, so we'll keep our eye on Tann and Ricky.
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  Speaker 1: As Adam and I talked about on Tuesday. Go back
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  Speaker 1: to our Tuesday edition of Football at four on all
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  Speaker 1: the platforms to check out that conversation. We'll see what
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  Speaker 1: is next with this offseason. But the left now comes
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  Speaker 1: into play. We'll be all over that here on Football
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  Speaker 1: at four and the Inside the Birds podcast here on
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  Speaker 1: the Sports Bash Live on ninety seven three ESPN. Al Right,
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  Speaker 1: Adam enjoyed the rest of the weekend. Man you two.
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  Speaker 2: Thanks