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Football at Four: DiCecco's Thursday Eagles Notebook · Inside the Birds: A Philadelphia Eagles Podcast

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Andrew Dechecko is in the house the Eagles one week
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: away from the NFL Draft. We got some mailbag stuff
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: for Andrew today, plus his article over at Inside the
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: Burns dot com. I want to dive into that. As
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: Howie Roseman did talk today about the Dantavian Wicks trade,
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: and Andrew, I want to get your thoughts on him
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: and what he brings to this Eagles offense potentially. This
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: is a very interesting prospect that the team brought in.
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: Yeah, don Tavian Wicks Mike is a player that I
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: liked coming out of the University of Virginia in twenty
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: twenty three. I didn't view him as a high end,
• 0:34
  Speaker 2: starting caliber type of player necessarily, but a complimentary piece
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: that did a lot of things well. When it comes
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: to separating, He's a natural separator. He's not a a
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: burner in any sense. He ran a four to six
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: to two at the combine, which I think hurt his
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: draft stock a little bit. But he attacks the football.
• 0:53
  Speaker 2: He's really aggressive when it comes to the blocking aspect
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: of his job. And this is a really good addition
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: to the Eagles receiving core. Now, whether or not he
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: becomes the two or the three remains to be determined.
• 1:06
  Speaker 2: But the Eagles, based on what they traded for to
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: get them and what they you know, the one year
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: extension suggests that they believe that he can handle a
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: role in which is he's more prominently featured and it's
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: going to entail some more volume.
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, he's the kind of guy I think
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: in your article you noted that kind of an arrow
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: up guy, and he's the guy that knows Sean Mannion
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: and this offense. Is he a guy that compliments AJ Brown?
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: Replaces AJ Brown?
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: I don't think he was brought in to replace AJ Brown.
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: There are different types of players they If AJ Brown
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: is not on the Eagles, the Eagles receiving corps probably
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: isn't good enough as it stands there. And I don't
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: believe that this addition is going to preclude them in
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: any way from drafting a receiver on Day one or
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: Day two. So I don't view that as someone who's
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: brought in Solwy to be an AJ Brown replacement. Do
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: I believe that he could be at number two? Perhaps,
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: But I still think that that depends on who you
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: draft and how quickly they develop.
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: Yeah, like insurance policy for aj if he gets traded,
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: or kind of a depth move to kind of compete
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: with everybody else or a place Dotson.
• 2:17
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, just more of a depth, a depth move.
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: When you look at what the Eagles have done, whether
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: it was Hollywood Brown or Elijah Moore or you know,
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: in this case, Don Tavian Wicks, they brought in different
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: types of receivers with different skill sets and different body types,
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: which I think is going to come into play. That way,
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: you're not necessarily beholden to doing certain things you're not telegraphing.
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: Hollywood Brown can be a good vertical threat and open
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: things up in theory, though his average yards per catch
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: throughout his career would tell you that he's been underutilized
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: in that aspect of his game. Elijah Moore is more
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: of an underneath guy, good route runner, He's going to
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: have to battle to make the team. And then you
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: have someone like Don Tavian Wicks, who has six foot one,
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: two hundred and ten pounds, really strong at attacking the football.
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: You'd like to see him be more consistent with his
• 3:06
  Speaker 2: with his catching. That's something that when you look back
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: over his first three seasons, he suffered from a lot
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: of drops, but I do believe that when and Howie
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: Roseman talked about this the other day when he had
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: his pre draft press conference. It's very evident watching his
• 3:21
  Speaker 2: game Mike that quarterbacks trusted him in critical moments and
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: that should go a long way in establishing an early
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: rapport with Jalen Hurts on WIX.
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: Do you see him as a guy that could play
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: inside outside both or is there a spot that he
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: fits better?
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: Yeah? Both. I think I think probably inside is where
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: he's best. But he has inside outside versatility. And yes,
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: he's not necessarily, as I mentioned, a speed demon or
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: a burner, but he can he can play outside and
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: went out there too. He's a good route runner.
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: Andrew de Checko. If you have more questions for Andrew,
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: we do have a bunch of mailbag stuff that we've
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: been asking. Uh so six nine four to oh three
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: O nine seventy three. How he said, we're really selfish
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: when we're trying to help this team. So do you
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: get a sense that he thinks they're like a piece
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: away here? Is he looking at this that like there
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: This is kind of a transition type of draft for
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: this team that they need to get some guys that
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: can help this team out now.
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: Well, to be clear, he said that they're selfish when
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: it comes to bettering the team. When asked about if
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: the Seawan Maddin influence really was the driving force to
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: bring in Dn Tavian Wicks and that familiarity, and Hallie
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: Roseman pretty much said, we're trying to get good players
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: first and help the team, help the defense, the special
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: teams in the offense. And it's a plus and an
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: obvious benefit that he's coming in with the understanding of
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: what the offense is going to perhaps look like. The
• 4:48
  Speaker 2: coaches and Ryan Mahaffey, who coached the wide receivers for
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: two years when Don Tavian Wicks was there in Green Bay,
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: they're gonna have that intel and that's going to probably
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: help give a little bit of more of a clear
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: picture to the Eagles as to how he is inside
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: the building and how he learns and things like that.
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: But the Eagles view him as a player they believe
• 5:09
  Speaker 2: can help their offense, and that's first and foremost at
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: the top of the list. There's not a transitional period
• 5:16
  Speaker 2: the you know sentiment that ever entered my mind with
• 5:19
  Speaker 2: this trade or how they've approached the offseason. They still
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: believe that that window is very much open and there
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: intent on capitalizing on that, and the off season is ongoing,
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: So I really am intrigued to see where they go
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: in the NFL draft.
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: Yeah, and then lastly, on his availability the other day,
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: obviously he talked about safety and it didn't seem like
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: he was you know, the indication that you got was
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: that that room is it's not finished yet.
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: Yeah, And you know those of us, if you cover
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: the team, you're pretty much under that same assumption as well.
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: And they have some options, whether it's Michael Carter the
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: second who they acquired to trade deadline, they view him,
• 5:58
  Speaker 2: he's a nickel corner by trade. If they view him
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: as someone who could factor into the safety mix, I
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: think he could do it. He played north of sixty
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: snaps in the season finale and he had to come
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: in for an injured Brandon Johnson. But he got some
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: good experience there, evidently enough where it showcased his ability
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: to do that then naked, so the Eagles felt confident
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: in giving him maybe a longer look there. Marcus EPs
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: is a good veteran. Addition, he's probably best suit to
• 6:23
  Speaker 2: be a third safety. It maybe feel good if he
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: has to play three or four games, but ideally not
• 6:28
  Speaker 2: someone that you want to start for the full complement
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: of games. They're still lacking an obvious starter there in
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: my estimation. Anyway, they're bullish on Drew mccouba and how
• 6:38
  Speaker 2: he is projecting ball, howking type of safety fits the
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: modern game very well, and the protypical Vic Fangio safety,
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: and that you're talking about a guy who has football
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: intelligence that's off the charts. He can take the football away.
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: He plays with good instincts, and that was very clear
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: to me watching him in the second half of his
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: rookie campaign before got cut short. Then it was in
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: the earlier part where he was sort of finding his footing.
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: He started playing with more confidence. He was flowing to
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: the football, driving on the football, and just playing obviously
• 7:11
  Speaker 2: more freely. But I don't believe it that they're finished
• 7:14
  Speaker 2: at that position, nor do I believe that they would
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: draft the safety in the first round. If that's kind
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: of what you're alluding to.
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: Well, here's some mailback questions, and this first one from
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: Kevin and Kate may kind of goes that way. Andrew,
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: do you see a pass rusher at twenty three that
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: you like, or do you think that the offensive line
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: is the philosophy and heavy favorite over a pass rusher
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: at twenty three.
• 7:38
  Speaker 2: Yeah, this is a great question, and the reason is
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: there's an obvious need for the Eagles to have a
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: headliner at the edge rusher position. They had that in
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: Jalen Phillips, and when they added Jalen Phillips, it sort
• 7:50
  Speaker 2: of unlocked Jlex Hunt and he had five and a
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: half sacks since Jalen Phillips arrived and Nolan Smith started
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: to come on a little bit. They don't have that
• 7:58
  Speaker 2: player right now because they line from play a game
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: tomorrow with Jaylexhunt and Nola Smith as are starters. Absolutely,
• 8:04
  Speaker 2: but there's still something missing from that group. That being said,
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: the players who are expected or projected to be available
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: at twenty three, neither of which would be the best
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: player of Alble wouldn't be an edge rusher in my estimation.
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: Keldrick Falk from Auburn has been sort of all around
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: the board. I think he's more of a back end
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: of the first round, and he was not very productive
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: as a pass rusher, and you draft pass rushers because
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: they have the ability to get to the quarterback. He
• 8:31
  Speaker 2: didn't do that all that much. He's more of an
• 8:33
  Speaker 2: upside type of swing in that you're talking about someone
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: who's twenty one years old, six foot six, two hundred
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: and seventy five pounds, but he's unrefined, and you know
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: those are kind of I don't know that he would
• 8:47
  Speaker 2: be the best player available relative to where those offensive
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: tackles are slotted on their draft board. And then TJ.
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: Parker from Clemson might be another player who's going to
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: be in the first round conversation, but at twenty three
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: that would be awful rich and there's not enough of
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: a discrepancy between the players in round one, the edge
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: rushers I'm talking about, and those who are expected to
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: go in the second round where it would make make
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: sense from a value standpoint. I think offensive line is
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: the play.
• 9:15
  Speaker 1: This one is from another Kevin in glass Burrow. He says, Andrew,
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: is there a plug and play offensive lineman at twenty
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: three who can play guard and then replace Lane Johnson.
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: Plug and play? I would say Caden Proctor from Alabama.
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: I like him quite a bit. He's on the He's
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: an enormous offensive lineman at six foot seven, three hundred
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: and sixty six pounds. I think he has the ability
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: to one takeover for Lane Johnson whenever Lane decides to
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: call it a career. But he also has the ability
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: to kick inside and play guard and probably give you
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: a Makai Becton like level of play there in the interim. Maxianatchure,
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: the offensive line from Arizona State has been the guy
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: I've been focusing on as of late, because when you
• 9:59
  Speaker 2: look at how the with approach the draft and offensive lineman,
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: they don't necessarily focus on let's just go with a good,
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: solid player who we feel comfortable with. They're looking at
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: it in terms of where is this player going to
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: be in year three or year two for that matter,
• 10:15
  Speaker 2: and they want to swing for upside and Maxianachure though
• 10:19
  Speaker 2: he hasn't played football all that long, about five years,
• 10:22
  Speaker 2: I believe thirty one career starts at Arizona State. He
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: offers an immense upside in terms of athletic profile. He
• 10:30
  Speaker 2: has good movement ability, he's powerful, thirty four inch arms,
• 10:33
  Speaker 2: and he's just scratching the surface at least in my estimation.
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: All Right, this one is from Bill out in Hamilton.
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: He says, you know how he likes to move. Is
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: there a blue trip pass rusher you just kind of
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: mentioned them? Or this is another interesting wrinkle a corner
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: that if they start to slide to the middle teens
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: that they could move.
• 10:52
  Speaker 2: Up for Oh good question. Yeah, the pass rushers and
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: that group there is going to be Keldrick Falk from Auburn,
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: Clemson's TJ. Parker, and Messidor who's twenty five years old,
• 11:05
  Speaker 2: he's out of Clemson. Yeah, I don't think that that
• 11:08
  Speaker 2: would be a really good value play there at twenty three.
• 11:11
  Speaker 2: But that's just me and how I've sort of assessed
• 11:13
  Speaker 2: this draft class. But corner is interesting and it is
• 11:19
  Speaker 2: in need. When you look at the future, you don't
• 11:21
  Speaker 2: draft for the hero and now you obviously draft for
• 11:23
  Speaker 2: the future. And Array Bowen, whether he has a bad
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: season or a good season, it's hard to see where
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: he's going if he's gonna be in Philadelphia beyond the
• 11:32
  Speaker 2: twenty twenty six season. If he's if he excels, he's
• 11:36
  Speaker 2: gonna probably price himself out of the Eagles budget. If
• 11:38
  Speaker 2: he doesn't play well, he might be gone, like what
• 11:40
  Speaker 2: Dori Jackson was. So, yeah, I mean it is in need.
• 11:44
  Speaker 2: And there's a corner who I like, who actually just
• 11:46
  Speaker 2: interviewed on Inside the Birds dot Com. It's getting some
• 11:49
  Speaker 2: first round buzz. Now, could be an intriguing play there
• 11:52
  Speaker 2: if they were even just Stan Patt at twenty three,
• 11:55
  Speaker 2: and that's Chris Johnson from San Diego State. Lengthy player,
• 11:58
  Speaker 2: super fluid, good all skills, five interceptions over the past
• 12:01
  Speaker 2: two seasons, nine pass breakups, and he's at worst a
• 12:06
  Speaker 2: top forty five ish type of guy. But he's starting
• 12:09
  Speaker 2: to get a lot of buzz and traction as we
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: get closer to the NFL draft, And that just tells
• 12:14
  Speaker 2: you that the outside is catching up to Chris Johnson. Internally,
• 12:18
  Speaker 2: how he's viewed in league circles hasn't changed, but his
• 12:21
  Speaker 2: name's starting to pop up a little bit more now
• 12:24
  Speaker 2: from the outside perspective.
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: Let's go with Sam and Wildwood. He says, everybody's talk
• 12:30
  Speaker 1: about Sadik, but is there another pass catching tight end
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: that you like in this draft?
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: Andrew, Oh, yeah, Eli stowarts Vanderbilt. I actually mocked him
• 12:40
  Speaker 2: to the Eagles at pick fifty four. Now you're gonna
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: hear a lot of well, he can't block or I
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: don't think that that that's fare for one, because he's
• 12:49
  Speaker 2: working at it. And two, you don't take a player
• 12:51
  Speaker 2: off your draft board just because he's not as proficient
• 12:54
  Speaker 2: in one area. What he does excel at is the
• 12:57
  Speaker 2: receiving aspect, and he can be a movable chess PI
• 13:00
  Speaker 2: and in today's NFL, Mike that is incredibly invaluable when
• 13:04
  Speaker 2: you look at how often offenses are looking to spread
• 13:07
  Speaker 2: teams out. You can align him almost anywhere. Good route runner,
• 13:11
  Speaker 2: good ball skills, and he's always been playing tight end
• 13:14
  Speaker 2: for about three seasons. He was a converted quarterback, so
• 13:17
  Speaker 2: when he is running routes, and I talked to him
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: about this, he has a unique perspective on landmarks and
• 13:22
  Speaker 2: what quarterbacks are seeing and what they're looking for. So
• 13:25
  Speaker 2: he's a player that I think is only going to ascend.
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: I like this questions very interesting. This is from a
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: Josh and avseekin. He said, essentially, he's saying, if the
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: best player available at twenty three is, say, like a
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: defensive tackle, does how we go with a guy at
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: that position if that's the best player available.
• 13:48
  Speaker 2: I think in that scenario, and to be clear, they
• 13:50
  Speaker 2: still could use the defensive tackle a lot of money
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: tied up into that position, and there will be of
• 13:55
  Speaker 2: course with Jalen Carter, you have to factor in the moro.
• 13:59
  Speaker 2: Jomo's in the last year of his rookie deal as well,
• 14:01
  Speaker 2: and he's someone who can get to the quarterback. They
• 14:04
  Speaker 2: typically command a lot of money on the open market.
• 14:07
  Speaker 2: That being said, I still think you would trade down
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: and acquire more picks so that you have more to
• 14:12
  Speaker 2: work with than just the eight that they currently have,
• 14:14
  Speaker 2: especially in this class where I love the talent on
• 14:17
  Speaker 2: day two and day three, where you could identify starters
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: and critical pieces and building blocks for your future.
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: Well, Mike can bring a team once you know, Andrew,
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: what is your evaluation of pick twenty three is at
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: the tail end of the talent tier, Where does it
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: kind of fall off for you?
• 14:36
  Speaker 2: Yeah? Great question, And you know there's always so many
• 14:39
  Speaker 2: true first round picks, and I believe it that's sort
• 14:42
  Speaker 2: of what he's hinting at with that question. I think
• 14:45
  Speaker 2: twenty three gives you a lot of value strictly from
• 14:48
  Speaker 2: an offensive line standpoint, and maybe even receiver depending on
• 14:52
  Speaker 2: what happens with Jordan Tyson from Arizona State or Omark
• 14:54
  Speaker 2: Cooper Junior if they want to go that route. But
• 14:57
  Speaker 2: that's sort of to me. Then if you look beyond that, Mike,
• 15:01
  Speaker 2: there's players that I have in the you know, the
• 15:05
  Speaker 2: top thirty five. I mean a lot of those players
• 15:07
  Speaker 2: that have first round grades that aren't true first round prospects.
• 15:11
  Speaker 2: And so I look at that twenty three mark as
• 15:14
  Speaker 2: sort of the barrier, if you will, between true first
• 15:18
  Speaker 2: round prospects and those who are probably second round guys
• 15:22
  Speaker 2: who are gonna get drafted in the first round just
• 15:24
  Speaker 2: due to the number situation.
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: All Right, there is a bunch of questions for Andrew.
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: Will hold off some more for draft A next week.
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: The Eagles, of course drafting at twenty three. They got
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: a bunch of middle round picks where Andrew LEXI get
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: his hands dirty. So we'll I get some more mailback
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: questions loaded up for next week. Here, there's a bunch
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: here that I think are good that we'll hold off
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: for next week for Andrew to check out Inside the
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: Birds dot com. Check out all his Eagles and draft
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: coverage at Inside the Birds dot Com, and of course
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: right here for football at four on the Sports Bast
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: Live on ninety seven three. I know you would do
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: mailback questions all day long, but I'll let you go, buddy.
• 16:01
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I could do more. Yeah, and I like it.
• 16:03
  Speaker 2: I appreciate it. Thanks everybody for sending in those questions.
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: All Right, Andrew, we'll talk to you next week.
• 16:07
  Speaker 2: Man talk later, Mike.
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: All Right, Andrew to check out football for a powered
• 16:11
  Speaker 1: by the Inside of the Birds podcast.