With the first "official" rumor of the Eagles' draft season here it is high time to discuss some of the possibilities as they exist. Truth is, I don't have the slightest idea of what to expect, other than to expect everything. The Eagles have always been aggressive and out-of-the-box thinking on draft weekend, and new general manager Howie Roseman fits the existing profile nicely. So what are the Eagles doing now? What are they going to do starting Thursday? Let's discuss ...
- I asked Roseman on Thursday to describe the conversations the Eagles are having with other clubs at this point in time, and he had a one-word respons. "Interesting," he said. Clearly, the Eagles are keeping their eyes and ears open. They have what other teams want, and that is multiple draft picks to deal. They have that 37th pick at the top of the second round. They have the seventh pick (105th overall, acquired from Cleveland in the Sheldon Brown/Chris Gocong trade) in the fourth round. The talks are only going to intensify as the draft closes in.
- If, as Peter King suggests in SI.com, the Eagles want to move up in the first round to draft a safety, what would that mean for Quintin Demps, Macho Harris and Marlin Jackson? I think the Eagles are still high on Demps, who is working very, very hard in the off-season. Harris has a completely different body than he did 12 months ago. Jackson is making great progress in his recovery from knee surgery. I know there are questions with all three of them, but my sense -- and I don't know much here -- is that the Eagles aren't giving up on any of these players. Boy, Dick Jauron, as you look at the overall picture here, was a great hire. The Eagles are going to have some really interesting scenarios in the defensive secondary this season, and having that veteran coaching experience is huge.
- I feel a lot of confidence building in Stacy Andrews and the impact he can make this season. Andrews has been great in the off-season conditioning program. He is healthy. He knows what Juan Castillo expects of him. He is a good athlete, and he looks lean and mean. Big year ahead for Andrews, I think.
- Kind of on a related note, the players are really responding to Barry Rubin's conditioning program. It is totally different than what was done in years prior. There are more explosive movements, more innovative exercises and the players look terrific. "We're going after it," said defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley. "I'm exhausted, man, but it's good. Barry's working us hard." Good to hear.
- I don't know why so many people continue to insist that Michael Vick is going to be traded. I don't see it happening. He knows the system and the Eagles know Vick can win if something happens to Kevin Kolb. The Eagles are going to add another quarterback either in the draft or after the draft. All of this Jeff Garcia chatter ... I love the guy. I think he is a great leader and could probably still play in this league. But think about it, folks. The Eagles need a young quarterback to groom so that if Vick leaves after this season, they have a young veteran who knows the system and who is ready to play if needed. Do you think Garcia can play forever?
- Best guess: The Eagles draft nine players, acquire two more draft picks for 2011 and trade a draft pick for a veteran who can help this season. I'm only guessing, but Andy Reid's track record is one to admire in terms of how much he moves around during draft weekend.
