With the 2013 NFL Draft almost in the books, I think it’s safe to start diagnosing and criticizing Howie Roseman and Co.’s 2013 draft class. After all, the latter is what we do best here in Philadelphia isn’t it?

I’m not going to cover every draft pick in this article, I just want to talk about the most compelling three picks.

Let’s get right to it.

Lane Johnson

I’m not going to lie, when the Eagles drafted Lane Johnson with the 4th pick I was like what the eff? I knew who he was and I knew he was athletic since unlike most people, I actually watch the offensive lineman during the combine coverage. Lane Johnson is indeed an athletic specimen.

He ran an unbelievable 4.7 40 yard dash, which is as fast, or faster than a lot of tight ends, quarterbacks and even some linebackers. He has great foot speed, and he’s fast off the ball. He’s also quick to get to the next level of blockers, and maybe the biggest attribute and likely the icing on the cake for Howie and Chip is that Lane Johnson played in an up tempo, no-huddle offense for two years at Oklahoma.

With all of that being said–I’m not sure if drafting a guy who hasn’t played the position for more than about 24 games with the 4th overall pick is the greatest idea.

You see, there’s this guy on our team named Danny Watkins. If you remember correctly we were fed the same line of bullshit about him. He’s athletic. He has a high motor. He has a mean streak. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

After all that talk, we found out in before the season even started that Watkins couldn’t play. Not even a little bit. 1st round pick, right down the drain.

Now we’re hearing the same thing about Lane Johnson, and on top of that, just about every analyst out there is saying that he’s raw, which Chip Kelly and his college coach Bob Stoops have publicly acknowledged as well.

I understand that very few offensive tackles come into the league polished and ready to play. But we’re talking about the 4th pick in the draft. The 4th pick in the draft should be able to step right in and contribute right away. Lane Johnson is sounding like more of a project so far than a starting tackle.

They used a first round pick on a raw, inexperienced offensive lineman, exactly one year after using a first round pick on a raw, inexperienced offensive lineman.

Lane Johnson is athletic, but I’m going to take a wait-and-see approach before I get too excited.

Zach Ertz

Not even going to lie, I had absolutely no idea this man existed on planet Earth. Apparently though he is the real deal, and with the way offenses are using tight ends now in the NFL, it’s a position that is becoming almost like the quarterback position in that you have to have two good ones on the roster (if not three).

At 6’6″ 250lbs, this kid obviously has the size of a prototypical NFL tight end, and he’s been highly regarded in his precise route running and ability to create separation with defenders. He’s a tough kid, and he improved dramatically each year at Stanford.

What’s more, Ertz was mentored by former 49er’s great Pro Bowl tight end Brent Jones, and many scouts have compared Ertz to the likes of Jason Witten and Jimmy Graham. I’m a fan already.

Chip Kelly knows Ertz well after he shredded the Oregon defense for 11 receptions for 106 yards and a huge touchdown when the two teams met this past season.

When Ertz was drafted, many people assumed that Brent Celek would be put “on notice”. I highly doubt that. Celek is more than solid at TE, and one of the captains of the team. If it weren’t for a shitty offensive line the past two years, Celek would have had more opportunities to run routes and catch balls rather than staying in to block. I don’t think Celek is going anywhere, and with Ertz now in the mix along with newly acquired free agent James Casey, the Eagles will be able to present some real match-up problems in their two-tight-end sets.

Furthermore, Ertz give the Eagles something they rarely ever had had under the Andy Reid era–a big bodied target that can go up and get a ball. Ertz will cause big problems in the red zone which became a major problem for the Eagles last year.

Matt Barkley

I still can’t believe this kid lasted until the 4th round. It’s unbelievable to me. If it weren’t for a shoulder injury and sub-par senior season that really wasn’t his fault, Barkley would have no doubt come off the board in the first round. Not making any excuses, but USC was absolutely gutted by NCAA sanctions and they lost starting left tackle Jason Kalil to NFL.

Barkley was expected to be a top 10 pick last year until he decided to return to USC for his senior season. The Eagles had him graded out as one of the 50 best players in the draft, and got him in the 4th. Talk about a value pick.

Barkley comes from Mater Dei High School in Orange County California, a national high school football powerhouse that has produced dozens of Pro Bowl NFL players. He started all 4 years, becoming the school’s leader in almost ever category before committing to USC, where he became the school’s all time leader in passing yards, a huge feat considering some of the quarterbacks who have gone there. He broke a Pac-12 record as a junior with 39 TD’s and only 7 INT’s. Kid is a beast.

At USC, Barkley ran a pro-style offense all 4 years and he is already more than familiar with many of the nuances of the quarterback position. Chip Kelly will not have to coach him to read the entire field and go through progressions, as Barkley has been doing this since high school. He will not have to teach him to read defenses, or how to audible to a better play based on a defensive front’s alignment. He won’t have to teach him how to adjust his protections at the line.

Barkley is already a polished quarterback, and his football IQ is off the chart. He is basically a coach on the field. He was doing things in 11th grade that Michael Vick still can’t do after a decade in the league.

He can make all the NFL throws, and furthermore, he is a true leader. Against the advice of probably everyone in his life besides USC head coach Lane Kiffin, he bypassed millions of dollars when he came back to USC for his senior year. He came back for his teammates, to take care of some unfinished business. That’s what a leader does.

This is not a guy who pouts or throws guys under the bus. He is a mature cat, and spent 4 years in the Los Angeles media market. He is used to having reporters and cameras in his face and he can deal with pressure with the best of them. Dealing with the Philadelphia media will be second nature.

As you can tell, I’m really excited about this guy. I think unless Nick Foles lights the world on fire in mini-camps and preseason, Barkley will be the Eagles’ number two quarterback heading into the season, and potentially the starter if Michael Vick shits the bed (highly likely). I think the future is extremely bright for Matt Barkley in Chip Kelly’s offense. I can’t wait to see him on the field!

Overall, I love what the Eagles did in the draft. For once in a long time, I feel like they really did take the best players available instead of trying to out-think themselves.

Only time will tell if this was the case, but I have to say, I’m loving the Eagles 2013 draft class.

What are your thoughts? Leave me some comments!

Chip Kelly has been in Mobile, Alabama for the Senior Bowl only a few days and he’s already flirting with the idea of bringing in a new quarterback.

High on Kelly’s wish list is Florida State quarterback EJ Manuel, who Kelly recruited heavily while at Oregon, narrowly losing him to Florida State (Manuel wanted to stay closer to home). The two met and discussed some things, and Manuel said the meeting was awesome.

Some may say I’m reading too far into this, and maybe I am. But, then again, maybe I’m not. The Eagles QB situation isn’t exactly stable, and there are some good reasons why Kelly should take a long gander in EJ Manuel’s direction.

Manuel, a 6’5″ 237lb specimen, has a big time arm, and maybe more importantly for Chip Kelly, he already knows the style of offense Kelly runs, as the Seminoles ran a ton of read-option plays during his time there.

As much as I like Nick Foles and think he can be developed, he did nothing that really blew you away, or got you overly excited, and the reality is, in today’s NFL, you need to have a game changer at the QB position, especially with it’s offense-first rulebook, and with more and more college style schemes being adopted each year.

EJ Manuel walks in the door with game breaking ability, with both his legs, and his arm, and let me tell you something else folks, the read-option is here to stay. This is not the wild cat. It’s a bonafide system that works. Just ask the Seahawks, Redskins, and 49ers, all who made the playoff running this type of offense.

Of course, it really only works if you have a stud at QB, and each of those teams has just that.

You know who EJ Manuel kind of reminds me of? Yes, it pains me to say, Donovan McNabb.

Manuel is a much more polished passer in my opinion than McNabb was earlier in is career, and like McNabb has the speed to blow be defenders when he needs to (although he historically didn’t run that much at Florida State)

What’s more, Manuel is considered to be a “high character” guy, and was one of the team captains and leaders for Florida State.

The Eagles of course enter the 2013 draft with the 4th overall pick, as well as two 2nd round picks, so it’s not out of the question that they draft Manuel (or another QB for that matter)

The fact that Chip Kelly already has a rapport with EJ Manuel means that if he’s still available when it’s their turn, the Eagles will have a decision to make.

Here’s some highlight footage to check out.

Just two weeks before the Super Bowl, Juan Castillo has been hired by Jim Harbaugh to be the Ravens “run game coordinator” the rest of this year, and will be retained next season as well.

Good for him. Now I have even more reason to root for the Ravens in the Super Bowl.

Excuse me Mr. Banner, step away from the hater-tots.

In a statement made to Peter King in his Monday Morning Quarterback column on SI.com, Banner says quote:

We removed ourselves from the process. We really liked Chip. He’s intriguing, a very different thinker, and very smart. But you could see he was uncertain what he wanted to do. He may be in Philadelphia 10 years or longer and have a terrific career. But the fact he committed to Tampa Bay last year, backed out, then seemed all year to be leaning toward going to the NFL, then being so uncertain with us, we just felt it was too big a gamble. If there was no ambivalence, we may have offered him the job.

Just get over it dude. Sure, Chip Kelly had a hard time making up his mind. Sure, he was wavering, but let’s get serious. Do you think any coach in their right mind would choose the Cleveland Browns over the Philadelphia Eagles?

Chip Kelly was never coming to the Browns and you know it Banner so put down the hater-aide, and come to the realization that you’ve been out-dueled by the leagues youngest GM, who oh by the way happens to be a shark at signing people, and his name is Howie.

I know Chip Kelly is a great unknown at this point, and yes, he couldn’t make up his mind, but he is innovative, and has been sought out for advice by the likes of Bill Belichick. I’ll take it over the dumb, mindless, predictable nonsense we’ve had in this town for the last 14 years, that you kept in this town for too long.

As the old saying goes, “Haters gonna hate”

With your ass ugly uniforms. Have fun with Rob Chudzinski you smug bastard.

Wait, I thought you weren’t supposed to hire position coaches before you hire a defensive coordinator. Oh well.

The Eagles will reportedly bring in Jerry Azzinaro as the new defensive line coach. Azzinaro coached defensive line at Oregon, and is a firey, passionate guy. Think of an Italian Jim Washburn, but slightly less crude.

Given the fact that Jim Herrmann (who coached in a 4-3) has withdrawn his name from consideration as the Eagles defensive coordinator, it looks more and more like the Eagles will be moving to a 3-4, with Azzinaro manning up the defense line.

Here’s a quick clip of Jerry Azzinaro mic’d up from a couple years ago. He definitely wears his heart on his sleeve and preaches “violence” to his players. Given the fact that the Eagles had one of the worst defensive lines in the league last year, Azzirno will be a great addition to a defense full of young’ish defensive lineman.

As the Eagles search continues for their next defensive coordinator, several names have been mentioned, most recently Jim Herrmann, who is currently the linebackers coach for the New York Giants.

Herrmann is known to be an “old school” defensive coach, and played and coached (defensive coordinator) under legendary Michigan head coach Bo Schembechler, who was about as “old school” as it gets. During his time as Michigan’s defensive coordinator, Michigan routinely had one of the nations best defenses, and put several players into the NFL.

As per Reuben Frank’s report on CSN Philly, Herrmann was brought into the NFL in 2008 by then Jets head coach Eric Mangini. When Manginia was fired, Tom Coughlin hired Herrmann, and he would eventually win a Super Bowl with the Giants last season.

One thing that’s good about Herrmann is he would most likely run a 4-3 defense. It’s been rumored that if the Eagles brought on Todd Grantham from The University of Georgia, that he would bring in a 3-4 scheme.

The trouble with running a 3-4, is that the current defensive, in particular the defensive line, is already built for a 4-3.

I guess it doesn’t matter if the Eagles plan on blowing it up anyway, but it would certainly be easier to bring a guy in who runs a 4-3 given the fact that the Eagles are a bit undersized up front. Most of the defensive line is closer to 300lbs than 330-340 which is a problem because in a 3-4 scheme, the defensive lineman are usually responsible for two gaps, and have to constantly fight off double teams.

What happens to guys like Trent Cole, Vinny Curry, Derek Landri, Ced Thornton and Cullen Jenkins?

Antonio Dixon is really the only guy who has the size to play on a 3-4 defensive line.

The other unknown in a 3-4 is what are you doing at linebacker?

Obviously Brandon Graham is a natural fit since he already played that position at Michigan (and flourished in it), but we’ve never seen Trent Cole in space before. I’m not sure you can take a guy like Cole at this stage in his career and ask him to change his role. We all know how that worked out with Nnamdi Asomugha. They guy went from a Pro Bowl player to one of the worst players on the team.

If you move to a 3-4 what happens to DeMeco Ryans? Remember, the only reason Houston let him walk is because he really didn’t fit a 3-4 defense.

Do Jamar Chaney, Akeem Jordan and Mychal Kendricks have the size to play in a 3-4? That’s debatable.

We all know the secondary needs major help, but if they move to a 3-4, it means that entire side of the ball gets blown up.

I know the offense is expected to score some points, but they’d have to be a top 5 offense to get by with a 25th+ ranked defense next year, which is likely to happen moving to a completely different scheme with a big personnel turnover.

I know the defense had major issues this year, but despite them, they finished the regular season ranked 15th in total defense, which is much better than both the Falcons and the Patriots, who could very well be playing each other in the Super Bowl in a few weeks. That quite frankly, is amazing.

Imagine what they could do with a new attitude, and a couple new cornerbacks.

At 6’3″ 240lbs, Jarvis Jones is the best linebacker in the country hands down. In fact, he might be the best defensive player in the country.

With the 4th pick in this years draft, the Eagles should give strong consideration to drafting Jones, who would undoubtedly make an impact from day one. If the speculation that the Eagles are going to hire Todd Grantham and move to a 3-4 defense holds true, Jarvis Jones would be the perfect fit.

Here’s what NFL Network Analyst Bucky Brooks had to say about him:

At 6-foot-3, 241 pounds, Jones is an explosive edge rusher with remarkable first-step quickness and burst. He routinely blows past offensive tackles with a slippery “dip-and-rip” speed rush move, but also shows a complete repertoire of moves to get to the quarterback. From a crafty spin move to a hard inside slant following an initial speed rush, Jones gives offensive tackles fits with his agility and strength. Most impressively, Jones complements exceptional movement skills with a high-revving motor that overwhelms opponents.

I know many of you will say, “Dude, what about the secondary?! Linebacker is the last position we need!”, to that I say, you don’t know football. In the NFL, if you don’t have a pash rush with your front 7, you don’t have anything. The teams with the best secondaries have the best pass rushes. Get how that works?

No doubt the Eagles have to start over with the secondary. The only guy I could imagine keeping because of his low cap number would be Kurt Coleman. If nothing else, the guy has a nose for the football, and plays hard, which is something you need out of a “box” safety in a 3-4 defense.

Along with Mychal Kendricks, Jamar Chaney, DeMeco Ryans, and Akeem Jordan, Jarvis Jones would add an instant punch, giving the Eagles a young group of fast, athletic linebackers.

Of course, they could also trade their pick for a later round 1st, and maybe a 3rd and/or a “player to be named later”

Thoughts?

With guys like Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick, and Robert Griffin III, it’s easy to see why you would want a mobile quarterback. As I think through some of the possible options for Chip Kelly’s next quarterback, several names come to mind.

Let’s take a look at Chip Kelly’s options.

Nick Foles

This seems to be the most realistic choice in my mind for several reasons. In limited action in his rookie season, Foles definitely showed a lot of promise. Nothing he did really blew you away, but you have to look at the situation he was thrown into. Four out of the five offensive lineman, and DeSean Jackson were lost to injury, and the team as a whole was just a complete and utter mess when he was handed the keys.

At 6’5″, 245lbs, Foles has the size and a skill set that the Eagles haven’t seen on a consistent basis since the days of Ron Jaworski. He is a true, prototypical pocket passer, and he can make all the big NFL throws. What’s good about Foles is that he already has a year under his belt with the skill position players, and Chip Kelly has already expressed that he likes Foles after getting gashed by the Napolean Dynamite stunt double while at Oregon.

Nick Foles is also extremely smart, which you have to be running an up-tempo offense. You need to be able to read a defense in about 3 seconds, and also call plays and protections on the fly from the line of scrimmage. Not all quarterbacks can do that well, as evidenced by Michael Vick.

The obvious downside of Foles is his lack of mobility, which would seriously limit some of the things Chip Kelly does offensively. Personally, with the talent and speed we have on offense, I’d rather have the ball in their hands than Nick Foles’ anyway. I’m sure Chip Kelly would agree.

During Kelly’s tenure at Oregon, his QB’s averaged just 8 carries per game which is far less than people make it out to be.

What made Kelly’s offense so dangerous wasn’t a running quarterback, it was the tempo at which they ran plays.

Tom Brady, who is basically a statue in the pocket, has already shown that you don’t need to have breakaway speed to run a hurry-up style offense.

Chip Kelly has already said he doesn’t need a mobile quarterback. What’s more important to him is a quarterback who can make plays with his arm. Foles can do that.

Michael Vick

I don’t buy the fact that Michael Vick is over the hill. I just don’t. I think it’s the popular thing to say, especially given his age, and especially if you already hate Michael Vick, but folks, listen, at the age of 32 (33 at the start of the season), Michael Vick is still plenty fast to play in a Chip Kelly offense. His arm is still plenty strong.

Personally I think Michael Vick got a bad rap last year. Sure he held onto the ball at times, and made some terrible decisions, but lets face it–the Eagles had the absolute worst offensive line in football last year. I’ve been watching football for a long time, and I can’t remember seeing a guy get destroyed over and over again like Vick did last year. I felt bad for the guy at times, but you know what, the dude is a warrior. He kept getting back up.

To compound that problem, Andy and Marty did absolutely nothing to help protect him with the play calling. They called the same stupid shit over and over again, knowing damn well defenses were going to blitz him. Where was the max-protect?

It’s impossible to function as a quarterback under those circumstances, and Michael Vick showed us already in 2010 he’s fully capable of making plays from the pocket when he has protection.

If Kelly wants to bring the “full” Oregon experience with him, then he should seriously consider Michael Vick. Of course, the decision is not all his due to Vick’s contract status. If Vick agrees to restructure his deal, it would make the decision easier.

I can’t think of one team that would want Michael Vick as a starter next season. Not one. Can you? If I’m Michael Vick, I’m restructuring my contract and staying with the Eagles.

Dennis Dixon

Naturally, a lot of people are talking about Dennis Dixon since he played for Chip Kelly at Oregon, and honestly, the move to bring him in would make a lot of sense. At Oregon under Chip Kelly, he was an absolute stud. Drafted in the 5th round in the 08′ draft by the Steelers, Dixon is now a practice squad QB for the Ravens and has done very little in the NFL.

However, Dixon already knows Kelly’s offense, and is mobile with a huge arm. The trouble is, he hasn’t played the position against NFL talent in a long time.

But, if the Eagles wanted to bring him in, they could probably do so on the cheap, and if nothing else, it’d be a good idea to bring him in as training camp fodder, just to see what he has in the tank.

Vince Young

Not many people are talking about this, but Vince Young would actually make a decent fit if Kelly planned to go with a mobile QB. Young who has been unemployed since the Bills released him early this season was absolutely terrible with the Eagles in limited action, and is more famous for his “dream team” comment than his play on the field.

I can’t see the Eagles resigning him, but, if Vick doesn’t agree to restructure his contract, they could probably sign Young to a 1 year contract on the cheap just to see what happens.

Geno Smith

This guy could be something special. At 6’3″ 215lbs, Smith is an amazing athlete. He’s also a very good quarterback. In 2012 at West Virginia, Smith threw for over 4200 yards, 42 TD’s, with only 6 INT’s. He also had a 71% completion percentage and rarely made mistakes with the ball. He knows when to slide and/or get rid of it.

Although some view Smith as a “running” QB, he is actually nothing of the sort. In 2012, he only had 66 rushing attempts for 151 yards and 2 TD’s.

The problem is, Geno Smith isn’t going to be available at the 4th pick because Andy Reid is going to draft him with the 1st pick.

So….

If I had to pick, I’d try first to work with Nick Foles, and grab a guy off the street or in the draft who can run a little bit. As creative as Chip Kelly is, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit to see him use a two-quarterback system though.

Who would you like to see as the Eagles next quarterback?

Here’s a look at Chip Kelly’s offense and what people are saying about his outlook in the NFL

Well, so much for Gus Bradley.

In a complete curve-ball of a move, the Eagles have hired the now former Oregon head coach, Chip Kelly to lead them back to the promise land.

Kelly, considered by many to be one of the most innovative offensive minds in the game, is coming into a somewhat messy situation with the Eagles.

With uncertainty surrounding the quarterback position, most of the offensive line coming off serious injuries, and a defense in total shambles, Chip Kelly will have his work cut out for him from day one.

With the style of offense Oregon runs, the knee jerk reaction so far has been that Michael Vick could be back in the fold at QB, but not so fast:

 “I’ll tell you what; I’m glad Nick Foles is graduating. I catch myself watching him in awe sometimes” Chip Kelly on Nick Foles (2011)

Personally, I wanted Gus Bradley or Brian Billick, but, I’m just happy at this point they made a damn decision. Let’s face it, the NFL is an offense-first league. The Colts, Saints, and other teams have won Super Bowls with 20th+ ranked defenses.

More to come later.

With the end of the Andy Reid era on the horizon, many names have been floated out there as possible replacements for Reid.

John Gruden, Bill Cowher, Nick Saban, Chip Kelly, Brian Kelly. We’ve heard all those names over and over again.

Not many people are talking about Mike McCoy though.

McCoy, who is currently the offensive coordinator with the Denver Broncos, has said to have been responsible in large part for the team’s offensive success over the last few years, which included leading the NFL in total offense through 10 games with Kyle Orton at quarterback, and most memorably, an unimagineable playoff victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers with Tim Tebow playing quarterback.

When you’re scoring points and winning games with the likes of Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow, you’re doing something.

In both situations, Mike McCoy showed that he could make huge adjustments, and adapt to the quarterback and players that he was working with. That is one of the most important qualities a good head coach can have, and one that Andy Reid has clearly never possessed.

People like to brand Andy Reid as some kind of quarterback guru, like he’s developed a bunch of great quarterbacks. He hasn’t developed shit.

Donovan McNabb came into the league as the 2nd overall pick. He came in with talent, and he was good (not great), but what did he really ever do? He won a lot of games, and threw for a lot of yards, but he never won anything.

Michael Vick, one of the most electrifying players ever, is a turn-over machine with a 55% career completion percentage. Did Andy Reid fix that? Vick will be the Eagle’s 3rd quarterback this Sunday behind a rookie, and a career journeyman.

Sure, Reid flipped A.J. Feeley and Kevin Kolb for 2nd round picks, but what the hell have either of them done in the NFL besides steal paychecks?

Did Andy Reid ever develop anyone? Of course not. He never even managed to play to his quarterbacks’ strengths.

I would trust Mike McCoy to make something out of Nick Foles much more than I would Andy Reid.

Mike McCoy went from running the read-option with H-Back, Tim Tebow, (which was actually pretty effective), to a spread-em-out-and-throw-it, no-huddle system with Peyton Manning, and he’s worked very well in both systems.

As much as we want an elite defense in this town, it’s an offensive league. The rules are set that way, and the games are officiated that way. You have to score points to win games in the new NFL, and McCoy has scored a lot of points over the past few years with three different quarterbacks.

People close to Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie have said quietly that Lurie would be looking for an offensive minded coach if replacing Andy Reid became a reality. McCoy is definitely offensive minded.

Of course it’s hard to judge McCoy’s success with Peyton Manning, being that Manning is basically his own offensive coordinator, but working with Manning so closely has no doubt shown McCoy what a real quarterback is. He already knows what one isn’t.

The Broncos currently rank 5th in total offense, and maybe more importantly, even with Peyton Manning throwing the ball all over the place, they still rank 9th in rushing attempts. They run a very balanced scheme, which could never be said about Andy Reid and the Eagles.

The other thing I like about Mike McCoy is that he’s not some green assistant, or college coach with some outlandish scheme that won’t work in the NFL. Sorry Chip Kelly.

He’s been courted several times already to be an NFL head coach, most recently with the Miami Dolphins. McCoy was rumored to be Dolphin’s GM, Jeff Ireland’s top choice, but it was believed he wasn’t hired because he wanted to replace, guess who? Todd Bowles as the defensive coordinator. Joe Philbin agreed to keep Bowles and ended up getting the job.

If Jeffrey Lurie is looking for the next up-and-coming assistant, Mike McCoy is about as close as it gets. I don’t buy much into the whole “coaching tree” stuff, but I do like the fact that McCoy has worked with John Fox and Jack DelRio.

I think starting over fresh with a guy who has worked with good coaches and a great quarterback, who is also willing and able to make adjustments in philosophy is a great idea.

I’d much rather have that, than someone whose heart is really in analyzing games than it is coaching them.

Today, I had a rather heated argument with a coworker. You’ll think I’m crazy, but just hear me out.

The Eagles should trade LeSean McCoy.

Not because he’s not good–he’s clearly a top 3 running back in the league, and he’s one of my favorite players. Because the Eagles have A TON of holes to fill, namely along the offensive and defensive lines, and they basically need an entirely new secondary.

LeSean McCoy is the only player on this roster that even remotely has any trade value–and he has a lot of it.

I know, he signed a 6 year, 45 million dollar contract in the off-season, but he’s a young, stud horse, and surely there’s a team out there that could use him.

Bryce Brown has shown that he can play at an extremely high level, even behind a garbagio patchwork offensive line. I really like Bryce Brown. At 6′ 225lbs, he is a one-cut, downhill runner with speed to get around the edge and outrun people. I think at the end of the day, he can be as effective as LeSean McCoy numbers wise.

Deon Lewis is a capable backup, and although very much unproven, Chris Polk and Stanley Havilli showed enough promise in the preseason for Howie Roseman to keep four running backs on the 53 man roster.

So right about now, you are saying, “Bro, are you high? Bryce Brown has played two games, and he’s fumbled three times! What the F&*k are you talking about? I hate you. I’m never reading this blog again!”

Remember people. Holes. The Eagles have them. A lot of them.

This team needs to be rebuilt, and in a league that throws the ball more and more with every passing season, paying a running back, no matter how good they are, 45 million dollars isn’t exactly the best use of your money, especially when you have glaring needs elsewhere.

Offensive Line

I know Jason Peters will be back eventually, but I don’t care how much of a freak he is athletically, a 340lb man on a twice-rebuilt achilles tendon is not that appealing to me. Jason Peters will never be the same dominant player as he was before this injury. He just won’t be.

Remember that guy, what was his name again? Oh yeah, Shawn Andrews. How’d that work out after a couple surgeries?

Jason Kelce destroyed his knee, but I’m confident he’ll be back. By next, year Danny Watkins will be a 29 year old firefighter.

Todd Herremans should be fine, although I’m not thrilled about his injury either. He might not be 100% until week 4 or 5 of next season.

So basically, both tackles and your center will be coming off of serious injuries, and your right guard is going to get cut.

The only decent lineman you really have that’s healthy is Evan Mathis.

That ain’t good.

Defensive Line

I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a group of men shit their big boy pants like the defensive line did this year. They were one of the leagues top units last year. What the hell happened?

Jason Babin turned into a little bitch. Trent Cole has literally done nothing except shoot animals and post pictures of them on Instagram.

Like they have been for years, the defensive tackles are just too small. Fletcher Cox is definitely a player, but they need some big assed, biscuit eaters in the middle that can demand double teams, shed blocks, and get pressure up the gut.

Basically, we need to find Corey Simon’s son, and blend his DNA with Hollis Thomas, and draft whatever the result is with their first round pick and sick a drunken Jim Washburn on him. Oh, wait, he just got fired for calling Juan Castillo “Jaunita”.

God I wish I was a fly on that wall.

Secondary

The only difference between Nnamdi Asomugha and Bernie Madoff, is that Madoff got caught. Asomugha should be arrested and put in jail for felony paycheck theft.

This guy went from Hall-of-Fame status to practice squad talent. I’ve seen quadriplegics that don’t blow as much coverage or miss as many tackles.

DRC is fast. That’s it.

Nate Allen and Kurt Coleman might be the worst safety tandem in the league.

Second round pick Jaqwaun Jarrett is……wait……oh yeah, he got cut.

Wide Receiver

DeSean Jackson had a decent year, but lets face it, he’s one dimensional. He can run really fast in a straight line. Cool.

He’s always going to be afraid to go over the middle, and defenses have figured out how to severely minimize his big plays. You play the corner 12 yards off, and put a safety 40 yards off the ball. Done and done.

Or you play man-press and jam his little ass at the line. If he beats the jam, the safety comes down and DeSean alligator-arms an inaccurately thrown ball from Michael Foles.

Jeremy Maclin has underachieved like a mofo. What happened? This guy was a first round pick. He’s one of the reasons defenses can afford to double team DeSean Jackson all the time.

The Eagles haven’t had a big receiver since Harold Charmichael. I understand that speed kills, but speed does you no good when it’s 5′ 8″, 160lbs, and scared.

Rebuilding

If all goes well, and the Eagles keep losing, they could end up with a top 5 draft pick, and by trading LeSean McCoy, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that they double-down and end up with two top-10 draft picks and a high quality starting player in return.

Of course, if Andy Reid comes back, which I believe he will, you have to assume he’s going to completely blow one of those picks on oh I don’t know, a 27 year old firefighter who started playing football at the age of 23.

LeSean McCoy is a good player, and one who we could at least get a high first round pick and another player for. If we can get a top-tier safety or defensive lineman along with a early first round pick, I think the Eagles should definitely do it.

They’re not going to lose much with Bryce Brown if anything, and having a running back on your roster making 45 million dollars in a passing league, during a potential rebuilding phase just doesn’t much sense.

Go ahead, let me have it.