Mariota, Agholor, Jones, 1st Round Reaction

Well, Marcus Mariota isn't an Eagle. I was glued to my phone all day, constantly refreshing my Twitter feed in hopes of scoopage. When it came down to it, I just don't think Chip was quite as in love with him as we were maybe led to believe. Chip wanted Marcus, I don't think anybody would doubt that. However, I believe there was a deep divide between himself and the Titans FO. The price was too high, and Chip wasn't going to make the moves required to get his guy.

One purported offer: 2 firsts, Kendricks, Curry, and Cox. Frankly, if that would've happened, I would have just fine. Yes, that would've been a steep cut for one player, but when that player is a potential franchise quarterback, I could have rationalized it. Chip said any offers he made did not include players, despite various source reports saying that he did just that, so as to whether we were even close or not might be up for debate.

Nelson Agholor was picked 20th overall by the Eagles. I have to say, watching them sit at 20, not move, and make a smart albeit not sexy move shocked me. I've been conditioned to expect nontraditional moves from this FO, and even the previous FO specifically during the draft, so watching my team sit and wait with no wheeling and dealing was different.

I like Agholor. I don't love Agholor. His NFL comparison is Jeremy Maclin, according to just about any scouting report anywhere, and if he blossoms into the production bracket Maclin occupied last season, that would be a pick well spent. I'll do some film work in the next week or so and post it.

One last thought; the Cowboys selected Byron Jones. I'm divisive on Jones. I love his measureables, as does just about everyone else. But I can't help but watch his film and come away unimpressed. He is far and away the best player on that UConn defense on tape, yet still doesn't jump off the screen. I believed all throughout the draft process that he was a second round to third round player, that would be pushed into the first from lack of defensive backs in the draft, and a crazy freaky combine.

I really hope Byron Jones is the next Aaron Maybin or Vernon Gholston, a freak athlete that never quite puts it all together. It could be painful to watch twice a year if the opposite is true.

A Day to Remember

Au Revoir, LeSean.

Of all the days to start an Eagles blog, this is a hell of day to do so. March 3rd, 2015 will be a day that I will look back on fondly when I am stuck in the rut of regular offseason stories.

With Chip Kelly at the helm of this franchise, however, we may forget what a "regular" offseason is supposed to look like.

Today, the Eagles released Cary Williams, the lone cornerback with significant starting experience on the outside. We are left with Brandon Boykin, Nolan Carroll, and Jaylen Watkins. This means that the Eagles will be sporting two new starting cornerbacks next season, most likely with both not on the current roster. An argument could be made that Carroll will be asked to fill one of those roles, but I will counter that with the fact that he wasn't given the reigns even when Bradley Fletcher was in the grips of a terrible, terrible December this past year. This was a big start to the day. But, the news kept coming.

Later in the afternoon, word began to trickle down that talks between the Eagles and both OLB's Brandon Graham and Trent Cole were not progressing well. No word has come out as of the time of this writing about Graham, but the current reports maintain that Trent Cole would not lower his price enough for the Eagles, and he will be released in the coming days. This clears a hefty amount of cash in the cap, but also creates a bit of a need at OLB. 

As if this wasn't enough Eagles news for one day, late in the afternoon news broke that LeSean McCoy, arguably the most skilled player on this team, had been dealt to Buffalo for Kiko Alonso, a young, up and coming ILB. While this deal cannot be enacted out until the new league year on March 10, it can pretty much be penciled in.

Whew. Three huge moves, each one making the previous one look like nothing. I will have analysis of these roster transactions in the coming days, with posts about replacements for LeSean McCoy and Trent Cole, the fit of Kiko Alonso in our scheme, and more.

Stay tuned, I expect more to come down the chute from the Eagles' front office in the coming days.