Morning After Thoughts

While still coming to grips with the fact that Sam Bradford is my quarterback for the coming season, I slept on the pick of Agholor and like it quite a bit more than I did last evening. He will step in nicely into our receiving corps, and hopefully contribute right away. He is not a projection, like many receivers were in this draft.

If Sam Bradford is here on a one year deal, and the FO wants to see what he can do in a short amount of time, he will need weapons to work with. Selecting Agholor, a receiver coming from a pro style offense where his getting the ball was based on route running and NFL-style concepts rather than scheme or college gimmicks allows Chip to plug Agholor directly into the 3rd or 4th receiver spot. Of all the wideouts I watched a bit of film on, there were only three I thought would be able to start day one and have no issues: Amari Cooper, Phillip Dorsett, and Nelson Agholor. Kevin White, Breshad Perriman, and DeVante Parker all project nicely to the pro game, I'm confident they will excel given a chance. But, I saw inconsistencies in their games that their college scheme might have done a good job of protecting. I'm having trouble finding the graphic they showed on ESPN last night during the broadcast, but take for instance the example that Kevin White ran ~90% of his routes split wide right. He has worked a limited route tree, and that will have to be addressed.

I watched a bit of tape on Agholor last night, and have just a few general takeaways. Not the best downfield blocker, definitely attaches and shows effort, but can get manhandled by more physical or shorter corners with lower centers of gravity. He runs good routes, but doesn't explode in and out of cuts. Very sure handed, not a body catcher, which is good to see. Had the ability to take the top off a defense, much in a style that Maclin did for us last year. Not 4.3 burner speed, but 4.45 sneaky speed combined with crisp routes to gain some extra separation. Worked out of both the slot and wide right and left, meaning he can come into this offense and work wherever Chip puts him. Returned punts and kickoffs generally well, allowing him to be placed there if Chip so chooses.

I'll have more on Agholor, for now, here's a fun graphic:

Not sure who's going to be around in the 2nd and 3rd when we pick today, let alone if we'll stay where were at now. I'm inclined to think we'll move around. We did it two years ago for Ertz, could happen again this year is somebody drops further into the 2nd than they should. There is some talent still on the board that many thought would go last night at some point.

Positions I could see being addressed today are offensive line depth, defensive back, another receiver would be fine by me, and possibly an inside linebacker. Some names?

• Ali Marpet, Guard, Hobart
• Donovan Smith, OL, Penn St
• Bernardrick McKinney, ILB, Miss St
• Eric Rowe, DB, Utah St
• Quinten Rollins, DB, Miami (OH)

I don't know if they've taken La'el Collins off their board. If they can figure out what is going on with him legally and determine if he's in the clear or not, they should make a move on him. He's a first round plug and play, and if he can be grabbed in the 2nd, 3rd,  or 4th, I say do it. I think its worth the risk.

Excited for the next few rounds tonight!

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.