INDIANAPOLIS – There was so much to like about the Eagles’ situation heading into free agency, which begins next week, and the NFL draft in late April.
All of this was reinforced at the NFL scouting combine that concluded Sunday. And it went well beyond the testing results of prospective draft picks.
Remember, the Eagles have three first-round picks at No. 15, 16 and 19, and 10 picks overall in the seven-round draft.
It’s possible that the Eagles’ evaluations could influence what they do in free agency, particularly at positions like wide receiver and defensive back.
Here, then, is a look at how the five-day extravaganza helped the Eagles.
1. Amari Cooper’s impact
The free agent wide receivers were already considered to be elite. Then news broke last week that the Cowboys will likely release Amari Cooper before he is guaranteed $20 million this season.
Cooper would join a group that could include Delaware native Chris Godwin, Allen Robinson, Mike Williams, Davante Adams and J.J. Smith-Schuster, among others.
The Eagles can get much more value by avoiding Cooper. But other teams will be interested, and that will take that team out of the running for the other top receivers.
Some of those receivers might not even get to free agency. The Packers could place the franchise tag on Adams, especially if Aaron Rodgers stays. But the Bucs might not do that with Godwin, who is rehabbing from a torn ACL.
Tuesday is the final day that teams can place the franchise tag on free agents. At wide receiver, that would guarantee a one-year contract in the $20 million range.
“It’s hard to imagine a Buccaneers’ offense without Chris Godwin,” Bucs GM Jason Licht said. “We’ll continue to try and work towards that.”
DEFENSIVE END DECISIONS:Why drafting these top 2 defensive ends could create a dilemma for Eagles
REPLACING MILES?:As Miles Sanders faces uncertain future, Eagles could draft this Delaware high school star
2. Eagles should draft WR in Round 1…
But only under this circumstance:
They trade one of their first-round picks to move back to the latter part of the first round, or even early in the second round (more on this later).
Such a trade should net the Eagles an early-round pick in the 2023 draft.
In this situation, the Eagles should take Alabama WR Jameson Williams somewhere in the 20s. Williams would’ve been the top receiver in the draft if not for the torn ACL he suffered in the national championship game.
Williams had 79 receptions for 1,572 yards for the Crimson Tide. Williams is very familiar with DeVonta Smith even though they never played together (Williams transferred from Ohio State).
“I watched a lot of film on him just to learn the playbook,” Williams said. “The way he ran certain routes are things I added that to my game playing in the same type of offense he played in.
“So, yeah, he taught me a lot.”
3. Ideal situation at WR
It’s likely that Williams won’t be ready for the start of the season while he recovers from his ACL tear.
But the Eagles can still draft him, give him time to recover and develop while signing a free agent on a one-year prove-it deal for a manageable salary. That could be Smith-Schuster, who only played in five games last season for the Steelers before suffering a shoulder injury.
Smith-Schuster is a top slot receiver, with 111 receptions in 2018 and 97 more in 2020.
That way, even if Williams isn’t ready until midway through the season or later, the Eagles would still improve their WR corps with Smith-Schuster or someone else..
4. Eagles Round 1 LB drought ending?
It should if Utah’s Devin Lloyd is available anywhere after pick No. 10. That means the Eagles might have to consider trading up a few spots to get him.
It’ll be worth it. The refrain is that the Eagles devalue the position, but that’s not necessarily true. They value an every-down linebacker who’s strong in pass coverage, stopping the run and rushing the passer.
Lloyd, like Dallas’ Micah Parsons last year, fits all three. Plus, at 6-foot-3, 237 pounds, he’s considerably bigger than Georgia’s Nakobe Dean, who’s 5-11, 229.
“I’m somebody who hunts” Lloyd said. “I get to the ball. But also, I’m very calculating in my movements. (I’m) someone who’s just an instinctual player, that plays with physicality and plays with instincts, and someone who’s really smart and nasty.”
5. The QB effect on Eagles
Someone will draft a quarterback in the first round, but it’s possible that might not happen until the middle of the round.
That, of course, is where the Eagles are picking. And there are quarterback-needy teams who could try to move up for someone like PItt’s Kenny Pickett or Liberty’s Malik Willis.
That could include the Steelers at No. 20, who might want to get ahead of the Saints at No. 18, to get Pickett or Willis. It could also include the Brady-less Buccaneers at No. 27.
6. A defensive line bonanza
The Eagles will draft a defensive linemen in the first round. And they likely won’t have to trade up to have their choice of Purdue’s George Karlaftis, Michigan’s David Ojabo and Florida State’s Jermaine Johnson.
Ojabo ran a 4.55 in the 40, Johnson ran a 4.58, while Karlaftis did not run, deciding to wait until his Pro Day. Karlaftis did 21 reps at 225 in the bench press, while the other two did not participate.
7. Draftees love Kelce, Lane
At least a few of the offensive linemen in the NFL draft admit they look up to two Eagles’ stalwarts in center Jason Kelce and right tackle Lane Johnson.
Northern Iowa’s Trevor Penning, a possible first-round pick, described himself as “physical, nasty, a (jerk).” When asked what he likes about Johnson, he replied: “Just how technically sound he is, his athleticism. Just the combination of everything. Everything that he does, he checks all the boxes.”
As for Kelce, Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum said: “It’s pretty cool to have comparisons like that, but I have a lot of work to do to get to his level … Some of the things that he’s capable of doing is something that I would like to resemble my game after.”
8. Defensive back dilemma
Yes, the Eagles could lose three of their four starters at defensive back to free agency in Rodney McLeod, Anthony Harris and Steve Nelson. They could spend big on a safety like New Orleans’ Marcus Williams, but is he worth $20 million per season?
Expect the Eagles to spend more at the margins, like they did with Nelson and Harris, both of whom were signed to one-year, prove-it deals, while relying more on younger players like Marcus Epps, K’Von Wallace and Zech McPhearson.
At the same time, they could wait until Rounds 2 and 3 to add a cornerback or safety.
Here, they could look at Michigan safety Daxton Hill or Auburn cornerback Roger McCreary.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl
