ChaoticEagle’s Comprehensive Guide to the 2010 NFL Draft Part 1 – Current Roster + Team Needs

Welcome folks, as I introduce you all to my latest brain child, my Comprehensive Guide to the 2010 Eagles NFL Draft! Somewhere around the realm of countless sleep deprived nights, late night runs to the local gas station for $1 coffee, an innumerable amount of prospect reviews, mock drafts, and videos analyzed, and my general sanity left somewhere in a realm "long forgotten", I bring to you my amateurish offering to you good people of BGN. What can I say; I wholeheartedly admit that I'm a huge draftnik. The entire draft weekend is like another holiday for me. *Ahem*, carrying on...

In part 1, I'll attempt (keyword: attempt) to analyze and breakdown the current roster for the Philadelphia Eagles, and sort out, according to need, what positions the Eagles should be targeting for the upcoming draft. Let's begin, shall we?

Key-Note: For the analysis sections, I'm only going to analyze whoever is on the roster as of right now. Upcoming draft possibilities are addressed under the "Level of urgency in Draft" and "Names to Watch", as well as the "Team Needs" section further down. Other means of obtaining players, such as trades and free agency, will not be addressed here; most likely will be included in Part 2, when I get around to the actual mock drafts.

Current Eagles Roster (57 Players Total):

30 on Offense:

2 Quarterbacks, 4 Running Backs, 2 Fullbacks, 7 Wide Receivers, 3 Tight Ends, 4 Tackles, 5 Guards, 3 Centers

23 on Defense:

4 Defensive Ends, 4 Defensive Tackles, 6 Linebackers, 5 Cornerbacks, 4 Safeties

4 on Special Teams:

1 Kicker, 2 Punters, 1 Long Snapper

Roster Notes/Points of Interest:

Average Age of Players on the Eagles Roster - 25.68 Years Old

Average Years of Experience in the NFL on the Eagles Roster - 4.28 Years

Average Weight of the Eagles Offensive Line - 327.25 pounds

Average Height of the Eagles Wide Receiving Core - 5 feet 11 inches

Cincinnati, Michigan, Missouri, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, UTEP, USC - 2 Alumni from Each School are on the Roster. Virginia Tech is the only school that has more than 2 Alumni on our roster - with 3. In regards to the rest of the roster, everyone is from a different school.

Cincinnati has arguably the best players on our roster, in DE Trent Cole and TE Brent Celek.

Arguably, USC would bring in the next best 2 players, in DT Mike Patterson and RT Winston Justice.

With the Departure of QB Donovan McNabb, the only remaining roster links to the Eagles 2004 Super Bowl Run are: K David Akers, SS Quintin Mikell, and C Jamaal Jackson.

Quarterback:

Projected 2010 Starter - Kevin Kolb

Backup - Michael Vick

Analysis:

Coming into the off-season, arguably the most compelling story in all of the NFL would have to be the Eagles QB situation. 3 QBs, all with starting level talent/experience; the general consensus was thought that at least one of them would be traded at some point during the off-season. Back to the present; we now have 2 QBs going into the draft, however, the one that was traded was perhaps the greatest QB ever to don an Eagles jersey, Donovan McNabb. With the fallout from the trade, Kevin Kolb will now be stepping into the role of "the next Eagles franchise QB", and those will be some big shoes to fill. With McNabb gone and Kolb now the starter, Michael Vick is left as the backup. However, my opinion is that he will find himself getting his wish, to have the opportunity to be a starting QB somewhere in the league come draft day.

Level of urgency in Draft:

Moderate to High; the Eagles need another QB for depth.

Names to Watch:

QB - Jarrett Brown (West Virginia), Zac Robinson (Oklahoma State), John Skelton (Fordham), Armanti Edwards (Appalachian State)

Backfield:

Projected 2010 Starters - LeSean McCoy (RB), Leonard Weaver (FB)

Backups - Mike Bell (RB), Eldra Buckley (RB), Martell Mallett (RB), Dwayne Wright (FB)

Analysis:

This is another position where leadership and experience has given way to youth and possibility; the Eagles released longtime Philadelphia favorite, Brian Westbrook this offseason. That leaves the Eagles with LeSean McCoy as the new starter at RB. No need to worry about FB, however, with Leonard Weaver on board for a few more seasons. Back to RB, McCoy will be the starter, and Mike Bell is expected to be the backup to McCoy, hopefully to perform a good "one-two" punch in the running game. After that, in come Eldra Buckley, last year's 3rd RB, and reigning CFL Rookie of the Year Martell Mallett. Both look to compete for the 3rd RB spot behind McCoy and Bell.

Level of urgency in Draft:

Low; a RB might be brought in with a mid-late round pick for competition.

Names to Watch:

RB - Deji Karim (Southern Illinois), Charles Scott (LSU), Toby Gerhart (Stanford), Stafon Johnson (USC), Joique Bell (Wayne State), Ben Tate (Auburn), Shawnbrey McNeal (SMU)

Skill Positions:

Projected 2010 Starters - DeSean Jackson (WR), Jeremy Maclin (WR), Brent Celek (TE)

Backups - Jason Avant (WR), Hank Baskett (WR), Chad Hall (WR), Jordan Norwood (WR), Dobson Collins (WR), Cornelius Ingram (TE), Martin Rucker (TE)

Analysis:

A position that has been much obsessed about in the past in Eagles Nation, that being the WR spot, looks to finally have some stability, with the emergence of the dynamic DeSean Jackson and the promise of Jeremy Maclin. Throw into the mix a great slot receiver in Jason Avant, and the Eagles have a nice Receiving trio for the coming years. 4 receivers after those 3 in Baskett, Hall, Norwood and Collins all look to fight for playing time and a spot on the roster. As for the TE situation, Brent Celek has also started to emerge as a legitimate threat in the passing game, and should find himself in the conversation for Elite TEs in the NFL soon. Cornelius Ingram will hopefully return this offseason and barring another injury, show the Eagles why he was one of the best TEs in college before the injuries. And of course there's Martin Rucker, who had a productive career in college and has a lot to prove.

Level of urgency in Draft:

Low; late round picks on backup TE and a tall target type WR.

Names to Watch:

WR - Dezmon Briscoe (Kansas), Danario Alexander (Missouri), Marcus Easley (Connecticut), David Gettis (Baylor), Brandyn Harvey (Villanova), Emmanuel Sanders (SMU)

TE - Dorin Dickerson (Pittsburgh), Tony Moeaki (Iowa), Ed Dickson (Oregon)

Offensive Line:

Projected 2010 Starters - Jason Peters (LT), Todd Herremans (LG), Jamaal Jackson (C - Injured), Nick Cole (RG), Winston Justice (RT)

Backups - King Dunlap (LT), Mike McGlynn (LG), Fenuki Tupou (LG), Dallas Reynolds (C), A.Q. Shipley (C), Max Jean-Gilles (RG), Stacy Andrews (RG)

Analysis:

It is really unfortunate how the fortunes of the offensive line for the Eagles, which had so much promise at the beginning of last season, was basically picked apart by injuries, and backups being unable to perform well at the NFL level. Perhaps the only bright spot on the offensive line (aside from Herremans return) was watching Winston Justice finally live up to his potential. Aside from that, we saw the Andrews brothers' experiment literally implode; players like Nick Cole and Max Jean-Gilles play very subpar when asked to start (King Dunlap is a whole different level of fail); and to top it off, late in the season, Jamaal Jackson went down with torn ACL. While the Tackle positions should be fine, with Peters and Justice having a year starting at LT and RT respectively for the Eagles, C and RG are the two positions on the line that need help.

Level of urgency in Draft:

High; early pick on a versatile lineman; to fill in at C/G. Late round pickup possible.

Names to Watch:

OT - Anthony Davis (Rutgers), Selvish Capers (West Virginia), Ed Wang (Virginia Tech), Jared Veldheer (Hillsdale)

OG - Mike Iupati (Idaho), John Jerry (Ole Miss), Jon Asamoah (Illinois), Shawn Lauvao (Arizona State)

OC - Maurkice Pouncey (Florida), Matt Tennant (Boston College)

Defensive Line:

Projected 2010 Starters - Darryl Tapp (LE), Mike Patterson (LDT), Brodrick Bunkley (RDT), Trent Cole (RE)

Backups - Juqua Parker (LE), Victor Abiamiri (LE), Trevor Laws (LDT), Antonio Dixon (RDT)

Analysis:

Out of the 3 lines on the defense, the front 4 is the best-looking group. The slated starters should mesh together to become a fine group, with Cole and Tapp looking to become feared pass rushing team, and Patterson and Bunkley providing a solid force up the middle to allow the rest of the defense to make plays. On paper, it looks like it has the potential to become one of the better D-lines in the league. Now what is needed is depth at the position. Talent is all across the board this year at the two positions, and Juqua Parker and the two Notre Dame products might find themselves in a battle for their rosters spots due to the former's age situation and the latter's lack of production. Either way, the Eagles love to build in the trenches, and could use some depth and upgrades.

Level of urgency in Draft:

Moderate to High; early to mid round picks likely, to help with the rotation.

Names to Watch:

DE - Derrick Morgan (Georgia Tech), Everson Griffen (USC), Brandon Graham (Michigan), Jermaine Cunningham (Florida), Daniel Te'o-Nesheim (Washington), Jeffrey Fitzgerald (Kansas State), George Johnson (Rutgers), C.J. Wilson (East Carolina), Brandon Lang (Troy), Clifton Geathers (South Carolina), Kevin Basped (Nevada), James Ruffin (Northern Iowa), Brandon Deaderick (Alabama), O'Brien Schofield (Wisconsin), Dexter Davis (Arizona State)

DT - Jared Odrick (Penn State), Brian Price (UCLA), Linval Joseph (East Carolina), DT Jay Ross (East Carolina), Tyson Alualu (California), Lamarr Houston (Texas), Geno Atkins (Georgia), D'Anthony Smith (Louisiana Tech), Al Woods (LSU)

Linebackers:

Projected 2010 Starters - Moise Fokou (SAM), Stewart Bradley (MIKE - Injured), Akeem Jordan (WILL)

Backups - Alex Hall (SAM), Omar Gaither (MIKE), Joe Mays (MIKE)

Analysis:

An oft-maligned group, this is perhaps the one section in the entire Eagles team that the Eagles just have never really been able to get consistent production from...or consistent players, for that matter. Whether it be high draft picks just not simply performing, or injuries ravaging the Eagles LBs, the Eagles just haven't had much luck in recent memory with LBs. However, this young group does show promise, even if they are made up or relative unknowns for the time being; it all starts with how Stewart Bradley performs coming off his torn ACL. Fokou and Jordan did show promise during their starting stints last year, and can hopefully develop further in the upcoming offseason. As for the rest (Hall, Gaither, Mays), they're likely to stay on and perhaps be able to compete for playing time.

Level of urgency in Draft:

High; early pick in draft likely, to bolster the LB core.

Names to Watch:

LB - Sean Weatherspoon (Missouri), Daryl Washington (TCU), Navarrro Bowman (Penn State), Koa Misi (Utah), Eric Norwood (South Carolina), Dekoda Watson (Florida State), A.J. Edds (Iowa), Cameron Sheffield (Troy), Jason Beauchamp (UNLV), Stevenson Sylvester (Utah), Boris Lee (Troy)

Secondary:

Projected 2010 Starters - Asante Samuel (CB), Ellis Hobbs (CB), Quintin Mikell (SS), Macho Harris (FS)

Backups - Joselio Hanson (CB), Dimitri Patterson (CB), Geoffrey Pope (CB), Quintin Demps (SS), Marlin Jackson (FS)

Analysis:

My my, the times have changed, haven't they? If there's one area in the team that's seen drastic change, it's here in the secondary. Just a couple of years ago, we boasted perhaps one of the best backfields in the NFL, with a talented CB duo in Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown, and the one and only Brian Dawkins, All-World FS running the show. Ironic how the situations of the Eagles WR and CB units have, in essence, switched places. Anyways, only Asante Samuel really has any merit to being a starter in this CB unit; Ellis Hobbs and Joselio Hanson aren't entirely starter material, and Patterson and Pope are nothing more than backups. As for the Safety unit, it really isn't much better, if not worse than the CBs. Macho Harris has had difficulty adjusting to S, Quintin Mikell is probably average at best, Quintin Demps lost his starter status to Harris, and Marlin Jackson is coming off a...you guessed it, a Torn ACL (how many times have I mentioned Torn ACL in this write-up?). Again, the Eagles will need all the help they can get here.

Level of urgency in Draft:

*RED ALERT*; this secondary needs all the help it can get.

 Names to Watch (Pretty much anyone who plays in the backfield, really):

CB - Joe Haden (Florida), Kyle Wilson (Boise State), Devin McCourty (Rutgers), Kareem Jackson (Alabama), Jerome Murphy (South Florida), Brandon Ghee (Wake Forest), Amari Spievey (Iowa), Javier Arenas (Alabama), Donovan Warren (Michigan), Myron Lewis (Vanderbilt), Walter McFadden (Auburn), Crezdon Butler (Clemson)

S - Eric Berry (Tennessee), Earl Thomas (Texas), Nate Allen (South Florida), Major Wright (Florida), Morgan Burnett (Georgia Tech), Reshad Jones (Georgia), Larry Asante (Nebraska), Kam Chancellor (Virginia Tech), Darrell Stuckey (Kansas), T.J. Ward (Oregon), Myron Rolle (Florida State)

Special Teams:

Projected 2010 Starters - David Akers (K), Sav Rocca (P), Jon Dorenbos (LS)

Backups - Durant Brooks (P)

Analysis:

Well, not too much to mention here, save for the punter situation. David Akers is still one of the best kickers in the NFL, and he'll be around to see the "young guns" through. Jon Dorenbos is still the team's designated Long Snapper. Punter however, is a different story. Sav Rocca will probably find his way out the door after a terribly inconsistent 2009 campaign, and while Durant Brooks was signed, I don't see any reason why he'll be any better, considering he's been cut from 2 NFL teams already.

Level of urgency in Draft:

Relatively low; only one name the Eagles are looking at - Zoltan Mesko.

Name to Watch:

P - Zoltan Mesko (Michigan)

Team Needs (The Higher on the list, the higher the priority.)

1. Safety - As of right now, the team only has 4 Safeties. To summarize: one is a CB-in-college-turned-S who's never looked too comfortable as a Safety and may go back to being a CB, one is a former First Round pick CB who's coming off his second torn ACL in as many years, one is a solid-if-not-unspectacular SS who just simply "gets the job done", and the last one is a "fallen from grace" Safety who lost his job to the first person on the list and is best remembered for falling down on a Larry Fitzgerald touchdown during the '09 NFC Championship Game. Not exactly a quality group of players at a position once manned by one of the all-time greats at the position, in Brian Dawkins. Look for the Eagles to draft an impact Safety very early in the draft, most likely within the first 3 rounds, and I wouldn't be surprised at all if the Eagles moved up to take Eric Berry... at the right price, of course.

2. Cornerback - With Sheldon Brown gone, Asante Samuel is arguably the only starter on the team right now, as Ellis Hobbs and Joselio Hanson are better suited to backup roles, though they both have had starting experience at some point during their NFL careers. The Eagles need to get some premier CBs during the draft, as not only does the NFC East has a lot of young talent at the WR position (Austin, Nicks, Smith, Thomas, others), they are lacking severely in CB depth in general. I fully expect to see not one, but two high draft picks used on CBs in the upcoming Eagles draft, simply because not only have the Eagles done it before with Sheppard and Brown, word is that Asante Samuel just isn't working out very well with the Eagles, not to mention he'll be turning 30 this upcoming season...

3. Linebacker - Though not highly prioritized on the Eagles defensive scheme, if you take a look at the current Eagles LB group, only one of them was drafted higher than the 5th round ; 1 3rd Round Pick (Bradley), 1 5th Round Pick (Gaither), 1 6th Round Pick (Mays), 2 7th Round Picks (Fokou, Hall), and a UDFA (Jordan). In hindsight, you have to take a look at it and say that this group has exceeded expectations, if not flat out overachieved. Which is fine, but to be perfectly honest, I still feel that the Eagles could use some help at this position, since they lack an impact LB. One could make the case for Stewart Bradley, however, due to his unfortunate injury; he hasn't quite been able to establish his case. The Eagles will probably pick up a Linebacker early in the draft - I believe it will all be solely dependent on who's available at their picks.

4. Center - When Jamaal Jackson went down with injury, it created a chain effect where Nick Cole, who was the starting RG, was shifted to C, and Max Jean-Gilles, primarily a backup, was thrust into the role of starting RG. Unfortunately, we all became witness to the fallout that occurred, as the Offensive Line in general never really was the same. With that being the case, Jamaal Jackson is still expected to be gone for quite some time, considering that his injury was during week 16 of the NFL season. With Nick Cole not being the answer to Center, the Eagles will undoubtedly find someone via the draft, most likely in the early-to-mid rounds, to step in and compete for the Center job, and with any luck, win the starting job; thus allowing the rest of the line to shift back to their original positions.

5. Defensive End - Even though the Eagles have one of the best players at the position in Trent Cole and brought in Darryl Tapp from the Seahawks, the Eagles are relatively thin at a position where the Eagles like to have depth, since they have a tendency to rotate players at this position during games very frequently. With Juqua Parker getting long in the tooth and Victor Abiamiri not exactly living up to expectations so far, coupled with Andy Reid's innate love of drafting linemen, I would think that the Eagles are definitely interested in this year's Defensive End draft class, especially if you take into consideration how amazingly stacked this years' class is. With talent from top to bottom, expect the Eagles to draft some players at the position anywhere during the draft and jump right into the rotation.

6. Guard - Again, the need for this position stems from the fact that Max Jean-Gilles hasn't really become the player that the Eagles (and the fans, for that matter) had hoped he would become, and the fact that the move for Stacy Andrews never panned out the way that everyone had hoped. That being said, even if Nick Cole eventually moves back to his position at RG, I wouldn't qualify him as being a "great" player either. With only Todd Herremans providing any solidity at the position, the Eagles might draft another lineman altogether to compete for the RG spot. In my thought, the best situation would be the Eagles drafting an O-Line player early in the draft, who can play both C/G, and have him start at C, until Jackson returns; then slide him over to RG while Jackson takes back C.

7. Defensive Tackle - The Eagles really do like to rotate their Defensive Lineman. In reality, while 4 players seem like the perfect amount, in reality, the Eagles had 5, since Darren Howard was rotated in at DT as well, even though he was listed as a DE. With Howard gone, however, that leaves them with 4. Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley provide two solid, if not quiet starters at the position while Antonio Dixon looks to show some promise as a rotational player; which leaves Trevor Laws as the odd-man out. Like Abiamiri, Laws is another 2nd Round Notre Dame product that just hasn't been able to do much at all since joining the Eagles. With the DT position being deep this year as well, the Eagles will most likely draft someone in the mid-rounds to compete for the 4th spot in the rotation.

8. Quarterback - Kevin Kolb is the future for the Eagles, make no mistake about it. This is his team to lead now. Michael Vick is the lone backup for now, but I'm still not convinced that he'll be around come draft day; I still feel there is a distinct possibility that he could be traded to a QB needy team during the draft, if the right offer comes along. (I'm looking at you, Oakland.) Take into account that Vick wants to start again in the NFL, and there practically Zero chance of that happening here in Philly. With that, if Vick does get traded, that would leave Kolb as the only QB on the roster. The Eagles will most likely draft a "project" QB in the mid-rounds to groom, and maybe bring in a UDFA as well, as insurance just in case Kolb gets injured somewhere along the line.

9. Tight End - Another position where a backup is, in my estimation, necessary. Brent Celek is slowly emerging to make his mark and get into the conversation of "Elite TEs" in the NFL, but after that, it's a bit of a question mark. Cornelius Ingram is coming back from a torn ACL, his second in as many years, and although he's shown flashes of greatness in the off-season, the injury is cause for concern. The other TE on the roster, Martin Rucker, while having enjoyed a great career with the Missouri Tigers, is largely unproven here in the NFL, although I believe he has some talent. I think the Eagles will go out of their way to draft a TE, probably in the later rounds, to compete with Rucker as the 3rd TE on the team, and insurance just in case Cornelius Ingram goes down...again.

10. Punter - I should probably re-iterate: The Eagles really need to put an end to the "Aussie Experiment". Sav Rocca has just been way too inconsistent with his punting duties to justify keeping him on the roster. And what better way to continue to the youth movement than to nix the 36 year old and replace him with some young, fresh talent? Of course, there is another punter on the roster by the name of Durant Brooks, who did win the Ray Guy award in 2007...however, I'm inclined to believe that there is a reason that: A. Both the Redskins and Packers released him and B. The Eagles brought in Zoltan Mesko for private workouts. To me, it just seems all the more telling that the Eagles definitely intend to bring in Mesko with a late round draft choice.

11. Tackle - Of the positions on the offensive line, the Tackle spots actually have the most stability. Jason Peters, while he did have some struggles (especially with penalties), should still develop into our long-standing starter at LT. The surprise is Winston Justice, however, and how well he progressed during the season after he had been labeled a bust because of that fateful game against the rival Giants. With the starters set, the Eagles could use quality backup, however, since the once-great Shawn Andrews is no longer with the team (although, I wouldn't be surprised if he came back, considering the situation) and King Dunlap just isn't NFL material. The Eagles might bring in a late-round pick, or even a UDFA, but otherwise, players like Fenuki Tupou and Mike McGlynn will man the backup positions.

12. Running Back - LeSean McCoy, with a promising rookie campaign is now the full-fledged starter at running back. Behind him are Mike Bell, who looks to form a one-two combo with McCoy, Eldra Buckley, who was kept on the roster after beating Lorenzo Booker for the 3rd RB spot last year (not saying much), and Martell Mallett, CFL's rookie of the year last year. With the first two spots pretty much established, the Eagles don't have a pressing  need at the position, although there are some impressive names that can be found in the later rounds of the draft that the Eagles might pick up to compete with Buckley and Mallett for the 3rd and final RB spot on the roster, and maybe even compete with Mike Bell for the backup spot behind McCoy, if they impress.

13. Wide Receiver - Again, another position on the offense that is pretty much set, with the explosive DeSean Jackson and up-and-comer Jeremy Maclin as the starters. Depth isn't too much of an issue, as the Eagles have Jason Avant, a more than capable third option, Hank Baskett, who re-signed with the team and knows the Eagles offense, and Chad Hall, a former member of the USAF who had a productive college career. However, it looks like the Eagles are looking into getting a "tall" receiver, undoubtedly because Baskett isn't all that great of a receiver in the first place, even with his experience with the Eagles. A late round pick on a 6'2"+ is what the Eagles are most likely looking at, with the Eagles bringing in a few of those types of guys for private workouts.

14. Fullback - Not much needs to be said here, the Eagles have their starter for the next few years in Leonard Weaver, and shouldn't have a need to explore any options for bringing in a FB in the upcoming draft, since the Eagles also have a backup in Dwayne Wright, acquired via Free Agency. Moving along.

15. Kicker - Feels weird to say that David Akers is pretty much the only elder statesman remaining on the team, but with his performance last season, it's justifiable. He's still one of the best Kickers in the league, and should remain that way for at least a few more years. No draft pick needed.

16. Long Snapper - Well...Jon Dorenbos has the job pretty much...and he did get the Pro Bowl nod last season, so we're set.

Final thoughts on the current Eagles roster: The youth revolution is on, boys and girls. With veterans like Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook gone from the team, it's up to the DeSean Jackson-dubbed "young guns" to march out onto the field and prove to the world (and themselves) that they can compete with the big boys.

One thing I want to see from this youthfully injected team is confidence. Not to the point where it becomes unnecessary arrogance, but with such a young team, one thing that they are lacking is experience; not only experience in the NFL, but in working with each other. I feel it's necessary that they come out opening day firing on all cylinders, with a bit of swagger and a chip on their shoulders; not afraid of the challenges that will undoubtedly be set upon them once the season starts. The upcoming schedule won't be easy either, as we already know, with the Eagles having the 9th toughest overall schedule in the upcoming 2010 season, according to last years' W-L percentage, so there will be *plenty* of challenges. One thing I definitely think people need to look to is if and when this new Eagles team wins their first NFC East game. It's going to be incredibly important to see how the Eagles face up to the task of playing their rivals, since they will be playing them twice, possibly 3 times a season.

Another thing to point out is depth. If there's one thing the Eagles have done this off-season, it's getting rid of aging veterans. Thing about it is, it's not over yet. The draft is still looming next week, and with the influx of young talent that will undoubtedly come in on the defensive side of the ball, I wouldn't be surprised if players like Juqua Parker (31 years old) and Asante Samuel (29 years old) find themselves on different teams; not to mention players like Michael Vick (29 years old) and Sav Rocca (36 years old) also could be on the chopping/trading block. That being said, it has left the Eagles a bit thin on the overall roster - 57 people is not a lot, especially when you consider that teams have to trim down to 53 players come opening day. This current Eagles team would have 53 players, put 4 on the practice squad, and still have room for 3 more players. It's like the Eagles are doing the roster trimming now, not during the offseason training camps and what not. That has to say something about the players they cut, and the FO themselves; they undoubtedly had a plan to get younger this off-season, and so far, they've done exactly that.

With all this movement this offseason, my general thoughts on the draft - the Eagles will be VERY, and I repeat VERY active this year, which makes it all the more exciting for me, because as I've previously stated, I'm a huge draftnik. In a way, it's almost as if the FO had seen this whole thing coming...think about it. The past 2 years, the Eagles have been drafting mainly players on the offensive side of the ball. And now at this draft and with the sheer amount of picks they have, compounded with the possibility of wheeling and dealing come draft day, it's now the defense's turn to see the other half of the youth revolution; which is why it is imperative that the Eagles make the right moves and draft the right players when draft day rolls around. They will have little room for error this year, simply because the team just doesn't have the depth to back the team up in case any or multiple draft picks don't pan out (god forbid if that happens). Needless to say, this will be one hell of a draft...

As sort of a closing thought, allow me to say this. I don't believe this team is rebuilding at all; it's more or less a "reboot", if you will. It like this team is "restarting" all over again, but with key components already set in place; they're getting a fresh start, with young players ready to lead the Eagles into a brand new era - one with uncertainty, most certainly, but with all the promise and potential in the world. Go EAGLES!

*Ahem* If you've managed to make it this far, thank you for taking the time to check out my humble offering; hopefully I haven't been too redundant in the points I was trying to make, and hopefully my research has managed to bring some knowledge of what I believe, is going to be the Eagles 2010 Draft. With that, this concludes Part 1 of my Draft Guide. Stay tuned folks; coming up next in Part 2 will be the Mock Draft. It won't be just any mock draft however...you'll just have to stay tuned for it.

This is ChaoticEagle, out.