Top Ten Best Eagles Draft Picks - #10 Correll Buckhalter

by JasonB on Apr 18, 2011 12:00 PM EDT

Continuing the positive theme on the blog here today, we begin our series of the 10 best Eagles draft picks of the Andy Reid era. I actually found this list to be a lot tougher than the busts list. Fact is, it's easy to know when a guy stinks. If he rarely played, rarely produced, didn't last very long... it's a slam dunk case. He's a bust. But picking the ten best? Much tougher.

If a guy sticks around and contributes, then he wasn't a bad pick.... but how do you quantify a really good pick? Take a guy like Mike Patterson. Perfectly good football player, first round pick, has pretty much met expectations. Should he be on list? (Hint, he isnt). So without further ado... Here is #10.

Correll Buckhalter - 2001 - 4th round

Like I said, there are guys that were drafted higher and had better careers... but I think Buck deserves from recognition. This is a guy that overcame three separate major knee injuries and is still approaching his 10th year in the NFL. For almost any player, that's unheard of. For a RB, it's unthinkable. If we discount the three seasons he missed, Buckhalter provided the Eagles with five years of good service. He averaged just over 4.5 yards per carry in his time here, rushed for 18 TDs (including 8 in 2003), and caught 85 passes for four TDs.

For a fourth round pick to overcome everything he did and continually make an impact every time he played... I think he's deserving of a place on this list.

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<3 buck

by Manoovi on Apr 18, 2011 12:05 PM EDT reply actions

Buck was one of my favorite Eagles...

McCoy reminds me more of Buck and Westbrook… I’m hoping we can get that 1-2 punch like we did when Westy and Buck were here.

Defensive player of the year for 2011 is...

Wild_Eagle!

Yes, Wild_Eagle's infamous reputation did help him get this award. But he shows that he walks the talk that he serves...with his keyboard. Wild_Eagle protects the motherland (BGN) from the evils of noobs, douche-bags, and other assholes. Although he may be crude and unnecessary, all great defenders draws the yellow flag from time to time.

-Awarded by Number5

by wild_eagle on Apr 18, 2011 12:14 PM EDT reply actions

LeRell McWestbrook...sounds good to me

and when we make this list, 2 maybe 3 years out ( and knowing BGN during off seasons…we will). Shady’ll be on this list, if not already.

"(The) Only People Who Want 18 Games Are Those That Have Never Played ONE"
-Winston Justice
http://www.fearthefuture.net

by w-w-JJ-d on Apr 18, 2011 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes most likely

I mean McCoy seems to remind everybody of Westbrook, but people forgot Buck could catch and McCoy’s running style is more like his.

Defensive player of the year for 2011 is...

Wild_Eagle!

-Awarded by Number5

by wild_eagle on Apr 18, 2011 9:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Wasn't he almost kicked off the team his rookie year?

He was with two other rookies and they were busted for smoking pot in the city. I can’t remember the other dudes because they were let go. Between that incident and his injuries, I can’t believe the dude is still contributing in the NFL.

by DonnyD on Apr 18, 2011 12:20 PM EDT reply actions

Yes, I remember that.

I think the one dude was Darrell Crutchfield, a DB that never really caught on. Don’t remember the other guy. I think Buck learned his lesson from that.

by zoso7374 on Apr 18, 2011 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions

here is the article

Terrence Carrol was the other guy.

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/18/sports/plus-pro-football-eagles-top-rusher-is-suspended.html?src=pm

by zoso7374 on Apr 18, 2011 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions

That story broke on my 21st birthday. Now I know why the facts of that incident are a little fuzzy.

by DonnyD on Apr 18, 2011 12:51 PM EDT up reply actions

I loved Buck

And was sorry to see him go. He was definitely a great pick and a fantastic story of “overcoming” the odds.

by Jason-E on Apr 18, 2011 12:35 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

Buck will always be a favorite for me.

To not love a guy who overcame two devastating injuries and contributed in such an ego-less manner would be a crime. He is the type or hard working role player that fans always gravitate to.

by zoso7374 on Apr 18, 2011 12:42 PM EDT reply actions

question:
Is the round that a player was drafted part of the consideration? i mean…would player X be ranked higher if he was drafted in round 7 instead of round (N < 7) ?
Also, how much do expectations play a part here? like your blurb about patterson, if the player performs just to the level he was expected to, he doesnt make the list? seems a bit unfair to the guys that have higher expectations (fairly justified or not)

thanks

by RogerPodacter on Apr 18, 2011 1:23 PM EDT reply actions

Sure it is. I think expectations are a big part.

Don’t think of this really as an evaluation of the player, it’s an evaluation of the pick. If you pick a player in the 5th round that became a star, to me that’s a better pick than the first rounder who met expectations. It’s not a knock against the player in any way, just an evaluation of the value of the pick.

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by JasonB on Apr 18, 2011 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions

thanks, just trying to set my own expectations on the picks to come : )

by RogerPodacter on Apr 18, 2011 5:57 PM EDT up reply actions

can I say "duh"?

If a guy from the 1st round has an equal career as a guy from the 7th round, which was the better draft pick?

by Chris33hos on Apr 18, 2011 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Assuming the two players have equal careers, as you stated, i would say they were equal picks.
the plan is to get the best players possible, in any round.
if we are arguing just over the quality of the pick, IMO all that really matters is the end result – the career of that player.

now, i think your argument is more the “quality vs round picked” ratio.
or maybe better stated as the “value” of the pick
or the quality of the scouting teams to identify late round players that can produce.

whatever. like i said to jason above, i’m just trying to set my own expectations about the players to come.

by RogerPodacter on Apr 18, 2011 6:02 PM EDT up reply actions

so. . .

If I purchase an apple for a million dollars and purchase another for a penny, they’re equally delicious, and so (according to you) are equally good buys?

Heck, Correll Buckhalter should have been your first clue; unless you think Jason B is retarded in that he thinks Buck is one of the 10 best Eagles ever, (not including players acquired via free agency).

You should apologize to him right now.

by Chris33hos on Apr 18, 2011 6:14 PM EDT up reply actions

well, for one, its only the best eagles drafts of the andy reid era. you should read a little bit more closely before you decide to rip someone, funny guy.

we begin our series of the 10 best Eagles draft picks of the Andy Reid era.

now, seeing as how that limits the total pool of players, yes. i do think that is a valid option. why not? i’d be interested in seeing that. i dont know how many people we have drafted or how many years reid has coached without looking it up (11? 12?) but i would say 300 players would be an extreme high. pick the best 10 out of 300? that doesnt seem like a terrible chore, does it?

and since when were we worried about the cost of any of these players? if you draft a HOF player, who cares what round the pick was or how much you paid him (assuming you have enough money to still field a team, of course).

but hey, lets use your apples analogy. say there are thousands of apples to pick from and there are 32 people are picking them one at a time. if the first apple i pick tastes just as good as the tenth apple i pick, wouldnt they both be equally good picks? what do i care, they both taste great, right?

the “best” can be interpreted many different ways. i was simply trying to guage the direction of this list with a short and easy question.

by RogerPodacter on Apr 18, 2011 7:35 PM EDT up reply actions

If you paid $300 for one apple and $1 for another apple, and they were equally good; which apple is the better pick?

AR should have to wear a Flava Flav necklace until he learns how to manage a fucking clock.

by KByars on Apr 18, 2011 8:05 PM EDT up reply actions

lol um. i’d rather have the $1M apple that Chris33hos suggested. its probably made of gold or something.

by RogerPodacter on Apr 18, 2011 10:23 PM EDT up reply actions

I suppose you could argue that it was more important that you got your money’s worth for the more expensive one.

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by JasonB on Apr 19, 2011 10:48 AM EDT up reply actions

now, on topic….
loved buck as a player. he seemed to really fit the blue collar work ethic that we always seem to like out of our players.

buck, westy & duce for a year was a great thing to see!

by RogerPodacter on Apr 18, 2011 1:24 PM EDT reply actions

I almost spit out my drink the first time I saw Reid line them up in the Wishbone… Having the three of them was a lot of fun.

by 92-74-99-96 on Apr 18, 2011 4:10 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

curious
does mike patterson or broderick bunkley make your list?

Who's Been Eatin' Hummus?

She passed wind, excused herself, and sponged off in the corner as I sat dazed and confused...

by rajav on Apr 18, 2011 1:58 PM EDT reply actions

Couldn’t see Bunkley being even close to making this list. I’d think he’s closer to making the other list

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by SGTSteve on Apr 18, 2011 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Take a guy like Mike Patterson. Perfectly good football player, first round pick, has pretty much met expectations. Should he be on list? (Hint, he isnt).

; )

by RogerPodacter on Apr 18, 2011 6:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Defensive Linemen

Are very hard to quantify. A guy can have great metrics in a system that plays to his strengths and can be a mediocrity in a system that asks a player to do things that are not in his envelope. If you look at Warren Sapp in Tampa vs. Oakland you really get this picuture. (Yes, Sapp was older in Oakland, but still an extremely good player.) Especially in the past two years where two gap was emphasized in the defense, it made a player like Bunkley look mediocre. I personally think that Bunkley’s average play is a combination of his personal failures in picking up JJ’s defense and his being compelled to play in a system that did not play to his strengths. I think he would have been a better one gap player.

by Claudius on Apr 18, 2011 2:14 PM EDT reply actions

I miss that three headed attack with Staley, westy, and Buckhalter. 3 completely different styles of RBs.

"If I can get you to think twice, I'm in your head."
-Brian Dawkins

"Yeah, I like to hit people"
-Brandon Graham

by immynimmy on Apr 18, 2011 2:40 PM EDT reply actions

I just miss the days when we ran the ball...

by Jason-E on Apr 18, 2011 2:54 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

What could have been

if he had been healthy.

AR should have to wear a Flava Flav necklace until he learns how to manage a fucking clock.

by KByars on Apr 18, 2011 2:55 PM EDT reply actions

I remember after he got caught with the pot, some people started calling him "Bluntholder"

I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints, the sinners have much more fun. Billy Joel

by uhrsker on Apr 18, 2011 3:05 PM EDT reply actions

At first I was like, "Buck one of the top 10?!"

but then seeing that he was a 4th rounder he definitely deserves some recognition. I always thought he was underrated here.

Trent Cole #1? The value we got from that 5th rounder has to be unequaled.

Westy #2

McNabb #3.

My 2 cents.

by Chris33hos on Apr 18, 2011 4:33 PM EDT reply actions

He’s the 10th best pick? Really? I tend to think that Andy Reid has made 10 better picks than a guy who was never a full time starter.

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by d-jackfan10 on Apr 18, 2011 6:59 PM EDT reply actions

Buck?? Really??

I don’t think Andy EVER used Buck to his potential unless Westy was injured and Donny threw at least half a dozen wormburners first. I loved Buck and I was often pissed that they didn’t use him with Westy as a two-headed dragon.

The guy gets a TON of creds for coming back from those injuries and his few outstanding games, but I think a top ten pick has to be more than underused potential, it has to be someone who started and had impact regularly, you know, like Freddie Mitchell (Wink.)

by IggleGreen on Apr 18, 2011 7:18 PM EDT reply actions

Its funny

Another wrong prediction I had was I was a much bigger fan of Buck in Westbrooks rookie year. I loved his “cutter” style. I was never a big fan of favorite Duce staley although he was a blue collar dude and those kinda dudes thrive in philly. Im surprised you picked a back up rb as # 10….

JoeD AKA The Voice Of Reason

by Joe_D on Apr 18, 2011 7:25 PM EDT reply actions

I loved Buck. And it pissed me off to know end to see him make a great 20 yard run- and then never see him for the rest of the game.

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Phillies starting off well.

by bdawk4ever on Apr 19, 2011 11:44 AM EDT reply actions

I’m really glad Buckhalter’s on this list, he’s so underrated it’s not even funny, he’s still the best RB on the Bronco’s depth chart in my opinion and yet he gets next to no playing time because they want to make Moreno a success (was it them who signed Maroney too and gave him a ton of playing time?)

Definitely one of my favourite players since I started watching football, Dawkins and Buckhalter were so important for the Broncos in 2009.

by Brit Bill on Apr 20, 2011 6:02 AM EDT reply actions