The Linc - Brandin Cooks Isn't DeSean Jackson

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Back to Draft Talk - Tommy Lawlor, Iggles Blitz
Someone asked about replacing DeSean with a small receiver like Brandin Cooks. Wouldn’t that be dumb, since the Eagles just said they got rid of DeSean for football reasons. Cooks isn’t DeSean. Very different players. DeSean bulked up for the Combine and weighed 174 pounds. Cooks is 189, and that was probably going light so he would run well. Both players are 5-10, but Cooks is naturally thicker and stronger. DeSean is a finesse player. Cooks is more physical. Obviously he’s no Calvin Johnson, but for his size, Cooks is a tough guy. He is comfortable playing in traffic and taking hits. Just because players have a similar build doesn’t mean they are the same guy. We don’t know that Chip Kelly has interest in Cooks, but if the Eagles do take him, it won’t be a hypocritical move. Cooks and DeSean are different players.

Eagles seven-round mock draft, version 3.0 - JimmyK, Philly.com
2nd round: Troy Niklas, TE, Notre Dame (6'6, 270)
I know, I know... The Eagles already have good tight ends. The long-term viability of players in the NFL are often complete unknowns. However, one thing is a certainty -- NFL rosters have an incredible level of instability. Only 33.5% of NFL players who started their team's last game in 2011 started that same team's last game in 2013.

The Notebook: Is speed enough for Brandin Cooks? - Stephen White, SB Nation NFL
Brandin Cooks can burn up the track, but is there more to him than a 40 time? Retired NFL defensive end Stephen White wrestles with that question.

Cary Williams plans to hold his tongue more this season - Zach Berman, Inquirer
"I don't think I'm going to change much, but I think I'm going to be more wise with what I'm going to say," Williams said. "I'll think before I react and talk a lot more. But for the most part . . . I don't think I'll change too much. I'll just be Cary Williams."

Fairness Argument With DeSean a Tough Sell - Sheil Kapadia, Birds 24/7
The timing was curious, to say the least. At 12:05 p.m. on March 28, NJ.com published a story saying the Eagles were concerned with DeSean Jackson’s alleged ties to gang members. At 12:40, the Eagles sent out a 25-word statement saying they had released the wide receiver. And then silence. For 30 days. The strategy seemed obvious. Use the gang affiliation story as cover for what would be deemed a peculiar and unpopular decision by many. Yet the way the team's brass explains it, the Eagles were actually doing Jackson a favor by releasing him when they did.

The Pass Rush: What Is Next Step? - Dave Spadaro, PE.com
Bill Davis is light years ahead of where he was a year ago. His defensive system is in place, the players understand the jargon, and 2013 offered some real success. The next step, though, is critical for the D ...

Why Aren’t Teams Better At Drafting Now? — FootballPerspective.com
The NFL Draft has emerged from an afterthought to the center of the sports world every April spring. A cottage industry of draftniks has emerged. Teams spend more time, money, and other resources on scouting than ever before. Scouting departments have grown exponentially in both size and sophistication. The Draft used to be much less important, as evidenced by the way teams happily traded away future first round picks like they were fringe benefits. Over the last 45 years, teams should have become a lot better at drafting. But have they?

Khalil Mack, an unknown from Buffalo, is a top 10 pick in NFL draft | The MMQB with Peter King
Ignore all the Jadeveon Clowney talk. The NFL draft prospect most similar to Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor is Khalil Mack, a once-unheralded linebacker from the University at Buffalo who stepped right out of a scout’s dream