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Eagles seven round mock draft, version 2.0 - JimmyK, Philly.com
Christian Jones has good size, he can run, he can cover, he can tackle, and he can rush the passer. Jones is a player the Eagles could put on the field, and just leave him there for the entire game. With two highly athletic linebackers in Jones and Kendricks, Billy Davis would be free to show a lot of exotic looks, using his ILBs in all kinds of assorted roles. With DeMeco Ryans slated to count for $6.9 million against the cap next season, expect the Eagles to address the ILB position in this draft, which is very deep.
The Corner Situation - Tommy Lawlor, Iggles Blitz
Some people feel the Eagles are now set at CB. They have starters Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher returning. They added Nolan Carroll in free agency. Brandon Boykin is already one of the better slot guys in the league. And Roc Carmichael is still a young guy in the mix. To some, that group seems pretty set. I’m not in that category.
5 stats that may explain DeSean's departure - Reuben Frank, CSN Philly
Jackson’s catches, targets and yards dropped significantly when Nick Foles replaced Michael Vick, and since Foles is going to be the Eagles’ quarterback moving forward, this is important. Jackson averaged 98 yards last year in games that Vick started and stayed healthy compared to 73 yards when Foles played the whole game. His targets dropped from 9.3 to 6.8 (including the playoff game and excluding the Giants game, when they both played). The second half of the year, once Foles became established as the starter, Jackson became less and less of a factor. He reached 60 yards in just one of the Eagles’ last six games.
Maclin Takes Center Stage - Tim McManus, Birds 24/7
Maclin has averaged 65 catches for north of 860 yards and seven touchdowns in his NFL career. He has yet to reach 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. He was charged with nine drops in 2012, according to Pro Football Focus. The argument can certainly be made that his numbers will shoot up in Kelly's offense, just as they did for Jackson and Riley Cooper last season. And even if the Eagles take a receiver in the draft, as expected, Maclin will still be the alpha dog in 2014 and is likely to get the majority of the targets.
A head-to-head look at the stats: Can Jeremy Maclin replace DeSean Jackson for the Eagles? - ESP, NJ.com
The Eagles already have replaced wide receiver DeSean Jackson with a first-round pick. They also have added one of the best free-agent wideouts available -- all before they even let Jackson go. And he's the same guy.
Replacing DeSean: The other guys, but mostly, a draft pick - Andrew Kulp, The700Level
That being said, there’s no denying the Eagles are suddenly very thin at wide receiver specifically. There’s no clear-cut No. 3 on the roster right now behind Maclin and Riley Cooper, and that’s not even accounting for what will happen if one of those two gets hurt. Note the use of the word "thin" though, not "devoid." There are a couple of in-house candidates for that third wideout spot in veterans Arrelious Benn and Brad Smith.
Why should Carolina Panthers be worried? Ask Donovan McNabb - ESPN
Former NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb is a big fan of Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. He's not a big fan of Carolina's free-agency strategy that left the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner without his top four wide receivers from last season. "Oh, I would be worried," McNabb told ESPN.com on Wednesday before South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney began his pro day. "First of all, I didn't have a top wide receiver until pretty much T.O. [Terrell Owens] got there.
These 10 drafts turned the fortunes for their franchises. | SportsonEarth.com, Mike Tanier
While the percentages are not encouraging, history provides many examples of NFL teams who grabbed a pair of impact players and ushered in a new era of glory. Let's count down a list of the biggest double first-round success stories, from the birth of the draft through a few years ago.