The Linc - NFC Personnel Man Weighs in on Eagles 2014 Draft

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An insider's view of Eagles' draft - Paul Domowitch, Daily News
"The best way to use [Marcus Smith] is to keep him on the move. Put him over a tight end or move him in a gap. Move him upfield. That's his game. His game is movement. It's not power. The Eagles obviously see him as a better fit for their scheme than we did for ours. We just couldn't figure out a position for him. He's got a good motor. He's a little stiff in the hips, but can bend the edge. He was overmatched in one-on-ones at the Senior Bowl. He has a huge upside as a rusher, though. He's an above-average athlete. He gives you speed off the corner and is explosive at the point of attack when he's moving."

Eagles notes: Pre-draft visits do indeed matter, and some thoughts on the OL - JimmyK, Philly.com
One of the rare spots on the Eagles' roster where they have some aging players is along their offensive line. Jason Peters and Evan Mathis are both 32, and Todd Herremans is 31. Because of age concerns there, it was expected that the Eagles would reload with some young offensive linemen in the draft. They did not, however, it's understandable why. In the 3rd round, there was a run on offensive linemen, which was kicked off by the Seahawks with the last pick in the 2nd round.

Three Roseman Leftovers - Tim McManus, Birds 24/7
How could Roseman be confident enough to offer a guarantee? Teams don’t make it a habit of disclosing their draft boards to the rest of the league. How could he know that Hart would fall to them in the fifth? We asked the general manager prior to the draft how they go about gathering that type of intel.

Are the Eagles set with backup quarterbacks? - John Gonzalez, CSN Philly
If Foles goes down at any point for any length of time -- and go ahead and knock whatever wood is in your immediate vicinity -- could Sanchez or Barkley keep them afloat or might the backups sink whatever hopes they have?

The Competition For O-Line Depth - Bo Wulf, PE.com
So how does the Eagles' depth along the offensive line look with the NFL Draft in the rearview? Despite internal expectations that the team might add an offensive lineman in the draft, one never stood atop the team's draft board when the Eagles were on the clock. But all four backup offensive linemen who were on the Eagles roster last season return, along with several other promising players.

NFL Teams Increasingly Hang on to Their Star Draftees | FiveThirtyEight
Where will the players drafted by the NFL over the past few days do the bulk of their professional work? If trends in the past two decades continue, the answer is with the team that drafted them.

Which Positions Teams Valued Most in the 2014 NFL Draft | FiveThirtyEight
The first pick of this year’s NFL Draft, Jadeveon Clowney, is a defensive end, and his selection marks the first time since 2006 that a defensive player was taken No. 1 overall. But does that mean teams put more emphasis on defensive prospects as a whole this year? And while we’re at it, how much did they invest in each position?

Despite NFL Draft stock, the star college running back isn't going away ... yet - Michael Bird, SB Nation
Whether the NFL values running backs highly or not, college football will keep going through its own trends and cycles.