Eagles News: Jason Kelce recognized as one of the best draft picks of the last decade

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The best NFL Draft picks of the last decade, by round - SB Nation
Sixth round: Jason Kelce, C, 2011. The Eagles took Kelce at 191 overall out of Cincinnati, and he’s been Philadelphia’s starting center ever since. He ranks first in consecutive starts (89) among active centers in the league, having not missed a start since 2014. Kelce is a three-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro. [BLG Note: Jalen Mills made honorable mention for the seventh round.]

Ranking the 32 Most Valuable NFL Draft Picks of the 21st Century - The Ringer
26. Jason Kelce. Kelce’s NFL career is nothing short of miraculous. At the 2011 combine, Kelce weighed 280 pounds. That ranks in the first percentile for all interior offensive linemen since 2000. Only two IOL were lighter over that span, and one of them was in the Air Force—which doesn’t count. Over time, Kelce learned to use that frame to his advantage. His movement skills and savvy as a run blocker form the backbone of the Eagles’ rushing offense. Kelce has been the league’s best center for the past few seasons, and the guy was drafted one spot ahead of a punter. Positional value is the only factor preventing Kelce from being higher on this list. If he were a wide receiver—or even a tackle—he’d shoot up significantly.

Don’t waste a draft pick on a 3rd string QB - BGN
Howie Roseman has previously said that he would like to keep a pipeline of young backup QBs. Last year the Eagles drafted Clayton Thorson, but he sucked and isn’t on the roster anymore so there’s an opportunity to bring in a new young QB. If that QB is an undrafted free agent, or a young veteran who got cut like Nate Sudfeld was, fine. But if the Eagles draft one, as they did Thorson, then they’ll be wasting a draft pick again. The idea of keeping a late round developmental QB around to work his way up to the #2 just doesn’t happen anymore. 30 QBs were drafted in the 5th to 7th rounds from 2011-2017, after three seasons only 2 were still on the team that drafted them: Tyrod Taylor and AJ McCarron, both of whom left in free agency after their fourth year for a chance to play. More often than not, teams carry two quarterbacks. If they need to add a third later in the season, there are plenty of in-season free agents to chose from. Carrying three QBs in case of emergency isn’t worth the roster spot.

Mailbag: What could the Eagles fetch in return in a Rasul Douglas trade? - PhillyVoice
It wasn’t hard to decode recent comments from Howie Roseman that Douglas is not worth $2,309,572 to the Eagles, as he is arguably sixth in the pecking order at corner. The Eagles will save $2,133,000 if they release or trade him. If Douglas isn’t worth that money to a CB-deficient team like the Eagles, then he’s probably not worth that to anyone else either. The belief here is that while there is no rush to do so, Douglas will eventually get released, unless the team suffers a bunch of injuries in training camp or something, whenever camp occurs. Of course, there’s always a chance some other team out there might be willing to overlook Douglas’ obvious lack of speed, and will value his size, ball skills, and tackling ability. If so, then maybe the Eagles can fetch a late-round pick.

A Favorite DB - Iggles Blitz
Forget about all the pretty boy wide receivers with their 4.3 speed and fancy TDs. Give me a phsychotic DB that wants to destroy everything in front of him and I’m one happy camper. If you don’t love Iowa safety Geno Stone, I’m not sure I can love you.

2020 NFL draft trade rumblings for late-Round 1 picks: Will teams trade up for Jordan Love, Jacob Eason? - ESPN+
Personnel evaluators like to say “pick your flavor” with the next crop of wide receivers behind Jeudy, Lamb and Ruggs. LSU’s Justin Jefferson, who is good in the slot but has experience on the outside, is probably the consensus No. 4 wide receiver in the class. But the options are seemingly endless. Tee Higgins out of Clemson is a classic outside threat. Brandon Aiyuk (Arizona State) provides run-after-catch flare, Baylor’s Denzel Mims is the raw talent with a high ceiling, Jalen Reagor (TCU) can do a little bit of everything and USC receiver Michael Pittman Jr. has size and ball skills. ”The Eagles have set things up to get Carson [Wentz] help through the draft, so I’ve got to think they will make it happen with a trade or straight up,” one AFC exec said. “They have to.”

Analyzing Draft Trades & Current GM Trends - Over The Cap
Howie Roseman, Philadelphia Eagles (10 Up, 12 Down). Howie Roseman wheels and deals around the Draft like nobodies business, accumulating more picks when smart to drop back and making moves up when called for. The Eagles are always a team to keep an eye on in the Draft, and this year is no different. At pick No. 21 in the first round, they’re in a pivotal spot that could call for a move in either direction depending how the board falls.

All you need to know about this week’s NFL Draft - PE.com
4. Free agency is not yet over, so the Eagles have a few days to make something happen if they desire. According to OverTheCap.com, the Eagles have in excess of $27 million remaining within the $198.2 million cap. A portion of that is going to be spent on the draft class, and the Eagles still have the opportunity to extend contracts of players on the current roster, but there are some still good players on the streets. It’s a buyer’s market, so if the Eagles want to add a player between now and Thursday, it’s right there for them to do so. Last year, remember, the Eagles agreed to terms with defensive tackle Tim Jernigan on a one-year deal on the first day of the draft. Trust me, Roseman is looking at every angle here.

Domo’s NFL mock draft: Justin Jefferson to Eagles with 21st pick - Inquirer
21. Eagles. Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU. This will be one of the easiest decisions Howie Roseman ever has made if Jefferson still is on the board at 21.

The best slot receivers available in the 2020 NFL Draft - Pro Football Network
Justin Jefferson rose to the occasion whenever he was asked to for LSU this past season. Sure, he had some help thanks to guys like Ja’Marr Chase, but Jefferson is such a solid player and an easy projection in the NFL. This is a guy who is savvy in his stems and works so well over the middle of the field with strong hands, large catch radius, and polished route running. His best place is most definitely in the slot, but I do think he can play on the boundary, depending on how good he is against press coverage. That was not shown all that much on film at LSU, but Jefferson did well in those limited reps. Still, Jefferson is just so solid and offers that big, reliable target from the slot that will be able to separate despite not having elite level athleticism for the position.

McGinn’s NFL Draft Series: Scouts on top running backs - The Athletic
11. ANTONIO GIBSON, Memphis (6-0 ½, 228, 4.41, 4): Gibson played two seasons in junior college and caught six passes as a backup WR in 2018 at Memphis before exploding for 12 TDs from scrimmage in ‘19. He moved from WR to RB late in the season, then played RB at the Senior Bowl. “The guy just came out of the blue,” said one scout. “The last two games they stuck him in the backfield and the guy just exploded. He looked extremely natural playing back there.” Gibson opened more eyes in Mobile, especially during the game. “You want to watch the Senior Bowl game,” another scout said. “He flashes speed. He’s got power. He can catch the ball. Will run a little high. Has to get that down. Will run aggressively inside. Has the feet to make defenders miss on inside runs. Huge ceiling.” Just 44 receptions and 33 carries in his career, and he scored 12 on the Wonderlic. “They had Tony Pollard the year before, and he kind of made a name for himself at Mobile,” said a third scout. “Gibson’s the same way. As a receiver this dude breaks a million tackles. If you draft him you need a really creative coordinator. He could end up being a better player than Jonathan Taylor.” Gibson is from Stockbridge, Ga.

2020 NFL Draft prospect profile: Jeremy Chinn S, Southern Illinois - Big Blue View
Chinn is the perfect example of a player with high upside coming from a small school. Teams won’t be willing to draft an FCS prospect in the first round, but Chinn could go quickly early in the second. What Chinn brings to the table is a physical prowess that makes him big enough to play in the box, but the speed to roam the secondary. While other safety prospects are further along in their ability to react and analyze plays, Chinn’s tools as a prospect make him hard to pass on. Like I’ve stated with every small school draft prospect I’ve evaluated, coming from a small school stands as Chinn’s biggest negative. His football IQ is not nearly as developed as some of the other prospects in this class. Chinn will need time to learn the game at a much higher level than the FCS before he can reach his potential and back the traits he has.

Report: Jaguars have had trade discussions involving running back Leonard Fournette - Big Cat Country
[BLG Note: Pass on giving up any kind of valuable assets for him.]

Chiefs should consider making a run at Leonard Fournette - PFT
Other potential options for Fournette that would have the potential ingredients to maximize his skills and minimize his potential disruptions would be the Steelers (who have struggled to replace Le’Veon Bell), the Eagles (despite Miles Sanders‘ aspirations to be another Christian McCaffrey), the Rams (who desperately need a post-Todd Gurley workhorse), the Buccaneers (#Tommy), and the Seahawks (who possibly would get in on the Fournette bidding just to keep him from the Rams).

Team fits for Jameis Winston; Panthers smart to pay McCaffrey? - NFL.com
Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott’s contract situation will eventually be resolved, but the Cowboys would be wise to add Winston to the roster as a valuable insurance policy against injury or an extended holdout. The veteran passer is a significant upgrade over current backup Cooper Rush. For Winston, it would give the former starter an opportunity to refine his mechanics under a respected offensive mind in Mike McCarthy. This would represent a win-win situation for the team and player, which makes it a situation worth considering for a franchise looking to vault into title contention in 2020.

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