Despite being a phenomenal talent Taylor is nearing the end of his playing career and unless a trade rejuvenates his spirits, all recent indications have shown he is preparing for his post football days.  How much are the Eagles willing to give for a 1-2 year rental player?  The Eagles have stockpiled young talent on the defensive line including a plethora of hybrid ends and small linebackers.  Offseason additions of Chris Clemons, Bryan Smith, and a faster leaner Darren Howard beg the question if the Eagles need to go out and get the services of Taylor.

I say the Eagles should stay put and develop the young talent they have stockpiled at defensive end, to go with the veterans already there.  The Eagles are going to continue with their sizable line rotation to keep bodies fresh.

Feel free to leave your opinions on the matter and if you want to deal for Taylor what do you think is a fair value in giving to Miami in exchange for his services.

Also of note for those of you in the Philadelphia region. . .Hope to see you there

Theatre Exile presents a return engagement of The Philly Fan by Bruce Graham, starring Tom McCarthy, and directed by Joe Canuso. This one-man hit show is a hilarious romp through fifty years of Philly sports history as seen by a hard core fan used to watching sure-thing victories turn into “oh-my-God-they-blew-it” defeats.  June 10-15  at The Playground at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom Street.  Tickets are $25 - $50; call (215)922-4462 or visit www.ThePhillyFan.net.

It’s just. . .

66 days until rookies and select veterans report to training camp at Lehigh University

84 days until the opening pre-season game in Pittsburgh

90 days until the pre-season home opener against Carolina

114 days until the season opener with the Birds hosting St. Louis

GET EXCITED IT’S JUST AROUND THE CORNER!!

The few questions that people have been wondering revolve around Lito Sheppard and his future with the team. Lito seems to be the odd man out of the cornerback rotation and its a matter of when Lito will be gone rather than if he will be gone. Could Lito stay for the whole year and be traded in the off-season or will the team find a trading partner prior to the season? There are plenty of rumors floating around but for the most part seems to be speculation.

So I ask to the readers what do you think can be done. Can we afford to keep Lito and potentially have the locker room torn apart? Should we keep Lito for just one year and then try to move him or move him now? I’m interested in hearing your responses.

• To start things off, the Eagles absolutely robbed Carolina, getting a 2nd and 4th Rd. Pick this year and Carolina’s 1st next year. It’s time for us to start rooting against the Panthers.
• Then, even though they had traded down in to the mid-2nd round, they get an absolute force at DT, who will only help improve their D-Line rotation.
• Then, with their 2nd pick, in the 2nd round, they take the man most people expected them to take with the #19th Overall pick. If that’s not doing a hell of a job, then I don’t know what is.
• They also added a guy who, coming in to his Junior year, was perceived as the best CB in the nation. Problems off the field, and a knee injury, kept teams away, but if he recovers back to his true form, he is going to be one hell of a steal in the late rounds.
• Quintin Demps, Mike McGlynn and King Dunlap all could be viable starters in my eyes.
• I don’t know too much about Bryan Smith, but what I’ve heard is that he will most likely end up being a linebacker in the NFL. After looking up on him a little, he is quite undersized for a DE, but then again so is Trent Cole.
• Mike Gibson out of California could either become the next Jon Runyan, or the next Todd Herremans, we’ll hope for the first. No knock on Todd, but I’d prefer another Jon.
• I like Joe Mays, he may have been my favorite pick in the draft. He’s short, but he is an absolute tank when you look at him. He has the exact size and frame of Curtis Lofton out of Oklahoma and ran a slightly slower 40 time. Mays will be a force on special teams this year without a doubt.
• Andy Studebaker is this years Chris Gocong, he has virtually the same skill set and size as Gocong, and he comes from a small school where he racked up the sacks.

All in all, if I had to give the Eagles draft a grade, I’d give them a B+ to A-. They got a lot more talent than people are giving them credit for, and they also got Carolina’s 1st rounder next year, which could prove to be a pretty valuable pick depending on how the year plays out. So don’t panic Eagles fans, we know Andy does this every year, yet our picks, besides the WR position, always seem to pan out well. Now what do we have to look forward to? Training Camp.

• 3rd round 80 overall - DE Bryan Smith (McNeese State)
• 4th round 109 overall - OL Mike McGlynn (Pittsburgh)
• 4th round 117 overall - FS Quintin Demps (UTEP)
• 4th round 131 overall - CB Jack Ikegwuonu (Wisconsin)
• 6th round 184 overall - OG Mike Gibson (Cal)
• 6th round 200 overall - LB Joe Mays (North Dakota State)
• 6th round 203 overall - LB Andy Studebaker (Wheaton)
• 7th round 230 overall - OT King Dunlap (Auburn)

Bryan Smith out of McNeese State will be used as an edge rusher.  The Eagles have been committed to shoring up the defensive line with the additions of Clemons, Laws, and Smith.  Look for the Eagles to use a heavy defensive line rotation once again.

The Eagles were impressed with the versatility of OL Mike McGlynn.  Many believe he will project to an inside lineman after his  college career being at RT opposite Jeff Otah.

Versatility was the word once again with FS Quintin Demps.  He played all positions in the UTEP secondary in college and had the highest career interception totals coming out of college.  He is a bit raw but has incredible athleticism that should allow him to develop nicely behind current stand-out Brian Dawkins.  Also joining the secondary will be CB Jack Ikegwuonu who will be sidelined the entire 2008 season with an ACL injury.  Ikegwuonu is a first round talent that fell stemming from legal problems and his injury.  Ikegwuonu will sit out the 2008 season and compete for a spot in the secondary next season.

• The Eagles picked up a pair of lineman who will fight to make the roster or practice squad in Mike Gibson and King Dunlap. Joe Mays and Andy Studebaker are small college linebackers with upside but look for any immediate contribution to come in the form of special teams play.

• The Eagles traded the 19th overall selection to the Carolina Panthers for the 43rd overall selection (2nd round), 110th overall selection (4th round), and the Carolina Panthers 2009 1st rounder.
  • While it is tough to swallow two straight years without a first round pick it is very nice value to get a first for next year along with two picks later in the draft.  It was too early to reach for a WR and apparently the Birds were not as high on an available Jeff Otah as believed.  Eagles fans should be rooting for every team the Panthers face next year.

• The Eagles then traded the 115th overall selection (4th round) to Miami for RB Lorenzo Booker.
  • Low risk trade here with the excess amount of selections the team holds.  Booker is a very solid pass catching running back and that should give him a good opportunity to win the 3rd running back spot on a team with injury prone running backs.

• The Eagles then once again traded back in the draft trading the 43rd overall pick and the 152nd overall pick (5th round) to Minnesota for the 47th overall pick and the 117th overall pick (4th round)

• The Eagles finally made a selection at pick 47 of the 2nd round with Notre Dame’s DT Trevor Laws.
  • It is a typical Andy Reid selection and very tough to swallow for a fan base and offense clamoring for a play maker.  Many draft “experts” seem to like the pick and love his motor.  He seems like a non-stop guy and will be another rotation guy to help fill in for Patterson and Bunkley in the middle.

• The Eagles selected Cal’s WR DeSean Jackson with pick 49 of round 2.
  • This is the selection many Eagles fans wanted.  Jackson instantly upgrades a mediocre return game and could be the home run threat each time he touches the ball.  If he does nothing else besides become a top return guy, the pick is worth it.  Any contributions Jackson is able to make as a WR with his small build will be an added bonus.

Position: Outside Linebacker

Height: 6ft 2in

Weight: 241 lbs

40 Time: 4.54

Vertical: 42 in

20yd Shuttle: 4.38

Analysis: You knew that Keith Rivers would be something special when he donned the #55 jersey at USC. The likes of Junior Seau and Willie McGinest donned the same jersey, so Rivers had plenty to represent. A very highly recruited elite player out of Lake Mary High School in Florida, Rivers performed as soon as he got a chance to get on the field his Freshman year at USC. As a back-up at both the Defensive End and Weakside Linebacker positions, Rivers tallied 25 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a single interception. After taking the starting job as Weakside Linebacker his Sophomore year, Rivers performed adequately, not overly impressive throughout the season. He notched 52 tackles, a sack and an interception in 11 games, missing two due to a hamstring problem. Finally Rivers stepped out and proved to be a dominant force in his Junior year. He led the team in tackles with 85 and also recorded 2 sacks and 3 forced fumbles. He also racked up a plethora of All-Pac 10 awards from several media outlets, as well as All-American honorable mention. Once again Rivers proved to be an elite linebacker in the college ranks, tallying 78 total tackles and 3 fumble recoveries. He received several All-American honors and was a semifinalist for the Butkus award.

My Take: He’s athletic as all hell, he can hit hard and is one of the hardest working players on the field as he has extreme range from sideline to sideline. His problem is that he is too quick sometimes for his own good, he tends to overrun plays and not break down on his tackles. He’s very similar to a Cate June type linebacker who is more built for speed and coverage, rather than taking on the run. He could also stand to get in the weight room some more and put on some weight and muscle. The reason he is not a risk though, is because he’s got too much athleticism and potential to ever be a bust for whoever picks him. Due to this he is more likely to make an impact sooner rather than later.

Where He Will End Up (if not w/ the Eagles): The #10 Overall Pick to the New Orleans Saints. The Saints have a terrible defense, I mean terrible, and their corps of linebackers is the main problem. With a starting 3 of Scott Fujita, Scott Shanle and Dan Morgan, before the acquisition of Johnathan Vilma, they need an upgrade. Rivers is just that.

Next Up: Who They Will Take (In Our Eyes) & Who They Won’t

Position: Offensive Tackle

Height: 6ft 6in

Weight: 322 lbs

40 Time: 5.55

Bench Press(225): 27 reps

Analysis: Jeff Otah, the Nigerian native, did not start playing organized football until his final year of high school. Due to his late arrival to the football world, Otah attended Valley Forge Naval Academy for his freshman and sophomore years of eligibility in the NCAA. After his second year at Valley Forge, Otah, who was considered one of the premier JUCO offensive lineman, left for the University of Pittsburgh. In his very first season Otah started all 12 games for the Panthers, taking over a big hole on their O-Line. Otah did the same in his Senior year, in the process being named to the All Big East 1st Team and Pro Football Weekly’s All America Team.

My Take: Otah, more than any of the other “non-Long” Offensive Tackles, has the perfect NFL frame and athleticism. He also has tremendous versatility as he can play both Tackle spots, but is certainly agile and quick enough to play Guard. I for one believe that Otah has, possibly, the biggest upside of any offensive lineman in the entire draft and would be a steal at #19 (or later).

Where He Will Be (if not w/ the Eagles): The #18 Overall Pick to the Houston Texans. Houston has needed a Left Tackle since they were inaugurated in to the NFL, yet they still haven’t taken one in the first round. This year they have their chance, and it’d be foolish for them to pass it up.

Next Up: Keith Rivers, OLB, USC

Week 1: RAMS

Week 2: @ Cowboys

Week 3: STEELERS

Week 4: @ Bears

*The end of September hits the quarter pole and this is an interesting slate of game. Three conference games and one in the NFC East and add in the always tough Steelers. The traditionally slow starting Eagles start off with a Rams team in disarray, that is a must win out of the gates. Going to Dallas in primetime instead of late in the year like the past two years. Pittsburgh derailed the Birds perfect start back in 2004, but they come to the Linc for the Battle of the Keystone State. Can Devin Hester beat us?

Week 5: REDSKINS

Week 6: @ 49ers

Week 7: BYE

Week 8: FALCONS

*October is a crucial month for the Birds to position themselves. The three October games are all very winnable and I would frankly be surprised if they don’t win all three. Washington always plays tough but this is a home game and Washington once again will adjust to new coaching. San Francisco home, road, neutral site wherever should not put up points on the Eagles defense. The Falcons are a joke.

Week 9: @ Seahawks

Week 10: GIANTS

Week 11: @ Bengals

Week 12: @ Ravens

Week 13: CARDINALS

*No real easy games in this month. The three road games are in tough environments and are the only chances Cinci and Baltimore have at beating the Birds. The Giants game will be Sunday night on NBC. Arizona will be Thanksgiving night. I’m actually looking forward to the Eagles on Thanksgiving for a change, it’s been a while. Seattle will be very tough as they hold one of the toughest home field advantages in the league. This month is crucial to get by to set up a gauntlet waiting in December.

Week 14: @ Giants

Week 15: BROWNS

Week 16: @ Redskins

Week 17: COWBOYS

*NFC East football at its best when the weather goes downhill. Trips to the defending champion Giants and Skins are always tough. The Birds host a 10-win Cleveland team and the Cowboys to close the year. The Eagles need to position themselves well prior to December to give a little breathing room. They certainly do not want to be facing an uphill battle up the standings with this closing schedule.

Overview: The meat of the schedule is in the first and last month of the year. Many winnable games lie within the middle especially in a very soft three game slate in October. Four of the six NFC East games take place in these months and add in contests against tough squads like Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Devin Hester (Bears) and the schedule is not the hardest on paper as of now but certainly is no walk in the park.