Pros and Cons of Philadelphia Eagles Using 1st Pick in Draft on LB

The Philadelphia Eagles' 2011 season was a monumental letdown. After signing one of the most heralded free-agent classes in the history of the game, most Eagles fans took making the playoffs as a foregone conclusion, expecting that if the team was going to let them down, it wouldn't be until at least mid-January.

Instead, the team's Super Bowl aspirations were on life support by October.

Hindsight is 20/20, but there were signs as early as mid-August that the 2011 Eagles were destined for disappointment.

In their first few preseason games, the Eagles' linebackers had performed so poorly that some began to feel it was only a matter of time before the team would trade for a veteran linebacker to stabilize the group. That trade never materialized, and the Eagles began the season with a group of linebackers that even the most casual fan could see had serious question marks.

Whether Andy Reid had misplaced confidence in his stable of linebackers as it stood or whether the team felt that their abundance of talent at other positions could cover up their deficiency at linebacker, we'll never know. But the result was an agonizing, frustrating and ultimately disappointing year for fans. 

As the NFL offseason begins in earnest, with free agency kicking off on March 13th and April's 2012 NFL Draft just weeks away, the Eagles' most pressing need hasn't changed since mid-August of last year.

The team is in dire need of new personnel at the linebacker position, and fans and experts alike expect the Eagles to use their first-round pick to address the issue.

But, with first-round picks regarded as among the most valuable assets a team can have in modern-NFL economics, is narrowing their focus to specifically target linebackers in the first-round of the draft the wisest decision for the Birds?

Here are the pros and cons of the Eagles spending their first-round pick on a linebacker.

Pro No. 1: Using 1st Pick on LB Addresses Biggest Need

One of the predominant philosophies in the NFL on how to approach the draft is to use your picks to address your team's biggest needs. If the Eagles are to follow this philosophy, then using their first pick on a linebacker would be by far the most effective use of their first-round pick.

The draft provides unfettered access to top talent. 

In the free-agent market, teams are at the mercy of the player. The player has the power of choice as to where he wants to play based on what is best for him, his family and his career.

No matter how badly a team may want a specific player, he may simply choose not to sign with them.

The draft, of course, is a different story. Teams are able to identify the top talent at their position of need and acquire the best available player who remains on the board.

By drafting a linebacker with their first-round pick, the Eagles would be addressing their biggest need by acquiring the best available talent at that position, therefore spending it on a player who will have the biggest possible impact on the quality of the team.

If the Eagles were to use the pick on a player at another position, such as wide receiver, they would not be making a very big impact on the quality of the team, as they are already set at the position.

A first-round linebacker, however, would come in and immediately compete for a starting job and represent an upgrade in talent at the position, therefore making the biggest improvement on the overall quality of the team.

Pro No. 2: Using 1st Pick on LB Would Be Cheaper Than Signing Top Free Agent

There are three means by which an NFL team can improve at any given position. They can draft a player, sign a free agent or make a trade.

Drafting a top talent to address a position of need is by far the most economical option.

The Eagles must make a marked improvement at the linebacker position. The caliber of free agent they would need to pursue in order to make the improvement would come at a price.

In today's salary cap era, teams can't rely on signing free agents as their sole means of improving. If the Eagles choose to sign a free-agent linebacker, it would limit their ability to make improvements elsewhere on the roster, as the salary of that player will inch them ever closer toward the cap ceiling. 

Trading for a top talent at linebacker would be expensive for the Birds as well. It would cost the team draft picks or established players.

Thanks to the collective bargaining agreement signed between the NFL Players Association and the NFL last summer, there exists a rookie wage scale in the NFL, limiting the cost of acquiring top talent.

Drafting a talented linebacker would be much cheaper for the Eagles than signing a top free agent, allowing the team to spend its money on retaining proven players in the future.

Pro No. 3: Draftees Are Long-Term Solutions

Another pro of drafting a top linebacker prospect is that it would be a long-term solution to the Eagles' problems at the position.

Draftees have their entire careers ahead of them. They can be molded by coaches to fit their specific system, and the NFL's free agency structure gives teams an opportunity to establish long-term relationships with the players they draft.

If the Eagles are to use their first-round pick on a linebacker, they would be getting a young player with his best years ahead of him. A free-agent linebacker, on the other hand, may have already seen his best years and a long-term deal could backfire.

Many fans have expressed their desire for the team to sign an available veteran like Stephen Tulloch.

The downside to solving their linebacker woes through that route is that a veteran like Tulloch doesn't have too many years left in the tank. He may only solve the Eagles' problems in the short term. Drafting a young linebacker would hopefully solve the problem for years to come.

Con No. 1: Draft Prospects Are Hit or Miss

Despite all the effort poured into college scouting these days, not all prospects are guaranteed to become solid NFL players. Physical talent is only half of what makes a good professional player, he needs to be mentally mature as well.

All too often, the pure talent that sustains a player in college is not enough in the pros, and if a prospect is not mentally ready for the pros, he will fizzle quickly.

The list of "can't-miss" prospects who turned out to be busts grows with every passing draft and, as such, spending a first-round pick does not guarantee that a team's need will necessarily be filled.

Brian Bosworth is probably the most famous example of a linebacker prospect who many thought would change the game. He never did live up to the hype.

Missing on a first-round pick can cripple a team for years. The Eagles must be careful in who they choose to spend their pick on.

Con No. 2: Draftees Need Time to Adjust to Pros

Rare is the draft pick who can step onto an NFL field and make an immediate, game-changing impact.

The Eagles need someone who can step into the starting lineup immediately and represent a marked improvement over last year's linebackers. If they rely on a draft pick to be that player, no matter how high the pick, he may simply not be ready. 

The differences between the college and professional levels are incredibly high. Schemes become more complex, the speed of the game is faster and everyone on the field is more talented.

Draft picks usually take time to develop into top players. With so much riding on the 2012 season, do the Eagles really want to place all of that responsibility on the shoulders of a rookie?

Con No. 3: Drafting an LB May Mean Leaving Far Better Talent on the Board

Another predominant draft philosophy is to draft the best available talent, regardless of position.

If the Eagles focus solely on drafting a linebacker, they may be passing on a future Hall of Famer at another position.

Every time an impact player slides down the draft board, when he finally develops into a perennial All-Pro, everyone looks back at the players taken above him and labels them busts.

When the Eagles drafted Brandon Graham in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft, they left Jason Pierre-Paul on the board for the rival New York Giants.

Guess who the Eagles would rather have now?

A player like Luke Kuechly may seem like a sure-fire prospect today, but what happens two years down the road when the defensive end the Eagles left on the board is tormenting quarterbacks around the league and Kuechly is an average LB or worse?

A narrow focus in the draft can hurt for years to come.