5 Creative Moves the Philadelphia Eagles Can Pull on Draft Day
If the 2015 NFL draft goes anything like the rest of this offseason has for the Philadelphia Eagles, it will be anything besides boring. At this point, people almost expect head coach Chip Kelly to get creative with his choices.
There’s no predicting what Kelly plans to do next, but it’s fair to imagine whatever he pulls off, it will be outside the box. That’s been the case with more of Philadelphia’s moves thus far, at least, and the surprises could well continue into draft weekend.
Obviously, there’s no way to predict exactly what the Eagles will do with their eight selections. However, the table has already been set for some wild action at the draft. Here are a few ideas for how Kelly can continue to keep the rest of the NFL guessing.
Trade Up for Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
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Here it is, Marcus Mariota truthers: my lone concession the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback could wind up in Philadelphia. It certainly would take plenty of creativity anyway, assuming Mariota isn’t going to last past the second overall selection, and certainly no later than sixth.
What would it take for the Eagles to jump from No. 20 into the top of the draft, with likely multiple bidders ahead of them trying to accomplish the same? Nobody knows for sure, but likely more than you think.
At minimum, it’s costing multiple first-round selections, plus additional compensation. That could be in the form of more picks and/or players. Washington paid three firsts and a second to go from No. 6 to No. 2 in 2012. We’re talking about potentially jumping from No. 20 to No. 2. It’s going to get expensive.
It may even take multiple trades to pull off. Philly could look to load up on picks from other teams in an attempt to climb the ladder.
Then again, Kelly admitted the Eagles “will never mortgage our future to go all the way to get someone like that,” via Reuben Frank for CSNPhilly.com, so it would seem this idea is pure fantasy. However, there are many who don’t believe the head coach, and there are even more who feel he should mortgage the future to land his quarterback out of Oregon.
One thing is for sure, if the Birds leap 14 to 18 spots on draft day, it will have taken a lot of finagling. Just don’t hold your breath.
Shaq Thompson, LB/S, Washington
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Pulling a creative move at the draft isn’t necessarily a lot of trading up or down or a bunch of other hocus-pocus. It can be as simple as making an out-of-the-box selection, such as a hybrid player without a defined position.
There are a lot of questions as to where Shaq Thompson will play at the next level. Some say linebacker, others believe he might be better suited for safety. For the Eagles, it may be both.
Philadelphia currently has a glaring hole at safety, where 2013 fifth-round pick Earl Wolff is the frontrunner to start at the moment. Thompson would potentially take over for Wolff in the club’s base defense but move up to linebacker in the dime package that’s used on third downs and obvious passing situations.
Thompson is 6’0”, 228 pounds with 4.64 speed. He may not be big enough to mix it up full-time in the middle of the field, nor fast enough that teams want him on an island in crucial situations.
That being said, Thompson is a playmaker, registering 233 tackles, 15.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, five interceptions—two returned for touchdowns—14 pass breakups and three forced fumbles in three seasons at the University of Washington. In the right scheme, he could really do some damage at the next level.
Perhaps it will be in Philly, as Rob Rang for CBSSports.com reports the Eagles either visited with or worked out Thompson.
Eric Rowe, CB/S, Utah
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Once again, we have a player who may not have a natural position in the NFL. Eric Rowe played safety for three seasons at Utah, recording two interceptions and 23 pass breakups. His senior year, Rowe switched to cornerback, where he picked off one pass and broke up 13 more.
Despite a strong season on the outside, Rowe tested with the safeties at the scouting combine. He was among the top performers at the position in literally every drill, so there’s no question about his athleticism. Rowe also possesses ideal size at 6’1”, 205 pounds.
So is he a corner or a safety? In Philadelphia, maybe both. Like Thompson, Rowe could immediately beat out Wolff for the starting job. However, in dime packages, Rowe could be deployed as the third or fourth cornerback on the field. Rowe could also potentially play corner full time if there’s an injury there.
The Eagles have been showing a ton of interest in Rowe throughout the predraft process. Draft insider Tony Pauline reports the Eagles held a workout for Rowe and had him in for an official visit, while Kelly was also spotted at Utah’s pro day. It may take a first-round pick to get him at this point, which some might call a reach, but Kelly does what he wants.
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Draft Another Outside Linebacker in Round 1
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Philadelphia appears set at outside linebacker with Connor Barwin and Brandon Graham patrolling the edges. The organization also used its first-round pick in 2014 on Marcus Smith, who also plays the position, if he can ever get on the field.
That being said, the Eagles are lacking anything in the way of established depth behind Barwin and Graham. Smith didn’t register so much as a tackle during his rookie year, Bryan Braman is purely a special teams contributor and Travis Long has yet to appear in an NFL regular-season game.
Clearly, the Birds could still use a little insurance at outside linebacker, and while investing yet another first-round choice there would be unconventional, it might not be the worst idea. As the old saying goes, you can never have too many pass-rushers.
As it turns out, the Eagles might actually be considering an outside linebacker at No. 20. Terez A. Paylor for The Kansas City Star reports an official visit with Missouri’s Shane Ray. Tim McManus of Philadelphia magazine says the same of UCLA’s Owa Odighizuwa. Pauline notes the Birds met with Alvin Dupree at Kentucky’s pro day.
Ray, Odighizuwa and Dupree are all likely first-round picks, which would suggest this is a real possibility for Philly’s selection. It would be unusual, but you can’t say it’s not a need.
Draft an Interior Linebacker, Trade Mychal Kendricks
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Most coaches would be content with Mychal Kendricks. He’s one of only three NFL linebackers with at least 8.0 sacks, three interceptions and five forced fumbles over the past two seasons. That’s a true playmaker right there.
Yet there’s plenty of reason to believe Kendricks is the odd man out of a crowded interior linebacker situation in Philadelphia. The club traded All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills for Kiko Alonso, then extended soon-to-be 31-year-old DeMeco Ryans’ contract. The team also signed Brad Jones and gets Najee Goode off of injured reserve for depth.
But what really spells Kendricks’ time possibly running out in Philly is the fact that the Eagles are also kicking the tires on some prospects in the draft. Most notably, Pauline reported an official predraft visit with Benardrick McKinney out of Mississippi State, a possible second-round pick. Shaq Thompson was also mentioned in an earlier slide.
If the Eagles take McKinney or Thompson, what could they possibly need with him, Alonso, Ryans and Kendricks?
At that point, you would think the Eagles would have already traded Kendricks, who can become a free agent next year. Even if the team is interested in re-signing him, why would a budding Pro Bowler want to stick around and be part of a complicated rotation?
It would be highly irregular to dump a quality, young talent, but the Eagles could trade Kendricks and draft his replacement now. It’s impossible to judge such a deal without knowing the return, but it certainly qualifies as creative.
All combine results via NFL.com.
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