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Roachie,

You are looking at it backwards.

When UT is playing Baylor and is up 52-3 at halftime, of course the other team is going to pass. This is a great example of who statistics can be skewed.

Nova -
Actually, no. You're looking at it backwards. Baylor, and all of the other team that I listed had very poor days passing against the horns. This means that the other, quality teams actually had more success passing against the horns than it would seem from the stats.

So, really, this is a great example of how misinterpretation of statistics can lead one to think that they're skewed.

Insert gratuitous insult to your intelligence and your alma mater here.

There was an article on exactly this topic (Horns secondary) in the local Austin paper today. Last year's team gave up the most passing yards and had the highest percentage of passes completed against them since they started keeping track in 1939.

That, my friends, is some serious suckiness no matter which way you attempt to look at it.

"Insert gratuitous insult to your intelligence and your alma mater here."

I am very hurt by this...

I'm surprised to see Leonard on the list, but he's the guy I'd love to see on the Eagles. Excellent FB, can get the tough yards, can catch and secures the ball. I think he's a perfect compliment to Westbrook and has a superb work ethic.

But alas, the Eagles resigned Buckholder and seem content with their FB. It's not a pressing neeed. I expect secondary with their first pick as well and for Leonard to be gone in the second round.

I can dream, though.

I don't know about Leonard.

I like the two fullbacks they have right now and Leonard seems like an Alstott kinda tweener who I'm not all that impressed. I think he could be an interesting weapon for a team, but I'm more interested in a pure running back with power than an interesting athlete.

BTW, if he pulls that Lleaping Leonard" nonsense in the NFL, he'll be broken in half.

A) Hope you arent considering Buck a FB.

B) I really like Lenny, and ABSOLUTELY see him as another Alstott, and for all the coach gets on not havin/utilizing the FB more- I submit that if he had a guy like an Alstott, you'd see a lot more Fullback.

Not suggesting they'd blow a low 1st on this kid, they wouldnt...

This list was put together in no particular order, off the top of my head in an email to BD & MIG is all.
Totally random.

Hope you arent considering Buck a FB.

Nah...Tapeh and Jason Davis.

I think Tapeh got better and better last year. I think Davis could be a good fullback if given the opportunity, but I think Tapeh will beat him out.

Leonard...I think he'd be a bad fullback and an interesting HB. That said, I just don't know if he's a special player.

You can get special players in the 2nd and 3rd round. I don't know if they need another "solid" guy they can use to "spread the ball around".

Not a knock on Leonard, if that makes any sense.

Id never suggest he is a 1st rounder for Philly, or anyone, but I think he'll do more than fine in the NFL for someone if used like Alstott.

It's all a crapshoot at this point, but I wouldn't use a 2nd round pick on him. I think someone will, but I wouldn't.

I think the 3rd round would be worth a shot, but I don't even know about the second. Who knows...

A)I wasn't considering Buck a FB... the point was that Leonard would be a FB AND fill Buck's role. In other words, if they drafted Leonard, I think he'd be a replacement for both Buck and Tapeh, to play FB and spell Westbrook and pound for shortyardage. Of course, the Eagles used a three-headed monster before. I don't see either Tapeh or Jason Davis as the workhorse Leonard could be. In fact, anytime they throw to Tapeh I cringe. 1. will he catch it? 2. will he get extra yards? Leonard will be doing both somewhere. Maybe I'm a Rutgers homer('96), but I'd love to see him doing it in Philly.

p.s. If he's still available at the eagle's second round pick and the Eagles don't pick him... I will cry a little inside.

from a few people i know, who sometimes know ...the FO really likes leonard, but think he'll get picked somewhere between where the birds pick 1 and 2.

decisions, decisions

and to nestsick

its nice to see another rutgers grad here. (80)

I think Tapeh got better and better last year. I think Davis could be a good fullback if given the opportunity, but I think Tapeh will beat him out.

f-d I agree I think he did a good job, and just like the O-line the more they practice and actually call running plays the better he will get blocking... I think the birds are fine at FB right now, as it's been said several times they won't pick a FB because they haven't used the position enough to warrant drafting for that position considering that they only have 6 picks this year.

by the way my draft day wish is the same as always, free beer

DRAFT PARTY TAT?

202/rt 1 HOOTERS in PA???

HELLO??

I'm about 75% sure I'll be there

I remember last year going to a bar to watch the draft, and asked the bartender at the "sports bar" to turn on the draft. That was followed by "What draft?"

Some things California can't replace.

Draft Coverage.

Is the NFL Network televising this year's draft independently (competing against ESPN) or will they be covering simultaneously or will they just broadcast the ESPN coverage?

I think I'd be all over draft coverage that excluded Mel Kiper and Berman's played out cliches.

NFL Network covered it independently last year, I presume they will again.

Just a few days before the draft and things are starting to heat up.

Some guys are rising, others are falling, and everyone is bluffing.

In the span of 12 hours last week I read 2 articles on Cnnsi.com regarding the draft. One was Tony Pauline and the other was Peter King, I think.

They were both doing pre-draft speculation and one article said Ted Ginn was falling like a rock after he had his private workout, didn't run well, and could barely run any of the drills/routes because his foot was still in bad shape. According to one of the scouts interviewed, "I don't even know why he bothered scheduling this given the condition he's in". The other said his stock was back on the rise now that he's a little healthier and did an adequate job at his private workout.

I read another article stating Michael bush is "99% healed". A day later, a different writer said Michael Bush was "still unable to work out for any teams and is late 1st/early 2nd day pick" at this point.

A third player of interest, Chris Houston, was listed on the "All Sleeper" team by one writer on CNNSI and listed on the "All Overrated" team by another CNNSI writer.

I've read this draft is rich with CBs and a CB with high potential may fall to the Eagles slot...a guy that would have gone higher other years. I read an article in passing today that stated the CB class was weak and some guys will end up going in the first round that would have been 2nd round picks in other years because of the weak talent pool.

I've heard Merriweather is a character risk because he "legally" shot at someone and stomped a face in during the Miami brawl last year. I've heard the gun incident was within his rights and justified and the brawl was an isolated incident. I also read he was the only person to issue a public apology and came off very well (from a character standpoint) in interviews. Some say he's a risk, some say he's a value.

I've read that Paul Posluzny is not athletic enough to play in the NFL and suggested he MAY be able to be a very solid player as a middle back in a 3-4, but any other spot would require more than he has to give. I've also read that Paul Posluzny will immediately help a team, will play for 10 years, and "you can't measure heart".

I've heard this linebacker class blows, other than a couple nice prospects, but I've also seen tons and tons of guys who appear to be underrated (Buster Davis, Jon Beason, David Harris, etc.) and it is the fastest group of linebackers, as a whole, to ever enter the NFL.

So, the long and short is NO ONE knows what the hell they are talking about. Really. This is a crazy crapshoot.

That said, I think it's time to revisit the guys we personally like and would look for in the draft, as well as any Eagles draft speculation.

Here are the guys I'm looking for right now based on where they sit:

1st Round: Merriweather. I think he fits what they look for in a safety (coverage specialist) and covered many WRs one on one as a safety on the slot OR on the outside as a corner. He can play in nickel/dime situations immediately and let Dawk take this kid and mold him. I'm worried about the character if they aren't and according to the little things you hear from scouts and NFL leaks, no one seems overly concerned with his character.

2nd round: Michael Bush. Take him before someone else does and give him a year if he's not ready. He will be 100% healthy (there's no reason to believe he won't) eventually and this guy was going to be a top 20 pick before a broken leg. if he's sitting there at the bottom of the second round, take him. For the next 4 or so years, you'll have potentially the best running back tandem in football to go along with one of the best offensive lines in football. That spells only good things.

3rd round: Best available player among CB, DE, LB, TE unless someone great happens to fall. I would look at guys like Quentin Moses, Josh Wilson, Justin Durant, HB Blades, Quincy Black, Buster Davis, Ben Patrick, Zach Miller, etc. Basically, look at who is there and take the guy with the highest ceiling.


I can't even speculate beyond the third round, but that's my bets guess as of today on where they might go.

Isn't Merriweather smallish? He is like 5'10 or something right? Plus I hear while he is a big hitter and a playmaker he likes to gamble alot and gives up big plays. How is that gonna translate in the pros. Some other scouts have mentionned he needs work on his technique, he tends to tackle high. As far as the second round I think the birds TE or LB with that pick. Sorry all you Leonard lovers out there.

I don't worry about the height, but just from looking at him it appears he'd probably benefit from some added weight.

With safeties in general, bigger doesn't seem to be better. Obviously you'd like them to be as big as possible, but if you look at a lot of the bigger safeties (Roy Williams, Michael Lewis, etc.) they continually get caught in coverage. I think the smaller guys (Dawk, Ed Reed, Troy Paaulomaolwoiuyoua, Bob Sanders, etc.). Now, not many would consider Dawk "small", but he's only 5'10" and was under 200 lbs. when he came into the league. Dawk's listed at 6', but that's a WWF 6'.

I just don't worry about the size too much with safeties. If you can get a physical freak like Sean Taylor who has both, that's obviously the preference, but he can't cover anyone either...

My visions for the draft:

Rd1 - Either Michael Griffin or Chris Houston

Rd2 - Tony Hunt. I just don't see Buckhalter surviving another year.

Rd3 - Quinn Pitcock. The guys stock is falling, but he is a load at DT.

Later Rounds - Kenny Scott, CB - GT
Anthony Arline, CB - Baylor (tall and fast)
Yamon Figures, WR - Kansas State
Rory Johnson, OLB - Missippi
Clark Harris, TE - Rutgers
Anthony Waters, LB - Clemson
Alan Ball, CB - Illinois (maybe a rookie FA)
Nick Leeson is a good long snapper from Virginia Tech and would be a great FA pick-up.

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