I wanted to take some time to soak in the events of last weekend before commenting on the Eagles' draft. The overall consensus from the draft experts has been positive with the average grade probably coming in at a solid B. In my whole academic career I never scoffed at a B, and in some cases actually ended up shocked at the Professor's generosity. In this case I believe a B is under grading the Birds' performance. This draft was a definite change in direction for this organization, as most of the moves were directed at winning a championship, not just filling some holes in the roster. Starting with the trade for OT Jason Peters, the Eagles took a huge step over the past two weeks into becoming the odds on favorite to win the NFC. Here is my rational for such a bold statement.
First of all, even before the draft they were not that far away from being the favorite. Other than maybe the Giants, who else in the NFC would you say is a better team? Arizona is due to implode this season as most teams who lose the Superbowl do. Some have jumped on Chicago's bandwagon with the addition of Jay Cutler, but he still doesn't have anyone to throw to. I think both Atlanta and New Orleans will be better, but not enough to rise to the top. Dallas is still overrated, and has done absolutely nothing this off season to improve. There may be a surprise team or two out there like San Francisco or Washington, but that remains to be seen.
The main thing the Eagles accomplished in this draft was to go out and get playmakers. After last season's success of DeSean Jackson, the Birds looked for players who could make an immediate impact, not develop into a starter down the road. Jeremy Maclin will come in as the number two or three receiver with the ability to become number one by the end of the season. LeSean McCoy will get some touches the first offensive series in the first game, as the Eagles will find a way to utilize his talent right from the start. If TE Cornelius Ingram's knee is 100%, he to could be a starter by mid season. These three studs along with arguably the best offensive line in the league, will give Donovan McNabb all the weapons he needs to put a ton of points on the board. When he has the proper protection, no one is better than #5 spreading the ball around and moving up and down the field.
The Birds' defense still has a few question marks, especially in the backfield, but is still a solid unit overall. They came together at the end of last season, and with the exception of that last Cardinal drive in the NFC championship, were playing as good as anyone. The draft didn't yield any immediate impact players, but other than losing Brian Dawkins, they are basically the same group of players as last year.
Overall, this off season has made the Eagles a better team than the one that made it all the way to the NFC Championship game last year. There is no reason they should not be right back in that position this year. The only difference would be they are hosting the game at the Linc with another trip to the Superbowl on the line.
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