NFL Draft Round-Up: Eagles and More

Like many Philadelphia Eagles fans I expected the team to use this draft to focus on the defense and the front office didn't disappoint. The Eags used their first 5 picks on defensive players upgrading the pass-rush with two defensive ends (Michigan's Brandon Graham and Washington's Daniel Te'o-Nasheim) and the secondary (USF safety Nate Allen and Kentucky CB Trevard Lindley). This team needed a serious face-lift on defense and I think they've spent this offseason doing just that. Along with acquisitions Darryl Tapp, Ernie Sims and Marlin Jackson, second-year defensive coordinator Sean McDermott will have his hands full evaluating talent for his re-vamped defensive unit in his first full year at the helm (after having the title of D Coordinator thrust upon him following Jim Johnson's passing last July).

The most intriguing move the Eagles made after the first round was to select Northwestern QB Mike Kafka in the 4th round. As the first offensive player the team took in this year's draft I was surprised at first but the more I think about it, the more I like the pick. The Kevin Kolb era has started in Philadelphia and head coach Andy Reid is smartly thinking ahead with his pick of Kafka. Backup QB Michael Vick is in the final year of his contract and I cannot possibly see a scenario where he plays 3 seasons for this team. I think Kafka will fit in perfectly as a developmental prospect and should be a reliable backup for year to come after Vick's likely departure.

All in all I am very happy with the way the team drafted. I also want to address a couple of other picks that I really agreed with; the Cincinnati Bengals selection of Texas WR Brandon Shipley and the New England Patriots choice of Bristol, CT's own TE Aaron Hernandez. Hernandez became Florida QB Tim Tebow's favorite weapon this past season and I feel he has the physical frame to develop in the NFL and become an effective blocker which will compliment his skills in the pass game that earned him the opportunity to be picked in the draft. Jordan Shipley almost single-handedly upset Alabama in the BCS National Championship game this past year and has never ceased to be productive for the Longhorns. He simply makes big plays at big times. I tip my cap to head coaches Marvin Lewis and Bill Bellichick for choosing football-players over "height-weight-speed" guys like the Oakland Raiders love to do. I'm predicting both Hernandez and Shipley will be Pro-Bowl caliber players in the NFL within the next 4 season.

Feel free to disagree...

ESPN Scouts Inc. Todd McShay on DE Brandon Graham

This pick just just keeps looking better and better to me. Can't wait to see this guy on the field. Here is ESPN Senior Analyst Todd McShay breaking down Brandon Graham.

NFL Draft Round 1: Eagles Select Brandon Graham; Tebow Goes 25th

The Philadelphia Eagles made a big move in thursday night's first round of the draft by trading up from pick 24 to 13 and selecting Michigan DE Brandon Graham. The Eagles are desperately in need of defensive playmakers and they got just that by taking Graham with their first pick. Graham was a monster playing OLB/DE in Ann Arbor and will be an instant force in the pass rush playing opposite Pro Bowler Trent Cole. Head Coach Andy Reid has spent the last few drafts assembling what should be one of the league's best offenses for years to come (WRs DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and Jason Avant, RB LeSean McCoy, TE Brent Celek and QB Kevin Kolb) and in all likelihood will focus solely on upgrading a defense that go run over by the Dallas Cowboys twice to end last season. The Eagles still have two second round picks to play with tonight so look for them to upgrade at the S or CB position. Frankly I would be surprised if the team drafted any offensive players at all with the possible exception of an offensive lineman to build depth. I feel the team is moving in the right direction and am excited to see the outcome of the rest of the draft.

One of the other big story lines from last night was the selection of Florida QB Tim Tebow in the first round by the Denver Broncos at number 25 overall, ahead of Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen (who almost every draft analyst ranked above Tebow). I think the early Tebow pick surprised a lot of people but I'm intrigued by the possibilities that Broncos Head Coach Josh McDaniels now has at his disposal. I think Tebow is going to get the chance to play QB at the NFL level and will need to use that opportunity to silence all of his critics. The biggest winner in all of this has to be Tebow himself; he'll get paid first-round money and can start his career on a talented team that has a chance to compete which will take the edge off of the steep learning curve expected of Rookie QBs.

I think moving the draft to prime time and spreading it out over 3 days was a great move by commissioner Roger Goodell. The first round last night lasted only 3 and a half hours and fans no have to chance to analyze their team's moves and get excited for the second and third round which will take place tonight.

Mets Try New Strategy: Good Starting Pitching - End 4 Game Losing Skid

New York Mets pitcher Mike Pelfrey threw 7 innings of shutout baseball thursday afternoon and low-and-behold the team beat the Colorado Rockies 5-0 to salvage the finale of a 3-game set. While perhaps depleted in regards to past season the Mets' offense has shown a degree of power and fight that was missing during the entirety of last year's disappointing season. However, despite being more aggressive at the plate the team has gotten off to a slow, 3 and 6 start thanks to a lack of production from the starting rotation. Thursday saw the first game in which a Mets pitcher lasted into the 7th inning this years after they had been one of only two team not to accomplish that feat in the first two weeks of the year. I'm glad the team was able to get a much needed win before they head into a tough weekend series with the St. Louis Cardinals but it is evident that for the Mets to be successful in 2010 they need more efforts like Pelfrey's (whose allowed only 2 runs in 13 innings of work while striking out 10) from the starting 5. Even stalwart ace Johan Santana has struggled out of the gate and the team has not been able to overcome the lack of pitching depth.

The silver lining to the team's slow start has been the stellar work of the bullpen which had helped expedite the Mets' late season collapses in recent years. General Manager Omar Minaya came to the conclusion during the offseason that the starting pitchers he had on his roster were better than the ones available in free agency and now that decision is being put to the test. Pelfrey is the only Mets starter to be on track in the early-goings and there is still plenty of time for Minaya to be proved correct. I can only hope that the team's season isn't jeopardized in the process (it's still early enough to be optimistic, even if you root for the Metropolitans).

Belated Final Word On Donovan McNabb

The biggest story that has emerged for the 7-month doldrum that is the NFL offseason has been the long anticipated trade of Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb away from the franchise that he had a great hand in resurrecting. That fact that McNabb was traded within the NFC East to the Washington Redskins makes the deal even more intriguing. For 11 years Eagles head coach Andy Reid and Donovan (whom Reid took with his first ever draft pick as the skipper of the Eagles, #2 overall in the '99 draft behind Tim Couch) have seemingly been joined at the hip but the time for the breaking of that fellowship has come in the eyes of many Philly fans.

I wrote about the end of the McNabb era earlier after the team's season ended after back-to-back embarrassing losses at the hands of Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys in '09. I had always believed that the 2009 season was McNabb last chance to win a Super Bowl in Phildadelphia but thanks to an undersized and depleted defense along with a "predictable" offense the team fell short despite a promising regular season. Although I was initially surprised when I found out Donovan had been traded to Washington I'm glad the Eagles' brass decided to honor McNabb's wishes to be traded to a team that had a chance to compete (rather than perennial bottom-feeders Oakland and Buffalo, which were rumored to be the most likely landing spots for the 6-time Pro Bowler) and were able to land 2 draft picks including the #37 overall pick in this upcoming draft. I think the team got a fair deal in the end and  like many Eagles fans I am excited for the Kevin Kolb era to begin in the city of Brotherly Love.

I got the chance to see a good sampling of Kolb early in the 2009 season after McNabb was forced to miss 2 games after breaking a rib in week 1. He has shown the ability to make every throw asked of an NFL QB and I believe the 3 seasons he spent learning and understanding the team's offense will benefit his transition to the starting role. During his collegiate career at the University of Houston Kolb proved to be a strong-armed, athletics passer that coach Reid believed (and has never wavered from that belief) was a perfect fit for the Eagles's offense who should be the future of the franchise. Taking over an offense laden with young, successful play-makers, the pressure will be on Kolb to produce in his first year at the helm. There is a lot I can say on the subject but in short I feel Kevin Kolb has paid his dues (I thoroughly disliked him until week 3 this year until he turned my head) and deserves the chance to show that he can win NFL football games. It seems simple but with many quarterbacks they either have what it takes to be a champion or they don't but you can only find out if they're given a shot.

(I am also very aware of the door I am opening for McNabb to come and beat the Eagles en route to an NFL title [as if he cares] because I also believe a fresh start with a new head coach will serve him well.)