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There’s a new sheriff in Washington and he brought a new quarterback in to town to run the show. After a disappointing two-year run with Jim Zorn as head coach, flashy Redskins owner Daniel Snyder jettisoned him in the offseason and hired former Bronco coach Mike Shanahan to run football operations at Redskins Park.
Not long after, Shanahan engineered a trade to acquire perennial Pro Bowler Donovan McNabb from the Eagles for a 2009 second-round pick and either a third- or fourth-round pick in the 2011 draft. In June, the wheeling and dealing continued with the acquisition of former Saints left tackle Jammal Brown, giving the Redskins the potential for two solid starters at offensive tackle in Brown and 2010 first-round pick Trent Williams.
The moves figure to plug the main holes on offense, where the team suffered in 2009 because of poor blocking along the offensive line and a lack of big plays from quarterback Jason Campbell.
Shanahan brings an impressive array of offensive credentials to Washington. In Denver, his teams often featured great performances from running backs taken in the lower rounds of the draft as well as solid passing production, using plenty of roll-outs in his version of the West Coast offense. Despite his advancing age, McNabb remains a reasonably mobile player and figures to fit perfectly into Shanahan’s offensive system, which closely resembles the offense Andy Reid runs in Philadelphia.
At running back, the Redskins feature a trio of aging veteran runners. Incumbent starter Clinton Portis enters training camp as the prohibitive favorite to win the starting job. He struggled in 2009—suffering through an ankle injury and then a concussion that ended his season—finishing with career lows in rushing (494 yards) and touchdowns (only one).
Larry Johnson and Willie Parker were signed during the offseason to compete with Portis for playing time. Despite the presence of three veteran runners, none of them are considered excellent pass receivers, so whoever wins the starting role could see plenty of touches, by default, in 2010.
The Redskins remain interested in signing former Eagle Brian Westbrook, and his presence would likely result in the release of one or both of Johnson and Parker.
While McNabb is a nice fit at quarterback to run Shanahan’s offense, there is a lack of proven playmaking ability at wide receiver. Santana Moss is coming off a down year in 2009, in which he finished with 902 yards and only three touchdowns. His yards per reception has declined in each of the last five years, going from 18.6 in 2004 to 12.9 last season. Further complicating his outlook for 2010 is the offseason knee surgery he had and his name being linked to the Canadian doctor charged with providing athletes with human growth hormone.
Third-year receivers Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly will compete for the starting spot opposite Moss. However, both players have been disappointments thus far in their career.
The Redskins are loaded at tight end with Chris Cooley and Fred Davis manning the position. With Cooley out for nine games with an ankle injury, Davis played surprisingly well last year and is considered the team’s future at the position.
The Redskins offense figures to reach new heights in 2010 with the additions of Shanahan, McNabb, Brown, and Williams. However, the team will need rebound performances from their aging veteran runners and Moss—as well as another player to step up at receiver. Look for the Redskins to struggle on offense during the first few weeks of the year and to improve as the season progresses. Shanahan doesn’t seem to have enough parts in place to turn the Redskins into an offensive juggernaut during his first year in Washington.
McNabb had another solid season in 2009, finishing the year with over 3,500 passing yards and 22 touchdowns in just 14 starts with the Eagles. In Philadelphia, McNabb enjoyed the benefit of perhaps the league’s top young group of offensive skill position players. However, the Redskins offense features a number of aging veterans and yet-unproven youngsters at the skill positions. In addition, the Eagles ran a pass-heavy version of the West Coast offense, whereas Mike Shanahan’s version features far more emphasis on the running game. Simply put, McNabb will be hard pressed to match his production over the last few years during his first year in Washington. He enters the season as a borderline fantasy starter without much upside considering the Redskins offensive issues. There’s no getting around the fact there is a big drop-off in the talent surrounding him in Washington.
New head coach Mike Shanahan’s teams have a history of running the ball successfully, and although Portis wasn’t great last year before being injured, he wasn’t as bad as advertised. He had 494 rushing yards (averaging 4.0 per carry) during the team’s first seven games before suffering a concussion. Portis has earned the reputation of an aging, injury-prone player, but he will be 29 at the beginning of the season and didn’t miss a game through 2007 and 2008. He enters the year motivated to prove he has some gas left in the tank and to justify the large salary owed to him over the balance of his contract. Reports out of Washington indicate that he’s dropped 12 pounds in order to better fit into the team’s new zone blocking scheme. While that will help his cause, Portis will need to show some explosiveness to retain his starting position. Over the last couple of years, he has become more of an inside runner than the slasher he was earlier in his career. Nonetheless, Shanahan will run plenty in 2010, and Portis isn’t getting any fantasy love; so if there’s one Redskins player to gamble on, perhaps he is that guy.
Johnson signed with the Redskins in the offseason after being released by the Chiefs and finishing 2009 backing up Cedric Benson in Cincinnati. He has been promised a chance to start but will enter training camp second on the depth chart behind Clinton Portis. Provided he can supplant Portis, Johnson has the opportunity to have a bounce-back season in 2010. However, he looked old and slow for much of last year and will need to re-dedicate himself in order to earn significant playing time. Monitor the Redskins backfield situation in training camp and draft Johnson accordingly. The most likely scenario has Johnson earning a spot backing up Portis; and if that transpires, Johnson is worth taking a late-round flier on in your fantasy drafts.
Having lost his starting job in Pittsburgh to Rashard Mendenhall, Parker landed with the Redskins as a free agent this offseason. Despite being just 29, he seems to have lost a step and will have a difficult time cracking the Redskins roster. With Clinton Portis and Larry Johnson on board and former Bronco Ryan Torain providing younger legs at the position, Parker may be on the outside looking in on opening day. The Redskins are unlikely to keep more than three running backs on the roster, and the odds of them keeping three aging ones seems remote. Unless Parker can unseat Johnson, or an injury strikes at the position, Parker will likely be in a different uniform or out of the league in 2010. Don’t waste a roster spot on him.
Moss struggled in 2009 but has a chance to have a solid season this year with Donovan McNabb installed as the Redskins new starting quarterback. While Moss figures to get an opportunity to produce in 2010, there are serious questions about whether he will make the most of that opportunity. Was his lack of big plays (three touchdowns, 12.9 yards per reception, one 100-yard game) the result of poor quarterback play? Or is Moss simply slowing at thirty-one years of age? If it’s the latter, expect a fast decline in his play, since smaller wide receivers have more difficulty extending their careers. However, the more likely scenario is that Moss will produce another bounce-back season, continuing his history of following up a poor season with a good one. He figures to benefit from some garbage-time production on a Redskins squad that will need its defense to come up big in order to remain competitive. Draft Moss as a mid-tier WR3, but one who has upside as a WR2, provided he hasn’t lost a step. As is usually the case with Moss, the reward is there, but there’s plenty of risk as well.
It’s nice that Donovan McNabb is in town as Thomas enters his third season in the league, but it’s not so nice that the new Redskins management is loading up on journeyman, retread wide receivers. Despite having a pair of third-year players in Thomas and Malcolm Kelly, the Redskins added Bobby Wade and Joey Galloway as training camp approached—not exactly a sign of confidence in their youngsters. Of the two younger players, Thomas is the one worth taking a flier on, but he’s certainly not worth reaching for. Monitor his production in the preseason and move him up if it’s warranted. As it stands, he’s nothing more than a late-round pick in standard leagues.
Kelly hasn’t done much in two years, and the knock on him is that he doesn’t use his size to his advantage. With new head coach Mike Shanahan on board, Kelly gets a fresh start. But there are valid concerns that his attitude may get in the way of his making the most of the opportunity. At this point, Kelly shapes up as a backup on the outside, unless he can nail down the playbook in the slot as well. Given his prior lack of motivation, that seems improbable. This is likely his last year to pull it together. Kelly isn’t worth drafting in anything other than deep leagues.
Cooley is coming off a season in which he suffered an ankle injury that cost him all but seven games. He is a talented player and, at age twenty-seven, should bounce back. The Redskins have upgraded the talent at quarterback with Donovan McNabb, but Fred Davis is breathing down Cooley’s neck, courtesy of the solid production he had once he was inserted into the starting lineup when Cooley went down. Expect Cooley to retain the job, but Davis is too good not to be utilized. Cooley’s ankle injury from last season is of no concern in 2010 but, given Davis’ production last year, his number of touches is.
Davis stepped into the lineup for an injured Chris Cooley and put up surprisingly solid production as the team’s starting tight end. During the final six games of the season, Davis averaged nearly 10 fantasy points per game, courtesy of 25 receptions for 286 yards and five touchdowns. Davis played too well last year to be relegated to a strict backup role, especially considering the Redskins question marks at wide receiver. While his upside is limited in 2010 unless Cooley gets hurt again, he is a solid prospect in dynasty leagues.
Dave Stringer is a staff writer at FFToday.com, home of the popular Cheatsheet Compiler & Draft Buddy custom cheatsheet and draft tracking software.
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With the first offseason depth chart released by the team, Ryan O’Halloran of CSNWashington has provided us with some initial thoughts of who’s playing where (click HERE for the original article by Ryan O’Halloran). We’ve taken it upon ourselves to drop some of our own comments…
Kelly and Thomas Make Third-Team – If you’ve been following training camp, it’s really not all that surprising. Mike Shanahan has been quoted as saying that Santana Moss was the only proven starter, followed by the wheelchair bandit Joey Galloway, back-up Roydell Williams, and the unknown Anthony Armstrong.
Kelly has been hampered by injuries for a third straight season and Shanahan has no tolerance for shenanigans. Thomas, on the other hand, shows a bit more promise but has been surprisingly outworked by the 38-year-old Galloway. Probably more embarrassing than surprising.
Trent Williams Is The Only Rookie Listed As Starter – This is a good thing…we think. Williams has reportedly been throwing people around in one-on-one drills (sorry Curtis Gatewood) and he has earned his starting spot at left tackle. While the left side of the offensive line seems intact, the right side appears to be causing some uneasiness with the coaching staff.
It should also be noted that rookie linebacker Perry Riley (LSU) is on the second-team as a backup inside linebacker. Riley went somewhat overlooked in the Draft but he tends to have all that it takes to be a solid contributor.
Willie Parker Is Fourth RB Behind Portis, Johnson, and Torain – We don’t want to say that we told you so, but it was an early prediction that Willie Parker wouldn’t even make the team. With that being said, it’s no surprise that Parker is coming in on Ryan Torain’s coat tails.
Clinton Portis is the obvious starter going into this season, and we love the decision by coach Shanahan (read our Portis article HERE). Larry Johnson is the only real bruiser on the team and his second-team role was expected. The real ‘battle’, if you will, was amongst the veteran (and former speedster) Willie Parker and the young Ryan Torain.
Although the gap between Parker and Torain may not be that big, Torain’s main edge over the 30-year-old Parker is that he can contribute on special teams. It should also be mentioned that Shanahan is familiar with Torain from his first days with Denver.
This is the right move…just in case Shanahan gave a crap about our opinion.
Starting Defensive Line Of Carriker, Kemoeatu, and Golston – Yes! But before we mention the H-word, let us congratulate the three guys listed above who have worked their tales off to make the first-team. Kemoeatu is coming off of a torn Achilles, Carriker is looking for a revival, and Golston has been a workhorse from the beginning.
And now for the Haynesworth mention. That’s right, he’s on the second-team.
Although we have yet to even play a preseason game, it is nice to see that Albert Haynesworth isn’t getting anything easy. Haynesworth will be forced to work for a starting spot and he could play nose tackle OR defensive end.
Andre Carter Looks To Have Edge On Lorenzo Alexander – Another positional battle that ends with another expected result. Despite an outstanding camp for Alexander thus far, Andre Carter seems to present too much athleticism to pass up as the starter at left outside linebacker.
Alexander, like Golston, is a workhorse that will continue to receive playing time regardless of whether they’re on the first- or fifth-team. Unfortunately for Alexander, Andre Carter is a mutant.
Kareem Moore Ahead Of Reed Doughty At Free Safety – We don’t want to say it again, but we knew this would happen. Doughty may be a fan favorite because of a strong work ethic, but Kareem Moore is the clear favorite in this battle.
The Washington Redskins have the opportunity to pose a pretty threatening safety assault with the combination of LaRon Landry (now playing closer to the line), Chris “The Predator” Horton, and Kareem Moore.
First-Team Return Men Are Thomas (KO) and Buchanon (PR) – And this is where Devin Thomas becomes more valuable than fellow 2008 Draft pick Malcolm Kelly. While Kelly has the potential of a lengthy redzone target, Thomas can contribute immediately as a consistent special teams player.
And though you may have forgotten that the team signed Phillip Buchanon, the cornerback has no choice but to be an upgrade from Antwann Randle-El last season.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
The NFL and the Kingdom
Once upon a time, there was a kingdom in which teams of warriors from across the land met other teams of warriors in a fierce battle every week to ultimately determine which team would be declared champion for a year.
The champion would then receive a rare trophy named after a legendary battle wizard. Each hero would receive a unique and valuable ring symbolizing their great triumph. They would be lauded far and wide by every scribe and town crier. Parades would be given in their honor and fans would shower adulation on them wherever they went.
Though the risks to individual warriors were great—injuries were common with the toll of frequent battles and time limited their opportunity to compete to just a few short years—the rewards were great. The best warriors were paid a king’s ransom. Average warriors were paid more each year than a peasant could earn in a lifetime.
Young men far and wide dreamed of joining one of these teams. Some dreamed of glory, some dreamed of wealth, and some simply wanted to prove to themselves that they were worthy of being a part of the best team in the world. For most part, it was a little of each.
This annual competition was held under the auspices of a group of wealthy nobles that were granted a special charter by the king. They called themselves the NFL and they called the battles a sport.
These nobles, along with a special warrior-appointed commission dubbed the NFLPA, created the rules of the competition and decided how to divide the immense wealth generated by the fans who adored the competitions.
Pay The Piper
So popular was the sport, that the wealthy nobles persuaded peasants to build them grand stadiums and then fill the stadiums up every week with paying spectators under penalty of blacking out broadcasts of the game to other peasants who couldn’t afford to buy tickets.
As with every enterprise known to mankind, some people fell all over themselves to take advantage of the opportunity to profit from the popularity of a successful enterprise. The NFL and individual teams and players granted lucrative licenses to sell everything from exclusive broadcast and commercial rights, to hot dogs and beer and replica player jerseys, helmets and bobble-heads.
Private and public academies established to educate citizens of the kingdom were granted the right to use the services of young men who desired to earn the opportunity to compete in the NFL in exchange for simply waving grossly overvalued tuition, book, and room and board fees.
Many of these academies permitted NFL-bound “student-athletes” to remain eligible for their programs by taking courses that a fifth-grader could pass in order for these schools to continue to benefit from lucrative television contracts and fund other academy athletic programs that could never support themselves but were nevertheless mandated by the king.
Agents—The 3% Solution
Agents specialize in luring talented young warriors to one academy or another. Officially, recruiters are limited to offering prospects full-paid scholarships in exchange for doing battle and risking serious injury on behalf of an academy.
In reality, as we continue to see almost every year, Agents offer much more, especially to promising undereducated warrior-wannabes from impoverished and troubled backgrounds. There is good reason why these unscrupulous agents have been compared to “pimps.” Their primary inducements are cash, cars and clothes.
These Agents specialize in saying and doing anything to position their “talent” to obtain lucrative NFL contracts to collect a percentage of their future contract earnings.
How Much Money Is That?
In the NFL, if a player like Sam Bradford has a six year contract for $76 million, his agent stands to earn about $380,000 per year or $2.280 million over six years plus a percentage of any endorsement agreements. Not bad for spending a few weeks ever five or six years negotiating with an NFL team.
Of course Agents sometimes provide other services to clients as well. They can help market their clients or the products their client endorses. They are paid to be responsible for communications between their clients and team owners, managers and coaches and helping manage their client’s public relations. Sometimes they are responsible for managing a client’s finances, including investments, filing taxes and paying their bills.
Most Agents are simply specialized sport lawyers, who like other highly paid lawyers, have a team of much lowered paid staff supporting them.
You might think that similar to other legal specialties, there would be a lot of competition to represent NFL warriors, but you’d be wrong.
Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the NFL and the NFLPA, the union has the sole right to determine the number of Agents available for NFL warriors to choose from and the qualifications of those Agents.
The current CBA limits basic Agent fees to a maximum of 3% of a client warrior’s NFL team compensation. This is in addition of the requirement for every NFL warrior to pay the NFLPA annual dues (doubled in 2009 to $15,000/year) and other union fees and potential fines.
Because of the limited number of NFLPA-sanctioned Agents available to compete for NFL warriors, it’s very common for Agents to be in negotiations with several clients at one time before annual training camps begin.
Agents are naturally motivated to focus first and foremost on the deals that will earn them the most money, letting the concerns of other players and the needs of other teams languish in the meantime.
Additionally, the current situation creates clear conflict-of-interest problems that unscrupulous Agents are prone to exploit. The potential for an Agent representing multiple draft picks, for example, to manipulate contracts by playing one team’s signing and timing scenario against another’s for the Agent’s own benefit is relatively unchecked.
It’s simple for an Agent to appeal to a young warrior whose primary dream is quick riches and fame. To them, “Hey kid, look at the great warriors I represent. Look at the great office space that I work out of (that you’ll help pay for). Trust me. Stick with me, and I’ll make you a wealthy star” is an easy sell.
The much harder sell is to a quality warrior who knows that they will be successful and rich no matter who represents them as an Agent. How does an Agent convince this type of warrior to sign with them?
The Plot Thickens
Enter Ndamukong Suh.
By all accounts, Suh is a bright, very talented and dedicated young man from the House of Spears who graduated from Nebraska with a degree in construction management. Suh was a highly celebrated five year college football warrior who earned numerous awards and accolades. He is a modest, levelheaded young guy with a big heart.
There was no doubt at all that Suh would do very well in the NFL draft and become a very wealthy warrior. Every NFL agent in the kingdom competed to sign him. Why then did Suh agree to be represented by Eugene Parker’s Maximum Sports Management agency?
Scruples, maybe?
How could a guy who told Detroit fans, “I’m not a guy that likes to be a part of drama. I don’t even like being in the limelight, so I definitely don’t want to hold out.” Sign with an Agent who one esteemed contributor to the Bleacher Report, Mike Sudds, aptly referred to as “Eugene, the holdout machine?”
What might have induced Suh to sign with the infamous Agent who became even more of a reviled icon for foolhardiness by inducing San Francisco’s 2009 10th round overall pick, Michael Crabtree, to hold out until August to sign a deal and agree to terms that he could have easily obtained in July of that year?
One possibility might be that on April 17th 2010, big hearted Suh graciously announced a donation of $2.6 million to the University of Nebraska. $2 million to go to the Cornhuskers athletic department, and $600,000 to be used to create an endowed scholarship for the Nebraska College of Engineering.
And all of this, before Suh even sniffed his first NFL paycheck.
Could Parker have induced Suh to sign with him by suggesting this donation as a PR gambit, fronting the money and guaranteeing Suh an NFL contract that would cover the donation and still provide Suh with a record-earning contract for a second overall pick for a defensive lineman?
Revenge A Dish Best Served Cold?
After first overall 2010 NFL draft pick Sam Bradford and third overall draft pick Gerald McCoy were signed, many, many observers thought that a bracketed Suh signing would follow quickly. But it didn’t.
On August 1st, Mike Florio at PFT had this to say:
“Last year’s second overall pick, Rams tackle Jason Smith, received a contract with $21.975 million guaranteed at the time of signing (i.e. , that’s what he gets if he gets hit by a bus the next day), a post-option guarantee of $28.5675 million, and a post-one-timer guarantee (i.e. , not really a guarantee) of $33 million.
Even assuming that the one-timer will be earned, a 19.9 percent increase in guaranteed money over Smith’s deal would put Suh at $39.567 million guaranteed. If we were running the Lions, that’s the most we’d offer, since it represents the same percentage increase that Bradford received in comparison to Stafford’s deal.”
Makes great sense.
Now today, on August 3rd it’s being reported that Suh has agreed to end his four day holdout by inking a five year, $40 million guaranteed contract with a maximum value of $68 million.
The report, if correct, would have Suh earning more than what Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy got as the No. 3 overall pick from Tampa Bay (five years for $63 million, including $35 million guaranteed) but less that what Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford got (a six-year deal worth $78 million including $50 million in guaranteed money).
So why all the drama of the missed eight training practices for Suh when the outcome was so predictable?
Conspiracy theorists might point to the fact that Eugene Parker represented both Suh and Dallas’ 24th overall draft pick Dez Bryant. Surprisingly to some, Bryant signed with Dallas before training camp.
Some of them might remember that brand new Detroit GM Martin Mayhew fleeced Dallas owner Jerry Jones with a 2008 trade deal that sent the Lions a first, a third and a sixth round pick in exchange for Roy Williams and a seventh round pick.
How’s that working out so far for you Jerry?
Could it be that old Jerry worked out an arrangement with Eugenie to get a little revenge by having Parker hold Suh out of camp for a while? Just asking.
In Any Event, Three Things Are Clear
-A rookie pay scale should be established and most of the money the NFL owners save as a result should be allocated to veteran players who have already proven themselves; and to retired players upon whose backs the modern NFL was built. It’s time to stuff the league’s Eugene Parker’s back into their bottles and keep them there for good.
-The NFLPA must do a far better job of preventing potential NFL Agent conflict of interest situations from arising. NFL football is too great a game to tarnish by shady behind-the-scene deals.
-Anything that causes ticket prices to go up more than they already have will be bad for the game. Blackouts are a slap in the face to loyal fans who can’t afford to sit in the stands and root for their favorite team. Playing any Super Bowl in any foreign country would be an unforgivable insult to American fans and a huge economic loss to the American cities that would benefit by hosting the game.
Bottom Line
NFL fans ultimately pay all the bills. The NFL and NFLPA have together shown an alarming disregard for their fan base by allowing the cost of being a fan to spiral upward much faster than fan incomes have risen.
There is a rapidly shrinking sympathy among fans for either side of a potential 2011 strike/lockout (same thing, essentially) that pits multimillionaires against billionaires. The real challenge for the NFL/NFLPA is to begin to seriously rein in costs while still delivering quality weekly battles.
We are a nation of 300 million plus people. It wouldn’t be hard to find 1,696 unaffiliated players (32 teams times a 53 man roster) who are good enough for fans to get excited about watching that won’t cost a house and car payment or more every year to support.
After all, we flock to college football game every year.
Hey NFL/NFLPA get re-connected with your fan base again!
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
According to Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com, it is rumored that Ndamukong Suh is holding out because he wants more guaranteed money than Sam Bradford received from the St. Louis Rams.
If this is true, it will be the second year in a row that Eugene Parker has held out a rookie in hopes of getting him more money than players who were drafted earlier.
Last year, under Parker’s guidance, Michael Crabtree missed the first six weeks of the season. He ended up signing for the same money that the 49ers were originally offering. I commend the 49ers for not caving in, and I hope that the Lions will act in the same responsible way.
There is absolutely no reason why Suh should expect to get paid more than Bradford. This is so far off base that it serves as further proof that Eugene Parker is a buffoon. If Suh was taken No. 1, and Bradford No. 2, Bradford should still get paid more than Suh because of position premium.
This is what happened when quarterback Matt Ryan was drafted third overall by the Atlanta Falcons but received more money than the two players drafted ahead of him.
By all accounts, Suh is a bright person. This is why he needs to reel in Parker and agree to a contract that pays him less than Bradford but more than third overall pick Gerald McCoy.
The importance of getting a deal done quickly is magnified by the upcoming suspension of Tom Lewand. Lewand is scheduled to start serving his suspension on August 27. He serves as the lead contract negotiator for the Lions and needs to be present when such a big money contract is being negotiated.
My personal belief is that a deal will get done in the next few days. Suh has stated all along that he want to get to camp on time. He appears to be a man of his word and that will be put to the test in the next few days.
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With the announcement Tuesday that fifth-round pick wide receiver Riley Cooper is finally on board, the Eagles can now turn their attention to signing first-round pick Brandon Graham and second-round pick Nate Allen.
Allen, more than likely, will be the next guy to sign. Second-round picks don’t command a whole lot of money, and it’s basically just about figuring out the slotting.
Graham, on the other hand, could turn into a major pain.
The top-15 picks are always the hardest to get into camp. Graham recently made it seem like he wouldn’t mind holding out for a few days saying he’ll work hard at camp “when [he] gets there.”
That’s not exactly what the Birds want to hear from their first-round pick. They’d rather avoid a holdout for the second year in a row.
Jeremy Maclin only missed the first week or so of camp, but it was clear in the first month of the season the missed time affected him. Maclin could have been much more of a difference-maker much sooner and had an all-around better season.
Graham, selected six spots higher than Maclin, needs to learn from history and get to camp on time.
At least for Maclin, the competition at wide receiver wasn’t too steep.
For Graham, the competition at defensive end is always intense. The Eagles have overloaded on players. Graham could get pushed to the middle of the pack if he’s unable to get into camp on time.
Trent Cole has his spot on the right side locked down. Darryl Tapp, Juqua Parker, Victor Abiamiri, and Alex Hall are all going to be fighting for one spot, whether or not Graham is on the field.
That’s not exactly a group of All-Stars.
It is, however, a group defensive coordinator Sean McDermott likes enough that he’d feel comfortable keeping Graham on the bench if he feels he’s not mentally or physically ready to go by the time the season starts.
I’ve given my thoughts on the most recent signing, Riley Cooper, before.
It’s always interesting when a fifth-round pick can make such a stir in OTAs that everyone is talking about him knocking off a veteran the Eagles are familiar with like Hank Baskett.
I haven’t gotten a chance to see him in person yet, but you can bet I’ll be paying attention to him from the sidelines at training camp. He’s got the athletic ability that can translate into one hell of an NFL receiver, and the college highlights to back it up.
He might not win the fourth receiver spot as a rookie, but he’s going to be exciting to watch progress throughout the season.
Andy Reid has a history of hitting with fifth-round picks (Omar Gaither, Trent Cole, Brent Celek, and perhaps even Macho Harris and a guy with a lot of potential in Cornelius Ingram). Cooper looks like he could be next in line if he translates what he did in shorts in OTAs to pads in training camp.
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