Remember that month where no one wanted to talk about the Eagles?
Yeah, that's long gone. The evidence is in the abundance of questions we received for the mailbag this week. We got so many we split them up into three different installments.
Part 1 looked at Dalvin Cook, corners in the draft and backup quarterbacks.
Part 2 looked at possible surprises at 14, John Ross and the team's starting corners.
Today, there are plenty more great topics. Let's hop in:
@DZangaroCSN how comfortable to you feel with the DL today? Considering it was our so called strength last year— Matthew Werner (@ms_doubleu) March 14, 2017
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It's funny. That was the talk all last offseason, about how the defensive line was going to be the strength. Fletcher Cox told me that unit really needed to lead the way. But was it really a strength? At times, sure. Cox had a good season and so did Brandon Graham. At other times, though, the defensive line was a disappointment.
Now, the team has lost two of its four starters on the defensive line. That's definitely a concern. Beau Allen is a decent player, but he just isn't as good as Bennie Logan. And while Connor Barwin didn't have an extremely productive season, Vinny Curry didn't do anything to instill confidence as a starter.
So to answer the question, fans shouldn't feel very comfortable right now. While everyone has been looking at this draft as a chance to get receivers and corners, the Eagles really need help on the edge and at interior defensive line.
(Although, I'm higher than most on the two undrafted DTs the Eagles got last year -- Destiny Vaeao and Aziz Shittu.)
@DZangaroCSN @CSNPhilly what's the possibility of taking Joe mixon in 2nd rd?— jamil king (@610mil) March 14, 2017
I'm honestly not sure what the Eagles are thinking when it comes to Mixon. We all know he's talented, but we also know why some teams are going to have him completely off their draft boards.
Some teams have hard stances on this type of thing. Basically, hit a woman and you're not going to be a member of this team. It doesn't seem like the Eagles have any kind of set-in-stone rules. They choose to go case-by-case with players.
And last offseason, they proved that they'll overlook some off-the-field concerns to find value in a player. In fact, last year they drafted Jalen Mills, who had allegedly struck a woman. But there was no video or evidence in that case. There is with Mixon.
This question will likely come up if reporters get to speak to Jeff Lurie at the owners meetings later this month.
@DZangaroCSN @CSNPhilly Curtis Samuel in the 4th?— The Mauve Avenger (@The_BuenoLife) March 14, 2017
I have a feeling Samuel is going to be gone by this point. I'm not sure if this Eagles staff would be able to get the most out of him. He could be a truly dynamic weapon if he goes to the right offense.
@DZangaroCSN Who are your top 5 cbs in this draft?— jason santino (@J_Santino13) March 14, 2017
Sidney Jones would have been first on this list but his Achilles injury was huge. For that reason, I'm taking him completely off this list. These are my rankings:
1. Marshon Lattimore
2. Tre'Davious White
3. Marlon Humphrey
4. Quincy Wilson
5. Fabian Moreau
@DZangaroCSN is Agholor done here?— Brad (@braddystax) March 14, 2017
Nope. Thanks to the structure of Agholor's standard rookie deal, it would actually hurt his cap number to cut him. That means he'll be back in 2017. The good news is he won't have the same prominent role because of Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith. Maybe he can at least become a role player. The problem is that he doesn't contribute on special teams.
@DZangaroCSN Do you think O.J. Howard is an option for Eagles if he makes it to 14? I think he will be more impactful than the 2017 WRs.— Philly808 (@a2khawaii) March 14, 2017
I think the Eagles would be foolish to completely rule him out because they don't need a tight end. I know they have Zach Ertz and Brent Celek and Trey Burton, but only Ertz is in Philly long-term as of now. And are Celek and Burton real reasons to ignore a huge impact player.
There's actually a chance the Eagles won't have a decision to make, that Howard will be gone by the time they're on the board at 14. But if he isn't, it's not crazy to think about it.
