If you had to pick between running backs Christian McCaffrey and Dalvin Cook, which would you take? That was the topic proposed by CSNPhilly's own Rob Ellis during 97.5 The Fanatic's Monday afternoon show.
Ellis went with McCaffrey and his co-host Harry Mayes went with Cook.
(We've previously written about McCaffrey and Cook respectively).
Whether the Eagles should take a RB with the 14th overall selection has been a highly-debated topic.
Former Eagles running back Brain Westbrook weighed in on the posibility of the Birds going with McCaffrey in the first round late last week.
Westbrook made his weekly appearance last Friday on Mike Missanelli's show and talked about the comparison between his own game and McCaffrey's.
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ESPN's NFL insider Adam Schefter was quoted as saying that McCaffrey was the "2017 Brian Westbrook" when interviewed on the Fanatic's morning show last Friday. Schefter added that McCaffrey is a "can't miss" prospect and a "jack knife in the back field."
Westbrook seemingly got a kick out of that, but he's not sold on the value McCaffrey would provide at the 14th-overall selection.
"First off, I like the fact that Christian McCaffrey is a versatile back," Westbrook said on Missanelli's show. "Here's the thing that I think a lot of people continue to lean on. He's able to return kicks. Kickoffs and punts. He's able to line up out of the backfield as at the wide receiver position. And catch the football, run routes, things like that.
"And he's able to run in between the tackles and outside of the tackles. Those are all good things. If you're picking him at the 14th pick and he's your starting running back, then he's not going to be returning kicks. So you don't need him to do that. So that's part of his versatility that won't be used, so I understand that."
Westbrook went in depth on why McCaffrey's ability to line up at the slot would not benefit the Eagles the same way it used to benefit himself in Andy Reid's offense.
"Running routes and things like that, that's something you could use," Westbrook said. "That's something through the season you could use. Here's the only thing, I think Andy Reid used us in a bit of a different way. Andy Reid would bring in myself and (Correll) Buckhalter at the same time. So if I was lined up out in the slot they still had to respect Correll Buckhalter as a running back. At some point if you continue to bring McCaffrey in as just a slot-type of receiver, then you will start to draw cornerbacks to guard him and I don't know if that is a winning situation anymore.
"I really think you need a guy that is dedicated to running the football 20 times a game. And I'm not saying McCaffrey isn't. I'm just not 100 percent sure on that. And the more and more I watch film I'll get a better idea. I haven't gotten that over-whelming feel that he's your man at 14."
McCaffrey would make sense if the organization is looking to replace Darren Sproles who is set to retire after the 2017 season -- Sproles was not a first-round pick, though. But the organization might want to heed the words of Westbrook as the Eagles need a true three-down back.
You can listen to the full audio of Westbrook and Mikey Miss here.
