April 19, 2017
In our "hour-long" Eagles chat, we only actually went an hour today instead of the usual 1:30 or so. Because we had to cut it short, there were a lot of good unanswered questions, which we'll cover in a couple of mailbags over the next two days.
Question from Kevin: So is it safe to say that Joe Mixon is off the board with the news the morning?
The "news" that Kevin is referring to is an accusation from a man who claimed that Mixon assaulted his daughter when he was in high school. That man later recanted his accusation and even said Mixon was welcome in his home anytime.
Mixon, of course, was captured on video brutally punching a female in the face, and has become as polarizing a draft prospect as there's been in recent memory. However, the high school accusation, which is separate from the widely-known video, is not new, and surely, the Eagles investigated it when they looked into Mixon's background. Mixon is not suddenly off the Eagles' draft board because the accusation resurfaced today.
According to a source, Mixon remains under consideration.
Question from bdbd20: Do you think Jamaal Charles is still in play?
I don't think he ever was.
Question from Jason: It's been reported that the Eagles have an interest in Reuben Foster, since they brought him in for a visit and all. So if they have a reported interest in Foster, then wouldn't they also have an interest in Haason Reddick too? Wouldn't they both play the WILL here? Foster may be the better overall player, but he also had a better supporting cast at Alabama. Reddick probably would offer a bit more as a pass rusher. They both seem to be similar type players, but is there a wide range of opinions on the 2?
Foster is much better prospect than Reddick, in my opinion. He is a player worthy of a top 10 selection, but could fall because of character concerns. As such, it would make sense for the Eagles to bring him into the NovaCare Complex with a focus on delving deeper into who he is as a person to determine if he would be a good fit for the locker room.
Reddick, in my view, while a very good player who I watched tear it up every day in practice at the Senior Bowl, is not worthy of the 14th-overall pick. As you noted, a strength of his is that he can get to the passer, especially considering he played some end at Temple. Unfortunately, that skill is wasted in the Eagles' defense. For example, there's an argument to be made that Mychal Kendricks' best skill is as a blitzer. Jim Schwartz blitzed Kendricks a grand total of 10 times last year. Both Reddick and Kendricks are probably better off in another system.
Question from Dude: Which FA pickup this year is most likely to be gone after one year, Torrey Smith, Chance Warmack, or someone else?
My bet would be CB Patrick Robinson.
Question from Hubert: Do you see Florida CB Teez Tabor sliding to the 3rd round?
In my Eagles 101-man 2017 NFL Draft board, I have Tabor as a fourth-round target, with the following explanation.
Tabor was a highly touted corner early in the draft process, but scored horribly in athletic testing. At the Combine, he ran a 4.62, and followed that up with a gross 4.75 at his pro day. Yeesh.
By comparison, Connor Barwin ran a 4.59. Mychal Kendricks ran a 4.47. Lane Johnson ran a 4.72! I don't know how you can play outside corner in the NFL at a 4.75. Maybe some team will really rely on the game tape over measurables, but I wouldn't touch him before round 4, and there's a good chance I'll like players available in round 4 more than Tabor when the Eagles are on the clock.
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