March 31, 2017
Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey is like a bigger Brian Westbrook. Or Reggie Bush. Or whatever other running back can catch the ball and be a factor on special teams.
During our weekly Eagles chat, there were a lot of questions that I couldn't get to in time as well as some recent unanswered email, so let's do a chat overflow mailbag post.
Question from Bock: I’ve seen some comparisons of Christian McCaffrey to Brian Westbrook. Do you see it?
Yes, and it's a comparison that even I have made, way back in June of last year. He can run, he can catch, and he can return kicks and punts, so you don't have to squint too hard to make that connection.
My friend Tommy Lawlor compared him recently to Reggie Bush. I think that's a good comparison as well. Tommy wrote a longer article about McCaffrey that's worth a look. He came to the conclusion that McCaffrey is not worth the 14th overall pick, which is an opinion I agree with.
Question from Hinkie: Hey Jimmy - Dougie P question for you here. It seems like contrary to most people's opinions, but I actually liked what he did last year. The players seem to like him, I loved the aggressiveness (most of the time), and generally speaking I think he got the most out of a fairly untalented offense. There were obviously struggles and flashbacks to Andy Reid with questionable time management and play-calling. In your opinion, what kind of growth do we need to see from Doug to feel confident in him as the "right" coach to win, or cement himself as a "top" coach in the NFL? What growth should we be hoping for this year?
I couldn't possibly agree more that Pederson does not get anywhere near the level of respect that he should for the job he did last year. I'll even take it a step further by saying his play calling was generally very good. I thought he called a bad game (from both a play calling and game management perspective) against the Cowboys in Dallas last year, but otherwise, this notion that he cost them games a year ago is flat out ignorant. And let's not forget the job he has done so far bringing Carson Wentz along.
In 2017, I think you need to see growth from Wentz. Expectations for the offense will rise with some legitimate weapons being added to the mix, and I think Doug has the chance to shine with some actual talent.
Question from J: Do you think the Eagles can make a 1st round pick that 100% of the media and fan base will agree on?
Outside of Myles Garrett falling to the Eagles at 14, no. And you know what? Someone would even find a way to complain about that.
Question from Chris: Byron Maxwell, DeMarco Murray, and Kiko Alonso all had good years last year. Vinny Curry, Lane Johnson, Brent Celek, and Zach Ertz (four players who received contract extensions) did not. Why does no reporter bring this up when they all fill positions we now need in the draft?
No reporters bring that up because it's a bad point. ;)
All three of those players sucked in Philly, and two of them had terrible contracts. Meanwhile, the Eagles turned Maxwell and Alonso into trade chips that ultimately allowed them to draft Carson Wentz.
Also, of the Eagles examples you gave, only Curry played poorly. Johnson was the best RT in football when he played, Ertz (while frustrating at times because of his aversion to contact) is unquestionably a legitimate weapon in the passing game, and Celek took a pay cut.
Question from Arby1: Why is no one talking about O.J. Howard as a possible pick at 14? I'm just thinking BPA here, not need.
We've covered O.J. Howard. Here's a more extensive write-up on Howard and his fit with the Eagles. If the Eagles were to spend a resource as important as a first-round pick on him, they better have a plan to get both Ertz and Howard on the field for the majority of their snaps. Should they draft a player like Howard, it would signal that the Eagles are committed to putting two tight ends on the field as their base offense, which is fine. Otherwise, drafting a tight end in the first round just to have him or Ertz parked on the bench for a significant portion of the game would be a bad use of resources.
Follow Jimmy on Twitter: @JimmyKempski
Like Jimmy on Facebook.
