January 26, 2017
After each practice at the Senior Bowl, players are available on the field to speak both with NFL scouts and media. Teams will speak with hundreds of prospects throughout the draft process, at the Senior Bowl, the NFL Combine, at pro days, individual workouts, and visits to team complexes.
In other words, don't make too much of the following list of players, although it's noteworthy that there isn't a randomness to it. Scouts seek out specific players after practice and zero in on them.
The Eagles initially spoke with five players. And then four more. Here are the final three:
Banner is one of the biggest human beings on the planet, and he is athletic for his size (emphasis on "for his size"). As you might expect of a 361-pound tackle, Banner moves defenders off the ball against their will in the run game but can struggle with speedier edge rushers, although he's a wide man to try to run around.
In the pros, Banner's best fit is probably at RT, which could interest the Eagles depending on what they think of Halapoulivaati Vaitai as a future starter.
On the downside (and this is a significant red flag), Banner allowed three sacks in 2016 and was flagged for a whopping 12 penalties.
Glasgow isn't flashy, but he was a solid run defender on a Michigan defense that allowed just 3.1 yards per carry in 2016. On the season, Glasgow had 43 tackles, 4 sacks, and 1 forced fumble.
With Bennie Logan slated to become a free agent this upcoming offseason, combined with the fact that two of the Eagles' division rivals – the Cowboys and Redskins – have dominant run blocking offensive lines, adding a run stuffing defensive tackle could make sense for the Eagles.
In 2016, Phillips had 56 tackles, 9 sacks, 20 tackles for loss, and 1 forced fumble. Where he would fit with the Eagles is unclear. He could potentially be a situational pass rusher early in his career, with the idea of trying to add bulk to his thin frame, or the Eagles could view him as a SAM linebacker in their 4-3.
With two legal cases still to be litigated, Eagles linebacker Nigel Bradham could eventually face discipline from the league. Bradham will also be in the final year of his contract in 2017. While Bradham had a good season in 2016, if the team believes that he is likely to miss time in 2017, they could save $3,000,000 under their cap. The addition of Phillips or another linebacker could be a cheaper option.
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