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As the dust finally settles from the 2015 NFL Draft, fans of every team now have a good idea of how their team feels about their roster. Leading up to the draft there’s always an enormous amount of conjecture about what will happen, what should happen and what won’t happen. But now, the answers are out there and you can start drawing some concrete conclusions. Here are some things I think Philadelphia Eagles fans can take away from this draft.
First off, concerning Marcus Mariota, I fully believe Chip Kelly wanted him but I also think he’s completely sold on Sam Bradford. Of course Kelly will deny that he offered players after the fact, but I think that was his way of not mortgaging the future. If he couldn’t get Mariota, Bradford was a solidly viable backup plan that he felt confident building around. This doesn’t mean that Bradford is getting an extension now — not by a long shot. I still think the Eagles want to see him hold up throughout the season before a new contract is offered.
Secondly, I think Kelly and the Eagles are higher on second-year defensive back Jaylen Watkins than most think. The selection of the versatile Eric Rowe made me think that he’d start out at safety, but if Kelly is going to use him as a corner, then I think Watkins is your second starting safety right now. Versatility is still the name of the game here, so I think Rowe will move around as well as Watkins. But for depth chart purposes, right now I think you’re looking at Rowe at corner and Watkins as the safety.
Sticking with the secondary, with three defensive backs selected I think Kelly is looking to start developing homegrown cornerback talent like the Seattle Seahawks have done. Obviously that’s a tremendously smart thing to do, especially for a team like the Eagles that hasn’t had home-developed talent back there in recent years. So starting the pipeline with Rowe, JaCorey Shepherd and Randall Evans is a plan I’m on board with, even if they only become backup-quality players.
Finally, the lack of an offensive line pick I think signals Kelly’s comfort with the depth currently there. No one could have predicted the massacre the starting line would endure last season, and the fact that the Eagles could reasonably stay afloat made Kelly alright with cutting ties with Todd Herremans and sticking with who they have now. Honestly, the secondary was the bigger weakness of the two anyway, so I think throwing three draft picks at that problem was the way to go. Is Kelly taking a gamble by relying on the line to stay healthy? Absolutely. But there’s almost no way it could be any worse than it was last season, so I think the Eagles are okay on that front for 2015; the line can be replenished next year.
The time for conjecture, theories and predictions is now over for the most part. Fans have seen what the Eagles think of their roster, and they’ve also gotten a peek into the mind of the mad scientist who is their head coach. Make no mistake though, Kelly is still entirely capable of throwing a massive curveball at everyone come training camp. Whatever handle you think you have on him won’t last long, and I’m excited to see what he’s got lined up next.
Doug Green is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com covering the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL. Follow him on Twitter @DGreenNFL.
