Philadelphia Eagles: NFL Offseason Report Card

Get free expert predictions on tonight's big games. You can also subscribe to our RSS feed or follow us on Twitter.

Be sure to check ATS all season long for the most up-to-the-minute NFL betting lines and NFL Vegas odds.

Be sure to check out our entire NFL Offseason Report Card.

Philadelphia Eagles
2009 Draft Grade: B+

Free Agent/Non Draft: B

Total Grade: B+

Overall Needs:
•Defensive End
•Wide Receiver
•Tight End
•Running Back
•Strong Safety
•Cornerback
•Fullback

Draft Picks:
Rd / Sel# / Name / Pos. / School
1) 19 Jeremy Maclin WR Missouri
2) 49 LaSean McCoy RB Pittsburgh
5) 153 Cornelius Ingram TE Florida
5) 157 Victor Harris CB Virginia Tech
5) 159 Fenuki Tupou OT Oregon
6) 194 Brandon Gibson WR Washington State
7) 213 Paul Fanaika OG Arizona State
7) 230 Moise Fokou LB Maryland

Arrivals: Old Team
OT Stacy Andrews (FA) Cincinnati
S Rashad Baker (FA) Oakland
OT Jason Peters (trade) Buffalo
CB Ellis Hobbs (trade) New England
S Sean Jones (FA) Cleveland
RB Leonard Weaver (FA) Seattle

Departures: New Team
RB Eldra Buckley (waived) San Diego
RB Correll Buckhalter (FA) Denver
S Sean Considine (FA) Jacksonville
S Brian Dawkins (FA) Denver
CB Lito Sheppard (trade) NY Jets
TE L.J. Smith (FA) Baltimore
OT Tra Thomas (FA) Jacksonville

Offseason Analysis:

The Eagles were awfully busy with eight selections and several needs. However, before the draft, they traded for Jason Peters, a very talented left tackle from Buffalo but still had another first-rounder.

So with that selection (19th), they chose another fast receiver (remember DeSean Jackson?) in Jeremy Maclin, a burner from Missouri. Maclin (6-0, 198) is a little bigger than Jackson, can return kicks like Jackson and is tremendous on bubble screens, hitches and slants. He’s still not the big receiver that the Eagles need, but Donovan McNabb will be thrilled to have him, Jackson and Kevin Curtis line up (in the slot).

In the second round, they drafted LaSean McCoy, an outstanding back from Pitt, who lacks the size to be a full-time back. With Brian Westbrook turning 30 in September and he’s never been durable, this was a very solid pick.

With no third and fourth-round picks, they took Cornelius Ingram in the fifth round. Ingram is a fast tight end from Florida who ran a sub 4.5 40 at the Combine but missed all of 2008 recovering from a torn ACL. This could be the sleeper pick of the draft as Ingram is also a former qb with “Wildcat” potential. His major issue is blocking or lack there of. They also took Victor “Macho” Harris, a zone corner from Virginia Tech who will add depth and Fenuki Tupou from Oregon (6-5, 314) in the fifth round.

In the sixth, they grabbed another receiver in Brandon Gibson, a productive player from Washington State, who will really need to wow the team to make it. They added seventh-rounders Paul Fanaika and Moise Fokou to add depth.

Overall, it was a pretty good offseason for Philadelphia, who is trying to make one more run to the Super Bowl with McNabb and Andy Reid. They added two steady offensive tackles in Stacy Andrews and Jason Peters. In Peters, they traded for a Pro Bowl player who should be a fixture for the next 4-5 years. In the secondary, they added CB Ellis Hobbs to play opposite of Pro Bowler Asante Samuel.

They also signed Sean Jones to take the place of Brian Dawkins, and while that’s an upgrade in terms of athletic ability, they will miss his leadership. They also could have used a tight end as Brent Celek is solid, but lacks speed.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Philadelphia Eagles 2009 Predictions: 13-3 Record, Top Seed in the NFC (bleacherreport.com)
• Eagles sign RT Stacy Andrews to 6-year deal (sports.espn.go.com)

• Cincinnati Bengals: NFL Offseason Report Card
• Miami Dolphins: NFL Offseason Report Card
• Buffalo Bills: NFL Offseason Report Card
• Cleveland Browns: NFL Offseason Report Card
• St. Louis Rams: NFL Offseason Report Card