Post by EagleGene on Apr 21, 2005 6:37:10 GMT -5
Reid's drafts have produced vigorous mix of stars, stiffs
By Bob Brookover, Inquirer Staff Writer
Tom Heckert called it a good question even though he didn't have the exact answer.
How long does it take to grade a team's draft?
"Everybody says the rule of thumb is three years," the Eagles' vice president of player personnel said earlier this week. "Until a guy plays or fails, you can't really tell."
Many pundits, of course, will grade this weekend's draft Sunday night on Web sites and in Monday morning newspapers. A better story might be grading the "experts" three years from now.
Anyway, most of Andy Reid's drafts can be fairly graded. Here's a look at all six of the drafts under Reid. The first three were performed with the assistance of former general manager Tom Modrak and the last three have been with Heckert in charge of the personnel department.
Class of '99
The Eagles drafted 10 players that year, and only one was still on the roster at the start of last season. The fact that the one player was quarterback Donovan McNabb makes this draft one of the most successful in team history. If he isn't already, McNabb will likely go down as the best quarterback in franchise history, leading the team to five straight playoff berths, four straight NFC title games, and last season's Super Bowl.
Of the nine others chosen, only fourth-rounder John Welbourn made a significant impact, starting 56 regular-season games and nine playoff games on the offensive line before the Eagles complied with his trade request last April. Thanks to that deal, the Eagles have the 13th pick (77th overall) in the third round Saturday.
The worst pick from that draft was linebacker Barry Gardner. Taken in the second round - 35th overall - the linebacker from Northwestern never developed into the player the Eagles envisioned.
GRADE: A.
Class of 2000
The Eagles drafted seven players, and two remain: first-round pick Corey Simon and second-round pick Todd Pinkston.
Simon may not be here this season unless he agrees to play for the $5.1 million franchise-tag offer the Eagles tendered. In his five seasons, he has proved to be durable, missing just two games. He also has been effective, although many would argue his best season was his rookie year when he registered career highs with 91/2 sacks and 74 tackles.
Pinkston, the first of two picks in the second round, is not the worst wide receiver to ever walk the face of the Earth, although many of the team's fans would have you believe that is the case. Pinkston has had a better career than Cincinnati's Peter Warrick, the fourth overall pick and first receiver taken in the 2000 draft. Of the six receivers taken ahead of Pinkston that year, only Plaxico Burress has been significantly better.
The rest of this Eagles draft class didn't do much. The Eagles moved up to get offensive lineman Bobbie Williams in the second round, and he made 11 starts in 2003 before signing with Cincinnati last year.
Grade: C.
Class of 2001
The Eagles took six players and, in all likelihood, running back Correll Buckhalter will be the only one still around when the Eagles report to training camp in a few months.
First-round pick Freddie Mitchell had his moments during his four seasons, but more of them came off the field than on. Linebacker Quinton Caver, the team's second-round pick, never started a game and was released early in his second season.
The Eagles moved up to get defensive end Derrick Burgess in the third round, and when he was healthy he did a fine job, but that wasn't often enough to warrant the $6 million signing bonus the Oakland Raiders gave him this off-season.
In theory, this should be a healthy year for Buckhalter, but the fact he's missed two full seasons has greatly diminished his value to the team. The Eagles received good value in quarterback A.J. Feeley with a fifth-round pick. Feeley was 4-1 as a starter for the Eagles in 2002, and trading him to Miami got them the 35th overall pick in the draft.
GRADE: C-plus.
Class of 2002
The Eagles left many observers befuddled when they used their first three picks in the draft on defensive backs. One post-draft analysis also said that "the third round was a little early to take RB Brian Westbrook from Villanova."
Last season, Lito Sheppard, Michael Lewis, Sheldon Brown and Westbrook made this look like one of the best drafts in franchise history.
The only mistake was not signing seventh-round pick Raheem Brock, a defensive end from Temple who has gone on to become a starter with the Indianapolis Colts.
GRADE: A.
Class of 2003
Second-round pick L.J. Smith has had two solid seasons and caught a touchdown pass in the Super Bowl. His playing time is about to increase, too, but any time a player is coming off back surgery, there has to be at least a little concern.
The performance of first-round pick Jerome McDougle will ultimately decide whether this was a good draft, and this is the year the defensive end probably will get a chance to prove himself.
Third-round pick Billy McMullen has been passed by undrafted free agent Greg Lewis at wide receiver, and fourth-round pick Jamaal Green hasn't been on the field too much.
GRADE: C.
Class of 2004
The Eagles traded up to get Shawn Andrews with the 16th pick and he earned the job as the starting right guard out of training camp. Unfortunately, he was lost to a season-ending injury on opening day. He'll be back in the starting lineup this year.
Cornerback Matt Ware, a third-round pick, had a difficult time getting on the field last year, but he did play a lot in the Super Bowl. Fourth-round pick J.R. Reed was a solid kick returner, but he's coming off a serious leg surgery. Fullback Thomas Tapeh and cornerback Dexter Wynn also have a chance to make an impact in the future.
GRADE: Incomplete.
Thirty-One Years of No. 31s
The Eagles have the 31st pick in the first round of the NFL draft on Saturday. Here's a look at previous players picked 31st over the years. Before 1999, No. 31 was a second-round pick.
Year Player Team Pos. School 2004 Rashaun Woods San Francisco WR Oklahoma St.
2003 Nnamdi Asomugha Oakland DB California
2002 Robert Thomas St. Louis LB UCLA
2001 Todd Heap Baltimore TE Arizona State
2000 Dennis Northcutt Cleveland WR Arizona
1999 Al Wilson Denver LB Tennessee
1998 Leon Bender Oakland DT Washington St.
1997 Rick Terry N.Y. Jets DT North Carolina
1996 Alex Van d**e N.Y. Jets WR Nevada
1995 Trezelle Jenkins Kansas City OT Michigan
1994 Tre Johnson Washington OT Temple
1993 Chris Slade New England LB Virginia
1992 Carl Pickens Cincinnati WR Tennessee
1991 Roman Phifer St. Louis LB UCLA
1990 Anthony Thompson Arizona RB Indiana
1989 Lawyer Tillman Cleveland WR Auburn
1988 Ickey Woods Cincinnati RB UNLV
1987 Kenny Flowers Atlanta RB Clemson
1986 Dalton Hilliard New Orleans RB LSU
1985 Vance Johnson Denver WR Arizona
1984 Bob Slater Washington DT Oklahoma
1983 Mark Cooper Denver OT Miami
1982 Keith Baldwin Cleveland DT Texas A&M
1981 David Hughes Seattle RB Boise State
1980 Kirby Criswell Cincinnati LB Kansas
1979 Mike Stensrud Houston DE Iowa State
1978 Mark Merrill N.Y. Jets LB Minnesota
1977 Nolan Cromwell L.A. Rams DB Kansas
1976 Don Macek San Diego G Boston Coll.
1975 Mike Hartenstine Chicago DE Penn State
1974 Gordie Browne N.Y. Jets OT Boston Coll.
Contact staff writer Bob Brookover at 215-854-2577 or bbrookover@phillynews.com.
Updated on Thursday, Apr 21, 2005 3:20 am EDT
By Bob Brookover, Inquirer Staff Writer
Tom Heckert called it a good question even though he didn't have the exact answer.
How long does it take to grade a team's draft?
"Everybody says the rule of thumb is three years," the Eagles' vice president of player personnel said earlier this week. "Until a guy plays or fails, you can't really tell."
Many pundits, of course, will grade this weekend's draft Sunday night on Web sites and in Monday morning newspapers. A better story might be grading the "experts" three years from now.
Anyway, most of Andy Reid's drafts can be fairly graded. Here's a look at all six of the drafts under Reid. The first three were performed with the assistance of former general manager Tom Modrak and the last three have been with Heckert in charge of the personnel department.
Class of '99
The Eagles drafted 10 players that year, and only one was still on the roster at the start of last season. The fact that the one player was quarterback Donovan McNabb makes this draft one of the most successful in team history. If he isn't already, McNabb will likely go down as the best quarterback in franchise history, leading the team to five straight playoff berths, four straight NFC title games, and last season's Super Bowl.
Of the nine others chosen, only fourth-rounder John Welbourn made a significant impact, starting 56 regular-season games and nine playoff games on the offensive line before the Eagles complied with his trade request last April. Thanks to that deal, the Eagles have the 13th pick (77th overall) in the third round Saturday.
The worst pick from that draft was linebacker Barry Gardner. Taken in the second round - 35th overall - the linebacker from Northwestern never developed into the player the Eagles envisioned.
GRADE: A.
Class of 2000
The Eagles drafted seven players, and two remain: first-round pick Corey Simon and second-round pick Todd Pinkston.
Simon may not be here this season unless he agrees to play for the $5.1 million franchise-tag offer the Eagles tendered. In his five seasons, he has proved to be durable, missing just two games. He also has been effective, although many would argue his best season was his rookie year when he registered career highs with 91/2 sacks and 74 tackles.
Pinkston, the first of two picks in the second round, is not the worst wide receiver to ever walk the face of the Earth, although many of the team's fans would have you believe that is the case. Pinkston has had a better career than Cincinnati's Peter Warrick, the fourth overall pick and first receiver taken in the 2000 draft. Of the six receivers taken ahead of Pinkston that year, only Plaxico Burress has been significantly better.
The rest of this Eagles draft class didn't do much. The Eagles moved up to get offensive lineman Bobbie Williams in the second round, and he made 11 starts in 2003 before signing with Cincinnati last year.
Grade: C.
Class of 2001
The Eagles took six players and, in all likelihood, running back Correll Buckhalter will be the only one still around when the Eagles report to training camp in a few months.
First-round pick Freddie Mitchell had his moments during his four seasons, but more of them came off the field than on. Linebacker Quinton Caver, the team's second-round pick, never started a game and was released early in his second season.
The Eagles moved up to get defensive end Derrick Burgess in the third round, and when he was healthy he did a fine job, but that wasn't often enough to warrant the $6 million signing bonus the Oakland Raiders gave him this off-season.
In theory, this should be a healthy year for Buckhalter, but the fact he's missed two full seasons has greatly diminished his value to the team. The Eagles received good value in quarterback A.J. Feeley with a fifth-round pick. Feeley was 4-1 as a starter for the Eagles in 2002, and trading him to Miami got them the 35th overall pick in the draft.
GRADE: C-plus.
Class of 2002
The Eagles left many observers befuddled when they used their first three picks in the draft on defensive backs. One post-draft analysis also said that "the third round was a little early to take RB Brian Westbrook from Villanova."
Last season, Lito Sheppard, Michael Lewis, Sheldon Brown and Westbrook made this look like one of the best drafts in franchise history.
The only mistake was not signing seventh-round pick Raheem Brock, a defensive end from Temple who has gone on to become a starter with the Indianapolis Colts.
GRADE: A.
Class of 2003
Second-round pick L.J. Smith has had two solid seasons and caught a touchdown pass in the Super Bowl. His playing time is about to increase, too, but any time a player is coming off back surgery, there has to be at least a little concern.
The performance of first-round pick Jerome McDougle will ultimately decide whether this was a good draft, and this is the year the defensive end probably will get a chance to prove himself.
Third-round pick Billy McMullen has been passed by undrafted free agent Greg Lewis at wide receiver, and fourth-round pick Jamaal Green hasn't been on the field too much.
GRADE: C.
Class of 2004
The Eagles traded up to get Shawn Andrews with the 16th pick and he earned the job as the starting right guard out of training camp. Unfortunately, he was lost to a season-ending injury on opening day. He'll be back in the starting lineup this year.
Cornerback Matt Ware, a third-round pick, had a difficult time getting on the field last year, but he did play a lot in the Super Bowl. Fourth-round pick J.R. Reed was a solid kick returner, but he's coming off a serious leg surgery. Fullback Thomas Tapeh and cornerback Dexter Wynn also have a chance to make an impact in the future.
GRADE: Incomplete.
Thirty-One Years of No. 31s
The Eagles have the 31st pick in the first round of the NFL draft on Saturday. Here's a look at previous players picked 31st over the years. Before 1999, No. 31 was a second-round pick.
Year Player Team Pos. School 2004 Rashaun Woods San Francisco WR Oklahoma St.
2003 Nnamdi Asomugha Oakland DB California
2002 Robert Thomas St. Louis LB UCLA
2001 Todd Heap Baltimore TE Arizona State
2000 Dennis Northcutt Cleveland WR Arizona
1999 Al Wilson Denver LB Tennessee
1998 Leon Bender Oakland DT Washington St.
1997 Rick Terry N.Y. Jets DT North Carolina
1996 Alex Van d**e N.Y. Jets WR Nevada
1995 Trezelle Jenkins Kansas City OT Michigan
1994 Tre Johnson Washington OT Temple
1993 Chris Slade New England LB Virginia
1992 Carl Pickens Cincinnati WR Tennessee
1991 Roman Phifer St. Louis LB UCLA
1990 Anthony Thompson Arizona RB Indiana
1989 Lawyer Tillman Cleveland WR Auburn
1988 Ickey Woods Cincinnati RB UNLV
1987 Kenny Flowers Atlanta RB Clemson
1986 Dalton Hilliard New Orleans RB LSU
1985 Vance Johnson Denver WR Arizona
1984 Bob Slater Washington DT Oklahoma
1983 Mark Cooper Denver OT Miami
1982 Keith Baldwin Cleveland DT Texas A&M
1981 David Hughes Seattle RB Boise State
1980 Kirby Criswell Cincinnati LB Kansas
1979 Mike Stensrud Houston DE Iowa State
1978 Mark Merrill N.Y. Jets LB Minnesota
1977 Nolan Cromwell L.A. Rams DB Kansas
1976 Don Macek San Diego G Boston Coll.
1975 Mike Hartenstine Chicago DE Penn State
1974 Gordie Browne N.Y. Jets OT Boston Coll.
Contact staff writer Bob Brookover at 215-854-2577 or bbrookover@phillynews.com.
Updated on Thursday, Apr 21, 2005 3:20 am EDT