Heard in the Cheap Seats

The Eagles front office continues to stockpile draft picks with today’s trade of Greg Lewis and a conditional pick in 2010 for the Patriots fifth round pick this year.  That brings the Eagles grand total to 12 in this upcoming draft.  The Eagles hoard picks like no other team in recent memory.  Big Red and the gang have a clear philosophy of building for the draft and it appears they feel this is an important one.

As for the trade itself; I don’t think too many Eagles fans will lie awake tonight wondering what could have been if we only were able to hold on to Greg Lewis.  Lewis was a serviceable number five WR and should be given credit for getting the most out of his skills.  Let’s face it, few expected the guy to make an NFL roster yet he has made a pretty nice career for himself.  GLew is hardly bigger than I am and trust me, height and bulk are not physical tools I am blessed with.  In that aspect, you have to respect what the guy has been able to accomplish.  All that being said, the Eagles on-the-field product will be unaffected by this departure. 

From the Patriots standpoint, it is not hard to piece together why they chose to go in this direction.  There was a hole on the roster and Bill Belechick always seemed to speak highly of Greg Lewis before and after Eagles/Pats games—probably because those account for 95% of GLews’ productive games in the NFL.  Not to mention, Belechick has been able to resuscitate one former Eagles WR also-ran in Jabar Gafney so he might be able to pull it off again with Lewis. 

The deal makes sense from both sides but getting a 5^th round pick for Greg Lewis is a pretty good haul.

Now about those picks…Of course, it is unlikely that the Birds will use all 12 picks this year.  More than likely, the front office will package a few to ensure they walk away with some of the players they covet on their draft board.  With the number of the picks they have stockpiled, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them make an aggressive move up the board on draft day.  Remember, the Eagles have two first-round picks and could use those as leverage to catapult up a number of spots.  In recent years, Andy Reid has selected to move down in the draft.  And the philosophy is a sound one.  The NFL draft is a fickle mistress and the more chances you have the more likely you are to hit it big.  But with so many picks in the vault this year, Andy Reid has the luxury of moving up if he so chooses and still coming away with a good number of draft picks.  Criticize this front office all you want, but they will be dealing from a position of strength come draft day.  Will they make the most of it?

Free Agent Update

Free agent strong safety Sean Jones will be visiting the Nova Care complex tomorrow.  At 6′1″ 225 pounds, Jones is a physical specimen at the position.  He is a solid player with quite a bit of upside at 27.  My guess is the Eagles don’t let him leave Philly without an offer in his hands.  If they sign Jones, Quintin Mikell would slide over to the FS spot.  I think this signing makes a hell of a lot more sense than a Shawn Springs move to shore up the secondary.  Let’s hope the Eagles pull the trigger.

Say no to T.O.

One final note: no, the Eagles will not consider T.O.  Not for a millisecond.