They call the wind "Mariah"... and they call the Sage "JB"...

Look, you can get your Eagles football analysis from the C3PO's over at Philly.com... or you can get the heart and the guts of the sport from JB...

First thing, you must divorce your mind from the notion that you know anything about the sport of NFL Football at all... cleanse your spirit of all pre-assumptions... then prepare to absorb.

Then, and only then, are you ready to sit at the feet of the great JB--- short for JeromeBrown99--- possibly the sharpest Eagles football poster and pundit currently on the planet of Earf.

Oh sure, Bri (GK Brizer) and legendary poster Leo Pizzini, both of PE.com's "On The Inside" archives, definitely give The Sage a run for the money.  As a trio, they formed a Trinity of football wisdom at Spadaro's "On The Inside" gallery for many an enlightening year...And it is my hope Spuds will give them all a warm homecoming invitation once he restores his site to the classic format we all loved.

Until that happens, we can only retell the Gospel of their works here...and memorialize it for future generations of Bird-brains...

JB has had an interesting physical metamorphosis over the years... his appearance has changed many times since his playing days at Nebraska...oh, did I mention he has a Nebraska football pedigree as an NCAA fullback with two national championship rings to his credit? Well, there you have it...

Modesty prevents JB from revealing his true identity... but I have it on some authority he was a member of the 1994-1995 NCAA championship Huskers' roster...



Quite a journey of collegiate football adventure it was for JB and the Huskers program, interrupted only by his love for family, who needed him to transfer to a college near Austin, Texas, so he could oversee the clan's newfound fortune in oil and gas royalty properties...

A successful earthworm farm venture soon followed.

Tragically, JB's boyhood love for the Philadelphia Eagles was interrupted by a series of genetic and environmental transformational changes.

As a young high school student-athlete, JB dreamed of sharing a locker room with his Eagles hero, the since-departed Jerome Brown:



Reconciling himself to the reality of his post-collegiate responsibilities to his family estate, JB settled down into a semi-retired existence with regards to football, although he was often sought out by NFL Draft columnists for his scouting insights...



But horribly, a tragic accident on a visit to the Netherlands to tape a Dr. Pepper commercial resulted in a film studio accident, in which JB injured his back and caught himself afire in a klieg light, causing a sudden change in his post-op appearance... and current rumors circulating of skin-bleaching and hyperbaric chamber usage...



Thus we have today the enigma of JB99...who despite his triumphs and travails in the real world, still challenges all Eagles fans to embrace the concept of Team Improvement.... and self-improvement when it comes to qualifying as a knowledgeable fan of the sport.

Here are some examples of how JB shakes down the average "Philly.com" Eagles fan reality..his observations after Game 1 in 2010 against the Green Bay Packers:

"...all those media lemmings cuss and b17ch right after the game. So I would now like to take the time to tell those that don't know... YOU CAN'T TELL SH** WATCHING A GAME ONE TIME! NOT EVEN THE GREATEST COACHES AND FOOTBALL MINDS ON THE EARF WILL HAVE ANYTHING TO SAYUNTIL THEY BREAK IT DOWN! So... anyone claiming anything before Tuesday... knows nothing. Literally... nothing."

"So... you guys are complaining because we didn't run it enough... even though we had their D gassed and got 279 2nd half yards? Welp... all I can say is... keep wishing. === But for cripes sake... don't try to turn us into the Jets. Their O scheme is horrible... Very embarrassing to watch..."

"Anyone questioning Reid's timeouts are effin stupid. No other way to put it. All the people that know football were sending me messages after the game giving Reid props. Listen... Reid, by taking the TO's with's 5 mintues,  was giving the D more chances for a stop, and a possible GB turnover... Had they gotten another 1st down... we still would have had 1 TO and the two-minute warning... meaning that ultimately... if things went as planned..."

"The 4th down call was there. I don't care what anyone says. They had 6 on the LOS... we had 6 blockers with Vick as the carrier. There's no doubt it was a check play. If we had them outnumbered.... it was the QB blast we saw. But had they outnumbered us... Vick would have thrown towards whomever Sam Shields had. Probably Avant. And if they stacked it up inside... we would have swept it. === Really funny to see people say... 'that was a horrible call!'... like it was 100% QB blast no matter what. They're all media lemmings. They act like we didn't have options to check to."

"Vick is a weird deal. Totally unconventional. He's pretty inaccurate. If you hated #5 not hitting guys in stride... you'll hate Vick. But he can make all the throws and is a quick decision-maker. But the big thing is... Vick makes the defensive pressure a plus for us... not them. Like that DT of theirs' said after the game... paraphrasing here... but he said... that Vick is a nightmare for defenses... no duh there... but then he said that it's actually better to keep your rush lanes than make a quick move to beat your guy up front... simply 'cause Vick will kill you if he has a lane. And when you think about it... lots of our big plays came after big pressure from GB. Vick also made all those big bad LB's GB has look like they were standing still. But by far the best plays Vick made were the 3 or 4 plays where he stood in there whilst about to get crushed and delivered big time throws. Those are the plays you need to win in the NFL..."

"A few more observations for the peasants. === (1) Nate Allen played a solid game... especially for a rookie's 1st game. But that long TD he gave up to Jennings was an awful play. He wasn't even close, with his only duty being to not let anyone get deep in that Cover2. No double move or anything... Jenningsjust ran right by him. A little worries about that. === (2) Nick Cole is a scrapper. But he just misses some things sometimes... That RG spot is a spot we'll need to upgrade next year. He did play well, though, with more than a few crushing blocks. (3)I watched the game once focusing on Peters. Wow! That guy is one good football player. Such a pleasure to watch him play. He had another false start... of course... and a holding penalty.... but he's a great player and certainly our best OL. (4) #96, I am worried about. Deja vu? He looked pretty bad. Even when he was lucky enough to be in position... he usually couldn't make the play. Bad game by him... no other way to put it..."

"... my advice would be to try and enjoy life... use that noggin a little and realize that Reid's O has beaten some of the best D's around. Try and watch a football game without hate. Be proud of the Eagles... for they give it their all for you every year. Don't want to win to the point where things aren't fun. Relax. Let the Eagle players and coaches do their job and enjoy the ride...

....And now what you have all been waiting for! JB99's Official 2011 Mock Draft! === 1st round) Prince Amukamara CB, Nebraska (2) Roy Helu RB, Nebraska (3) Dejon Gomes CB, Nebraska (4) Alex Henerey K, Nebraska === That's as far as I have gotten to this point. Youse like?

 I've been saying this is a two year fix it from the beginning. But so far... I like what I see. Add 2 more CB's... get a good solid DT... a big time RG... and another LB... and we are looking good! Can't wait till next FA period! E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES! "

If I remember nothing else from JB's sage commentary in 2010, it will be that post-game review of the opener against the Packers...and how dramatically it played into what's happening right now...the MACH 10 challenge and the NFL Draft of 2011.  Talk about connected to the reality of the game....JB is way ahead of all of us.  And I will forever remember his favorite words of fan advice---"Don't Be A Slave To The Media!".... maybe that should be on a T-shirt somewhere. I would buy it...and wear it.

 

Here we are, still wandering in the strip-mall desert of a lockout, and a Spuds-less offseason...but the MACH 10 event rages on here for Eagles fans of discerning taste...

Here's where I call in the cavalry. Dave Stoessel, the Delaware-based Eagles fan connection of "On The Inside", has produced some beautiful pieces of tasty sirloin cuts... you can view them in full menu glory at his Eagles Addict site...

Dave blew me away with this lovely comparison of Andy Reid's draft history to two of the longest-tenured, overachieving NFL Draft veteran-experts in recent history...Bill Belichick of the Patriots, and Jeff Fisher of the Titans.

Take it away, Dave...


Dave also has a very amusing photoshop montage based on this actual photo of the Brian Dawkins' "Weapon X Tackle"....and many more "Eagles Follies" to offer at his site...

"Last month I analyzed how Andy Reid has fared in the draft since he’s been with the Eagles.  At the time I wondered how he has done when compared to the rest of the NFL... but thought that comparison wouldn’t be fair since there aren’t many head coaches who have been with the same team since 1999.  But Tom Jackson over at EaglesEyeBlog mentioned that it might be interesting to compare Reid’s “hit rate” with Bill Belichick's and Jeff Fisher's…the only 2 coaches that have been in the same place during the same time frame."

Belichick is widely considered the best coach in the league--- with Reid not that far behind.  Fisher has always been a highly thought-of and respected coach around the league as well.  All 3 have have been successful to different degrees.  So, I thought I’d go ahead and see how Reid matched up with these 2 other coaching juggernauts when it comes to drafting college talent.

I ran the numbers and rated the draft picks the same way I did with Reid.  The higher the player is drafted, the more that's expected from him to be a hit.  And likewise, the lower a player is selected, the less that is expected from him to be a hit.  For example, if you draft a player in the 6th or 7th round, and he starts a few games and makes a positive contribution, that player is a hit--- because not much is really expected of late round picks in general.

As with Reid, I’m looking for “hits” in any round of the draft, and “misses” in rounds 1 through 3, which I consider the “money” rounds (where most of the top tier talent is selected).  First I will give you the results of Belichick and Fisher, and at the end I list out the hits and misses for each coach so you can see how I came to my conclusions.  There were a few players that I grappled with as far as seeing them as a hit or miss ,but of course this is not a scientific exercise ---and is ultimately comprised of my subjective opinion.  Feel free to disagree with any player you think I didn’t grade correctly…and let me know, it could change the percentages!

Results of Belichick’s 11 Drafts:
101 total picks, hit on 33 = 33% success rate

By money round:
1st: 10 picks, 9 hits = 90% success rate
2nd: 15 picks, 8 hits = 53% success rate
3rd: 11 picks, 3 hits = 27% success rate

4th and 5th rounds combined:
27 picks, 8 hits = 30% success rate

6th and 7th rounds combined:
38 picks, 5 hits = 13% success rate

Results of Jeff Fisher’s 16 drafts:
147 total picks, 49 hits = 33% success rate

By money round:
1st: 14 picks, 10 hits = 71% success rate
2nd: 17 picks, 9 hits = 53% success rate
3rd: 23 picks, 6 hits = 26% success rate

4th and 5th rounds combined:
49 picks, 15 hits = 30% success rate

6th and 7th rounds combined:
44 picks, 9 hits = 20% success rate

Results of Andy Reid’s 12 drafts: (Again, you can see my full explanation of this here)
105 overall picks, hit on 30 = 28.5% success rate

By money round:
1st: 10 picks, 6 hits = 60% success rate
2nd: 16 picks, 9 hits = 56% success rate
3rd: 11 picks, 3 hits = 27% success rate

4th and 5th rounds combined:
35 picks, 9 hits = 26% success rate

6th and 7th rounds combined:
33 picks, 3 hits = 9% success rate

So what does all this show?  It shows that Reid is pretty much on par with 2 of the game's best coaches when it comes to drafting in the money rounds.  For overall hit percentage, Reid didn’t score as well as the other 2 because of lesser success in late round picks.  Belichick has done the best in round 1, with only one real miss, although I gave him Ben Watson as a hit (I struggled a little with that one).  If I had graded Brodrick Bunkley as a hit (he’s probably somewhere in between a hit and a miss), Reid would have a 70% success rate in round 1 and virtually tie Fisher.  All 3 coaches had a very similar hit rate in rounds 2 and 3.  Fisher and Belichick have the edge in rounds 4 and 5, and Fisher has fared the best with finding 6th and 7th round players.

I would rank their draft prowess as:

1. Bill Belichik (best round 1 hit rate)
2. Jeff Fisher (better than Reid in the later rounds)
3. Andy Reid (but he is close)

I’ve spoken with many fans who feel that Andy Reid “stinks” at drafting players.  Well, I feel this thesis pretty much disproves that notion.  When it comes to drafting, Reid is in the same ballpark with 2 of the game’s best coaches.  At the very least, he certainly doesn’t “stink” after taking a look at Belichick and Fisher.  Does seeing these results change your view on how well Andy Reid drafts?  Place your vote in the poll!

Details of how I rated the others’ drafts:

Bill Belichick’s hits, by round, from 2000 – 2010:

1st Round: DE Richard Seymour (2001), TE Daniel Graham (2002), DE Ty Warren (2003), NT Vince Wilfork (2004), G Logan Mankins (2005), S Brandon Meriweather (2007), Jerod Mayo (2008), CB Devin McCourty (2010), TE Ben Watson (2004)

2nd Round: T Matt Light (2001), WR Deion Branch, S Eugene Wilson (2003), S Patrick Chung (2009), T Sebastian Vollmer (2009), TE Rob Gronkowski (2010), DE Jermaine Cunningham (2010), LB Brandon Spikes (2010)

3rd Round: CB Ellis Hobbs (2005), T Nick Kaczur (2005), WR Brandon Tate (2009)

4th Round: T Greg Robinson-Randall (2000), DE Jarvis Green (2002), CB Asante Samuel (2003), S James Sanders (2005), K Stephen Gostkowski (2006), TE Aaron Hernandez (2010)

5th Round: C Dan Koppen (2003), P Zoltan Mesko (2010)

6th Round: QB Tom Brady (2000)

7th Round: FB Patrick Pass (2000), WR David Givens (2002), LB Tully Banta-Cain (2003), QB Matt Cassel (2005)

The Misses:1st Round: RB Laurence Maroney (2006)2nd Round: T Adrian Klemm (2000), WR Bethel Johnson (2003), DE Marquise Hill (2004), WR Chad Jackson (2006), CB Terrence Wheatley (2008), DT Ron Brace (2009), CB Darius Butler (2009)3rd Round: RB J. R. Redman (2000), CB Brock Williams (2001), S Guss Scott (2004), TE David Thomas (2006), LB Shawn Crable (2008), QB Kevin O’Connell (2008), LB Tyrone McKenzie (2009), WR Taylor Price (2010)

Jeff Fisher’s hits, by round, from 1995 – 2010:

1st Round: QB Steve McNair (1995), RB Eddie George (1996), DE Kenny Holmes (1997), WR Kevin Dyson (1998), DE Jevon Kearse (1999), LB Keith Bulluck (2000), DT Albert Haynesworth (2002), S Michael Griffin (2007), RB Chris Johnson (2008), WR Kenny Britt (2009)

2nd Round: CB Samari Rolle (1998), DT John Thornton (1999), CB Anre Dyson (2001), S Tank Williams (2002), DE Travis Laboy (2004), DE Antwan Odom (2004), T Michael Roos (2005), RB Lendale White (2006), DT Jason Jones (2008)

3rd Round: WR Chris Sanders (1995), CB Denard Walker (1997), T Zach Piller (1999), RB Chris Brown (2003), DT Randy Starks (2004), WR Damian Williams (2010)

4th Round: T Jon Runyan (1996), WR Derrick Mason (1997), LB Peter Sirmon (2000), WR Justin McCareins (2001), DB Vincent Fuller (2005), T David Stewart (2005), LB Stephen Tulloch (2006), C Leroy Harris (2007), LB Gerald McRath (2009), DB Alterraun Verner (2010)

5th Round: DT Gary Walker (1995), G Benji Olsen (1998), DB Donnie Nickey (2003), G Jacob Bell (2004), RB Javon Ringer (2009)

6th Round: DE Robaire Smith (2000), G Justin Hartwig (2002), TE Bo Scaife (2005), DB Jason McCourty (2009)

7th Round: C Kevin Long (1998), DE Carlos Hall (2002), C Eugene Amano (2004), CB Reynaldo Hill (2005), CB Cortland Finnegan (2006)

The Misses:

1st Round: CB Andre Woolfolk (2003), CB Pacman Jones (2005), QB Vince Young (2006), DE Derrick Morgan (2010)

2nd Round: DE Anthony Cook (1995), DE Bryant Mix (1996), T Jason Layman (1996), WR Joey Kent (1997), WR Tyrone Calico (2003), TE Ben Troupe (2004), RB Chris Henry (2007), DT Sen’Derrick Marks (2009)

3rd Round: RB Rodney Thomas (1995), CB Torey Hunter (1995), LB Terry Killens (1996), T Scott Sanderson (1997), S Dainon Sydney (1998), TE Erron Kinney (2000), DE Byron Frisch (2000), TE Shad Meier (2001), LB Rocky Calmus (2002), CB Rich Gardner (2004), WR Courtney Roby (2005), WR Brandon Jones (2005), WR Paul Williams (2007), TE Craig Stevens (2008), TE Jared Cook (2009), DB Ryan Mouton (2009), LB Rennie Curran (2010)...

Wow... Dave Stoessel really did his homework on this one... I am so proud of him!  And his research couldn't have come at a better time for us wandering MACH-10'ers... You'se Insiders guys have been way too kind in recommending me for PE.com employment--- but THIS is the guy that Dave Spadaro should get on board with his staff immediately to help out Bo Wulf and Chris McPherson. Besides, as you all know by now, I can't drive 55!

(Check out more of Dave's Eagles-lovin' work at Eagles Addict.....)

Welcome to our continuing coverage of the MACH 10 Eagles Draft challenge... and here's your guest moderator, making his first appearance at the Eagles Eye Bar&Grill/Burlesque/Comedy Club, just in from the NovaBare Complex in Philly, the one and only, Dave Suddaro...


"On The Thin Side" with Dave Suddaro... fondly known as "Sudz" to his followers...

Things I know, and things I'm pretty sure I think I don't know, about these here Eagles...

Welp, as usual I'm the clean-up guy for the unfortunate messes created by my Eagles associates at NovaBare...who do ya think had to mop up that Dallas Star in the 2009 loss to the Cowboys?  Yep---it was me, good ole Sudz...

Anyhoo, here's some real football talk for you'se...

WADDUP with the new NFL rules changes?

The NFL owners just voted to move kickoffs from the 30 to the 35 yard line next season, which means that teams like the Eagles might not have to cover a single kickoff this season thanks to the leg of David Akers... The original proposal did not go through entirely. Touchbacks will remain at the 20 yard line. If anything, this gives kickers even more incentive to blast it out of the end zone. (The two-man kickoff-return blocking wedge will still be allowed...)

But the new rule adds 5 yards extra advantage to all of Aker's peers...the idea is to reduce the violence inherent in the kickoff return process, or, in effect, to greatly reduce the chance of car-crash collisions on returns by minimizing the number of actual returns. Suddenly, every kicker in the league is within range of Akers' record-setting performance in 2010.

I get the idea...but has the NFL really thought this through?

Sure, the NFL has just taken away one of the most surefire, fan-pleasing aspects of the game's modern appeal--- the against-all-odds moments of kick returners running the gauntlet and establishing their offensive presence in a game. (Exhibit 1 = Josh Cribbs, Cleveland)...

Here are the rule changes.  Notably, the NFL is deciding to leave touchbacks at the 20 yard line as opposed to bringing it out to the 25 as had been discussed...

-Kickoff moved from 30 to 35 yard line
-Touchbacks stay at the 20 yard line
-Two man wedges remain allowable
-Kickoff coverage units allowed 5 yard running start instead of 10-15 yards

The statistics indicate that, league-wide, the touchback percentage was already increasing.  The National Football Post has a nice breakdown of statistics since 2004.  Touchback percentage has almost doubled since 2004 as kickers' legs have gotten stronger.  It was 8.48% in 2004 and above 16% the last two seasons.  In fact, Billy Cundiff of the Ravens had over half of his kicks result in touchbacks - 40 out of 79.  What will that percentage rise to with 5 more yards to boot it out of the endzone?  70%?  80%?  Estimates are that the league-wide touchback percentage may rise to over 30%.  That means we'll see the number of touchbacks at least double again.  

Now, tell me, how many special teams coaches are going to urge returners to run back kicks from over halfway into the endzone?  If there are any, they will be fired immediately.  17 kickers last year had average kickoffs of 65 or more yards - placing the average kickoff in the endzone.  WIth coaches looking to take advantage of this rule, I would suspect we could see return specialists sacrificed on rosters for kickoff specialists.  If that happens, the touchback percentage could climb above 50%.  Does that sound appetizing to fans?

Now, this rule change from the 30 to the 35 wouldn't be so outrageous if something was done about touchbacks.  But no... touchbacks remain at the 20.  Therefore, there is no risk/reward involved in booting it out of the endzone.  The advantage lies completely with the kicker. There is simply no tradeoff here for the return team.  The only caveat is the rule change regarding coverage units only getting a 5 yard run-up.  Perhaps that allows more time for returners to get out of the endzone, but that does little good if balls are flying out of play.  Again, the risk/reward of returning a kick from well back in the endzone lies with the kicking team.  The field position edge that good kick return teams like Chicago (Devin Hester), Cleveland (Josh Cribbs), Seattle, and the Jets once had now disappears.  This is a huge deal!

The importance that had been placed on exciting returners like Brad Smith, Devin Hester, and Leon Washington... will now be placed on guys like David Akers. Yippee!!  One of the top special teams players in the league, Josh Cribbs, had this to say from NFL.com...

"'This rule, I'm thinking they already kick it away from guys like myself and (Chicago's) Devin Hester," Cribbs told NFL Network. "But this rule trumps them all. ... They'll start to scout kickers just for touchbacks. Returners like myself will become obsolete. I've been on both spectrum's, so I'm talking as a guy who has played on kickoff coverage and return units."'

'"You're going to see teams franchising kickers for touchbacks," Cribbs said. "I really feel that (it'll be harder for returners), myself included, when I try to get a new contract. You need to be taken seriously on the field, and you won't get this type of athlete anymore. You make these rule changes, the kick returner becomes obsolete. You have no chance to succeed. And the special-teamer in coverage, then he becomes obsolete, too, and those are guys busting tail to stay in the league."'

Instead of seeing electrifying returns from men like Cribbs, Hester, and Smith... we'll see kickers undramatically kick the ball into the endzone. Imagine the hype of the opening kick of the 2011 season... again, if we have games. Then imagine the letdown of seeing touchbacks all around the country.  Imagine taking some of the most exciting plays out of the game.  Imagine taking some of the most exciting players out of the game. That's what this rule accomplishes.  It's a complete fail for football fans.

Well, here's my personal Eagles Special Teams take on all this----Get this---eventually you will have "pop-up" kickoff specialists, whose sole mission is to pooch the kickoff high and lazy so it settles down into the 10-yard line area...just in time for the kicking team's gunners (WHO NOW ONLY HAVE TO RUN 10 LESS YARDS!) to swarm on the receiver---essentially a "jump ball" situation resulting in a massive increase in fumbles and loose balls similar to an on-sides kick scenario... Oh, what a well-thought rule change!----

You can't make dishes up!

The annual MACH 10 Eagles Draft Challenge event launched smoothly at noon on Monday...despite being hosted at an alternate site (Eagles Eye Bar&Grill/Burlesque/Comedy Club) due to the fact that Dave Spadaro's "On The Inside" fan gallery at PE.com is still under reconstruction.

The MACH 10 Event opens on April 11, and runs all the way through to the final hour of April 20... so you still have plenty of time to get your entry posted on the Fan Comments here.  The esteemed Chairman of the Bored, GK Brizer, will collect and judge them from there...

To avoid confusion, let me tell you the Livefyre comments section here is working smoothly, and even features auto-refresh, but when you first download Eagles Eye, you may be confused by the "Zero Comments" button at the bottom of an article. Don't worry---just hit the headline of the article itself, or the "Zero Comments" button, and the Livefyre comments will come up, ready for you to read and post. (They're gonna streamline this, I'm told...)

Meanwhile, it was great to get an email from our favorite Canadian fan, Chris Lewis, who hails from the Toronto area, and is a huge Eagles fan. Chris agreed to make a live appearance just in time for today's big MACH 10 event, in support of his old mates, and his hope for Spuds to get everything copacetic again back at PE.com...

Here's Chris live from Vegas during a band break:


Chris looks like he's doing well, doesn't he?


Later tonight, Chris and his band will be laying down the beat for GK Brizer's ceremonial "fire dance"--- a full-kilt performance in classic "Lord of the Dance" tradition ...

Thanks, Chris, great to hear from a Hall-of-Fame poster from "On The Inside" ---someday, we shall all be together again!

You may consider this year's annual MACH 10 Draft challenge, usually held in the dining hall of County Evergreen Pub at the Philadelphia Eagles NFL.com website, as being staged "on location" here at Eagles Eye bar&grill/burlesque/comedy club...

We're just filling in as an alternate site for the event according to the wishes of the esteemed Chairman of the Bored ,GK Brizer, as we eagerly await the hoped-for changes in the Fan Comments gallery at Dave Spadaro's "On The Inside".

Thankfully, we got our own Fan Comments section upgraded just in time for the MACH 10...and the Bloguin Network, which sponsors Eagles Eye, worked hard through the night to make it happen.  Thanks for your Eagles-like patience...and the Network has said it can replace the older posts---especialy the ones that documented the unbelievable implosion of the old "On The Inside" platform on March 31, 2011.


"Hey, what's with the new Comments section?  Is this thing on? What's with the avatar thing? Last time I saw a mouth like Sonbutts', it had a hook in it..."

This may be the most difficult Draft Pick Contest you'll ever enter...  it's hard enough to accurately predict the top10 selections in the overall NFL Draft...only 11% of the draft experts who do this for a living get the Top 10 right in any given year. Here, under Brizer's Committee Rules, you must attempt to predict the 10 new faces that will end up on the Eagles 80-man roster after the Draft...not an easy task.  Past winners, like Fanny M. Harris and Brizer himself, have won with as few as 2 correct picks. (Brizer has elaborated the tie-break rules and other parameters of the competition in our previous blurbs...)

Where do we start?

First, a pep talk from our Chairman:

GK Brizer
"Knuckleheads, geniuses,..countrymen,.....methinks the coaches will know whom to draft and when to do it!...Patience, faith,and intelligence will prevail. In the meantime,..sit back,...relax,...have a few pops and think smaaart thoughts. Get yur minds out of the gutter or that's where yul end up,..you vile, bibulous and blasphemous louts! Be entertained. Not tortured..."

"At some level,..we have 4 types of posters: (1) bad memory/ bad opinion (2) bad memory/ good opinion (3) good memory/ bad opinion (4) good memory/good opinion,.....where do you fit?....take home message,...do some research to improve "memory",..thi'm'k,..to improve opinion....it's that simple,...carry on....."

Next, consider the Eagles' needs...and where the Eagles' draft pick order is scheduled this year... Tommy Lawlor does a nice job of providing us with a Draft Primer every year over at PE.com, and now also at his new scouting blog, www.eaglesblitz.blogspot.com

Tommy Lawlor
Lawlor's Draft Primer for this year's Mach 10 Matrix...

·                         1st round (No. 23 overall) - CB Jimmy Smith, Colorado - 6-2, 211

·                         2nd round (No. 54 overall) - OG Clint Boling, Georgia - 6-5, 308

·                         3rd round (No. 85 overall) - LB Casey Matthews, Oregon - 6-1, 231

·                         4th round (No. 104 overall) - SS Da'Norris Searcy, North Carolina - 5-11, 223

·                         4th round (No. 120 overall) - DT Cedric Thornton, Southern Arkansas - 6-3, 309

·                         5th round (No. 149 overall) - RB Alex Green, Hawaii - 6-0, 225

·                         5th round (No. 153 overall) - LB Brian Rolle, Ohio State - 5-10, 229

·                         7th round (No. 229 overall) - WR Stephen Burton, West Texas A&M - 6-2, 219

·                         7th round (No. 237 overall) - CB Josh Gatlin, North Dakota State - 6-1, 196

·                         7th round (No. 240 overall) - LB Jabara Williams, Stephen F. Austin - 6-2, 228

As you can see clearly now where the pick order falls, you have your work cut out for you---and Lawlor has a pretty keen eye for what the Eagles will be looking for in terms of both positional players and where areas of need will exist in later rounds. Of course, there's no way to know for sure whether the Eagles will trade up or around to change their order of picks...welcome to the degree of difficulty of winning the MACH 10 contest...

Another way to prepare your entry is to simply throw darts at a list of the top 300 college players in the nation. That could work, too.

My entry will look a lot different from Lawlor's matrix. I'm using more of a technique similar to Birdcrazy's "backwards game plan" theory. I'm starting with an assumption that 90% of the guys on Lawlor's matrix will fall to some other team... and I'll try to figure "the next man up" possibilities...

I think this is going to be an extra-difficult MACH 10 to prognosticate this season, reason being---

The Philadelphia Eagles thought they had backup QB Kevin Kolb to use as a bargaining chip to move up in the 2011 Draft from position #23…but as it turns out, the NFL work stoppage has put an end to that strategy.  Several mock drafts have OT Gabe Carimi (6-6, 321 lbs, Wisconsin) going to the Eagles, and with good reason. Although he played on the left side in college, some scouts believe he’s better suited for the right side. This bodes well for the Eagles, as they haven’t had a dominating player on that side since the departure of RT Jon Runyan.

But one of the Philadelphia Eagles’ greatest needs in the offseason is upgrading the right cornerback position opposite of star LCB Asante Samuel.

At 23rd overall in the first round, the Eagles will most likely miss out on elite talents like Patrick Peterson and Prince Amukamara, unless we see a trade-up.

The Eagles, though, will probably have a chance to draft corner Jimmy Smith from Colorado at  #23.

That’s how I see it— Eagles will go for a top offensive lineman prospect—or a cornerback—on their 1st round pick. The rest of their picks will be spent on outside linebacker prospects, a running back heir apparent to LeSean McCoy, and a quarterback to develop behind Mike Vick and Mike Kafka—assuming Kolb is eventually dealt away once the lockout is ended.

One thing's for sure, I will learn a lot more about all the talented players in this Draft just by participating in the MACH 10, as it forces me to look at some of the lesser-known careers nationally in this year's senior class...as any winning edge in the MACH 10 may come from your luck in the later rounds.

Good luck, starting noon Monday, April 11...and I hope that new-fangled Fyrelive Comments system works okay for you. Heck, I learn more football from your comments and explanations than I can ever learn from TV or radio. It simply has to work well...

UPDATE: Sonbutts, the snarky but loveable villain of the old "On The Inside", emails me----   "Loopy, I can't believe your servile attitude towards the above people and those on this`board. Your ingratiating promotion of Spuds and this`board is nauseating. Just like a kid who's just been made a member of the neighborhood treehouse gang and yearns to be accepted. Cut it out! It is not flattering! Sheeze--you didn't even mention me as the most objective and loved poster here."

Welcome home, Sonbutts... you were missed.