Time is running out to post your MACH 10 Challenge entry in the Comments section below—just list 10 names of players you think the Eagles will draft. The ballot box closes at midnight the morning of the Draft (April 27, 2017).
Alex Smith of the media department at PE.com put together a nice piece on the guys you never hear about in the Draft Day process. Here’s a brief summary, but you can dial up the entire article here:
“Everyone in the Eagles’ front office has an important role to play during the NFL Draft.
“Personnel executives and coaches are in the draft room at the NovaCare Complex, watching carefully as all the action goes down and adjusting the draft board accordingly. But perhaps the two individuals with the most important job of the draft aren’t in the draft room.
“In fact, they’re not even in the building.
“For 362 days a year, Kevin Dougherty serves as the team’s video director, helping the football operations department collect game film and practice footage. Craig Blake serves as an equipment assistant, making sure the Eagles’ players are always properly suited up and ready to perform at their peak levels.
“But during the three days of the NFL Draft, Dougherty and Blake serve as the Eagles’ official representatives on site at the draft. Yes, they’re the ones responsible for answering the phone and filling out the draft card with the player’s name.
“In other words, the draft pick isn’t official until they say it is.”
Craig Blake, left, and Kevin Dougherty in Chicago last year as they wait for the call from Philadelphia.
There will be a lot of Eagles players and alumni roaming the site of the festivities in Philly this weekend.
Last year’s No. 2 pick quarterback Carson Wentz will visit the Oikos Unstoppable Drop on Thursday night, and 2016 Eagles Hall of Fame inductee Jeremiah Trotter shows up for the second night of the NFL Draft.
Eagles Hall of Fame quarterback Ron Jaworski will be at the Tostitos Cantina on Friday from 4-5 p.m., while tight end Zach Ertz appears there from 11 a.m.-noon on Saturday.
Check the Fan Mobile Pass all week long as other Eagles and NFL players will be meeting fans and signing autographs throughout the NFL Draft Experience.
For you last-minute MACHers, I’d be remiss if I didn’t highlight for you the bare-bones version of Tommy Lawlor’s Final Eagles-Only Mock Draft. You can get the actual analyses and reasonings behind each pick by going to Lawlor’s full article here:
First Round (No. 14 overall): WR Corey Davis, Western Michigan
Second Round (No. 43 overall): CB Cordrea Tankersley, Clemson
Third Round (No. 99 overall): RB Marlon Mack, South Florida
Fourth Round (No. 108 overall): CB Damontae Kazee, San Diego State
Fourth Round (No. 139 overall): S John Johnson, Boston College
Fifth Round (No. 155 overall): DE Keionta Davis, Tennessee-Chattanooga
Sixth Round (No. 196 overall): LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Tennessee
Seventh Round (No. 232 overall): DT Patrick Ricard, Maine
Finally, here’s a brief reminder to file away in the windmills of your mind during the Draft:
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Jamaal Charles reminds teams he’s still availableby Chris Roling |
Adrian Peterson just landed with the New Orleans Saints—so it’s only right Jamaal Charles tries to remind teams he’s still on the open market.
The Kansas City Chiefs parted ways with Charles this offseason after the star back struggled to stay on the field.
If healthy, Charles still has something to offer teams as part of a committee. Agent David Mulugheta has gone out of his way to remind teams his guy is ready to go:
While a great look, Charles is going to have a hard time finding a job right now. Peterson just settled for minimal cash and not even an assured role in a backfield, which speaks to the state of the market.
And it’s not a good sign that Charles visited the Seattle Seahawks early in the offseason, but the team opted to sign Eddie Lacy.
Not only does Charles need to probably wait and see where LeGarrette Blount lands, he’ll have to see how the NFL draft impacts the market.
Odds seem strong Charles will be on an NFL roster next year and his team around him giving the globe updates certainly helps. But don’t expect a deal before the draft or perhaps until deep into the summer.
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