The biggest quotes I took away from Doug Pederson’s media interview at the annual NFC Coaches Breakfast this past Wednesday morning:
On the possibility of adding a fullback to the Eagles’ roster: “There’s a chance,’ said the head coach. “We carried one in Kansas City with Anthony Sherman. I also want to see how our tight ends hold up, because if you can utilize a tight end back there to do the same thing, it kind of frees up a spot, but I’m going to look into that hard this offseason as we continue to build the system.”
On the wide receiver front: Pederson explained that he and the coaching staff want to take a good look at how Jordan Matthews reacts to playing on the outside, something that Pederson believes is a natural fit. “I think he can play outside,” Pederson said. “I want to look at him outside this spring as we go through the offseason. With his skill set, he can play both.”
On how important the running game will be for the Eagles: “Everybody knows that in the National Football League, you have to be able to run the ball,” he said. “With the zone read and the run/pass options that you give your quarterbacks, they look like throws but they’re really run calls. It’s just a way to attack defenses. We’re going to continue to run the football. You have to run the football. The offensive line loves to run the football. I thought Philly was just a lot of traditional zone schemes, inside and outside, pulling guards and pulling centers. I had all of that in the (Chiefs) offense too, but I also like lining up with a fullback or a tight end in the backfield. I like having those situations. You’re going to need guys who can lead block on Mike linebackers. You’re going to need guys who can run power and trap and gap schemes. I like that style of running. That’s kind of how I grew up in this league.”
On immediate areas of team need: “There are holes at the offensive line position,” Pederson said. “You can never have enough on the offensive line. Secondary is always a key position around the National Football League and the passing game has sort of become the staple – a lot of yards, a lot of attempts- so you need guys who can cover. Then you look at linebackers, because I think that’s always a key position. It’s a physical game and guys can run sideline to sideline. For us, I think another thing is pass rushers. With Jim Schwartz’s defense, I think getting pass rushers is key to what he does on defense.”
On where OLB’s Connor Barwin, Brandon Graham and Marcus Smith fit into the new defense: “I think Connor can be an exceptional defensive end and a pass rusher, where he’s comfortable,” Pederson said. “He’s also comfortable in space, which he’s done more with the style of defense they had, but his best position is coming off of that edge rushing that passer.
“(Marcus) is going to go in as a defensive end. He’s another one that has a lot of potential, and as coaches we have to get the most out of that potential. Brandon is a leader of the football team, he’s energetic, he’s high-motored and has a great skill set. I think he’s one player who could really have a big impact on that front.”
Hmmmm….okay. Good luck with all of that, Coach…seriously. I respect the man for his candor.
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Some interesting pre-draft measurables analysis is provided by Fran Duffy at PE.com in his article “Eagle Eye: How They Measure Up…” It’s a long read but chock full of insights into how the draft prospects measure up against the physical standards established by most NFL coaches and scouts.
For example, as Duffy points out, only nine of the 55 quarterbacks selected in the last five drafts were listed under 6’2 (BJ Daniels, Russell Wilson, Johnny Manziel, Aaron Murray, Tajh Boyd, Tyrod Taylor, David Fales, Chandler Harnish and Greg McElroy).
Another tidbit from Duffy—in the last five years only one quarterback has been drafted with a hand size of under nine inches, and that was Tyler Wilson in the fourth round of the 2013 Draft. Missing that 9″ plateau this year is Arkansas’ Brandon Allen (8 “), while both Jared Goff and Christian Hackenberg both made it by a hair at 9’’ flat. Only three quarterbacks have been drafted in the last five years with 9’’ hands: Ryan Tannehill, Sean Renfree, and Sean Mannion.
There’s a ton more of good stuff like that in Fran Duffy’s piece. He points out that the 3-cone drill is actually weighted much more for scouting running backs than is the 40-yard dash. Therefore he urges you to bone up on your 3-cone drill knowledge. For instance, here is how the 3-cone drill times break down in performance percentiles:
3-Cone Drill (91 running backs tested past 5 years)
90th Percentile: 6.78
80th Percentile: 6.83
50th Percentile: 6.99
20th Percentile: 7.15
10th Percentile: 7.24
How did this year’s running back prospects do, Duffy asks?
“Well, only 13 of 29 running backs at the Combine ran the 3-cone, presumably because it’s such an important drill and they want to run it at their Pro Day in a more controlled environment. The best time came from junior Wendell Smallwood, who ran a 6.83 on the nose, which puts him right on the 80th percentile for backs drafted in the last five years; a good, not great, time. Four backs ran below that 7.15, however, including Derrick Henry and Cal’s Daniel Lasco (who blew up the explosion drills including a 4.44 40-yard dash and a 135’’ broad jump). Henry’s time of 7.20 along with his 4.38 in the short shuttle puts him in dangerous territory. Only 11 running backs drafted in our five-year sample have run a worse 3-cone, which again tests a player’s lateral agility and stop-start quickness. As you can guess, most of them have been bigger backs. Andre Williams in 2014 (7.27), DeMarco Murray in 2011 (7.28), and Eddie Lacy in 2013 (7.33) all had bad times in the drill. All of those players have had different levels of success throughout their careers, but when it comes to lateral agility, that’s not their forte.”
Duffy gives similar analytic looks to the test results of the wide receivers and the offensive line groups, too. It is entertaining and educational, and may give you some extra clues as to filling out your MACH 10 Draft Challenge card.
According to Duffy, by the way, TCU’s Josh Doctson had a great workout at his Pro Day: “At 6’2, 202 pounds, Doctson ran a 4.50 in the 40-yard dash, a 6.84 in the 3-cone, and jumped 131’’. When you take his size into account, that’s a very impressive performance.”
Most disappointing numbers?—“Tyler Boyd from Pitt ran a very slow 4.59 to go with a below average 6.90 3-cone and 119’’ broad jump. Colorado State’s Rashard Higgins’ 4.64 in the 40 was one of the most surprising times of the weekend [slow], and he followed it up with a 116″[short] on the broad jump. Aaron Burbridge’s times of 4.58 and 7.22 along with just 115’’ put the former Michigan State Spartan in a lonely spot in terms of athletic profile at the receiver spot. Even worse so, Mississippi State’s De’Runnya Wilson turned in an all-time poor athletic performance. Wilson tested ‘in the red’ in every major athletic test (he didn’t run the shuttles), running a 4.85 in the 40-yard dash to go with a 113’’ in the broad jump. How bad is the 4.85? The slowest time for a receiver drafted in the last five years was 4.67 (Vince Mayle), and only eight tight ends drafted in that span have run worse times.”
No need for a spoiler alert—check out your favorite draft prospects’ measurables and what Duffy has to say about them by hitting that link above.
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