It's getting more tempting every day, this notion that the Eagles are really just one good draft away from reclaiming the crown in the NFC East.
Give credit to new head coach Kelly and to the Eagles front office for a lot of the good feelings they've created around this team. The organizational mood is upbeat. The hirings of assistant coaches and the acquisitions of high-value free agents have been smooth transactions.
But "one good draft" turning the tide in 2013 ? It's possible, it's believable, but it better be one hella good draft to sustain the mystique.
The reality is it usually takes about 3 seasons for a good draft class to assert its full impact upon a team's power rating in a division.
But some gifted individual players can and do make immediate impact upon their position groups in their rookie seasons. We see examples of this every year. It's just very rare to experience 3, 4, 5 or 6 rookies from the same class turning an entire team around—especially a team that was 4-12 last year.
But I'm not here to curb anyone's enthusiasm. Dan Graziano and Matt Williamson of ESPN.com in fact are encouraging discussion among Eagles fans about the mystique of being "one good draft away".
Williamson has a post up in which he identifies five NFL teams that could be one good draft away 
from contention, and among those five is the Philadelphia Eagles. Matt cites improvements in the secondary, ample existing talent in the defensive front seven and the fact that it doesn't take that great a W-L record to win the NFC East these days as reasons Philadelphia could turn things around quickly:
"While there is much change going on in Philadelphia, they have fantastic draft assets and really not many glaring needs considering where their draft position is. The Eagles should truly be able to often select the best player on their board rather than picking for positional needs. There isn't a powerhouse in the NFC East, and if the draft goes well — which it really should — the Eagles might just finish the 2013 season atop their division."
Graziano then brings things a little more down to earth with his worries over the QB situation and the novelty of Kelly's offense being too difficult for his team to master in its very first year of installation.
But I like the part where Williamson believes the Eagles can go for the best players available rather than reach for positional needs. This plays right into JB-Sage-Lion's "Cornerstone Draft Theory" and GK Brizer's "mBPA Theory".
It also means Star Lotulelei is very much in play if the Eagles stick with their Top 4 pick position.
In the middle of the Eagles' defense, Utah's Star Lotulelei would be a mobile, athletic 311-pounder who could play at nose tackle and/or defensive end in a 3-4 scheme. Lotulelei was not able to work out at the NFL combine because of a fatigue/dehydration-related heart condition, but downplayed those concerns last week with a big performance at his Pro Day.
That's the kind of big impact player you wish and hope could be an immediate force in 2013. The guy reminds me of Haloti Ngata back in 2006 when Ngata was a rookie. Ngata immediately made his team better. My point is, if the Eagles can land just one "Haloti Ngata" caliber player in the 2013 Draft, they will be a big step closer to taking back the NFC East.
But asking for multiple hits of the quality I'm describing is pure greed and wishful thinking.
The primal derivation of the Deacon Jones Head Slap…
I hope this footage shows up okay here. I apologize if you have already seen it.
I'm going to be tired of watching this ancient football tactic someday…but not for awhile.
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