Twitter Mailbag: On QBs And Marcus Peters
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@Tim_McManus if Mariota doesn’t happen, what’s the long term plan at quarterback? Does it involve drafting somebody else this year?
— Nurbs (@NatetheBRD) April 16, 2015
I’d imagine the hope is that the 27-year-old Sam Bradford plays at a high level and solidifies the quarterback spot moving forward. But given his injury history and contract situation (his current deal is up at the end of the year), it would be smart of Kelly to have a contingency plan.
The question is whether this draft will allow him that luxury. The consensus seems to be that there is a pretty sizable drop-off after Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston. Kelly didn’t give any indication that he disagrees with that sentiment. Asked about this QB crop at the owners meetings, he said: “I think there’s two really good ones. Two really good ones.”
How does he feel about the signal-callers beyond that? Is it worth using a second-round pick, say, on Brett Hundley, or a third-rounder on Bryce Petty or Garrett Grayson? With needs at other positions, he’ll have to be sold on one of these quarterbacks to pull the trigger that high.
My guess is that he passes, and maybe adds a developmental prospect like Cody Fajardo late if he goes that route at all.
@Tim_McManus any chance Chip will take Marcus Peters if he’s available at 20? — Jeff (@PhillyFreck215) April 16, 2015
It’s rather quiet on the Eagles/Marcus Peters front, far as I can tell. They’d be vetting him pretty hard if they were serious about drafting him, and there has been very little in terms of information or reports connecting the two. I’m operating under the assumption, then, that he is not a primary target.
Defensive back seems like a good bet in the first round, though. The Eagles have reportedly shown interest in UCONN’s Byron Jones, Wake Forest’s Kevin Johnson (who I really like; Sheil wrote about him today) and LSU’s Jalen Collins, among others. I wouldn’t be surprised if they used the No. 20 pick on one of these players if they’re still on the board.
@Tim_McManus is there anyone you could see the Eagles trading up for besides Mariota?
— Matthew Grumbrecht (@MattGrumbrecht) April 16, 2015
I’m not ruling it out. Last year, they missed out on all six of the players they liked by staying put. I’m sure that didn’t sit very well with Kelly, and I doubt he’ll accept a similar fate this time around. But every draft is its own entity, and I feel like some of their targets will still be on the board when the No. 20 pick rolls around.
Maybe it’s one of the corners I mentioned above. My guess is that Jake Fisher will still be there (though a couple teams right after them have interest, apparently). Some feel that USC receiver Nelson Agholor will be taken in this range. The draft never goes according to script, but I feel like there will be a decent amount of options remaining when the Eagles get on the clock.