Weekend Reading: Eagles Are NFL’s ‘Biggest Mystery’

Rounding up links today for some Eagles weekend reading…

SI.com’s Don Banks hands out his offseason superlatives. He names the Eagles as his biggest mystery team:

With a minimum of eight new starters, a rookie NFL head coach, and someone other than Andy Reid calling the shots in Philly for the first time since Bill Clinton was in his second term, the Eagles have more unknowns than any team in the league. New is everywhere you look in Philadelphia — which is the newest development of all for a team that had led the league in stability for seemingly forever.

Elliot Harrison of NFL.com has the Eagles 23rd in his power rankings:

Philadelphia is yet another club that just completed an exemplary draft. Whether or not you’re on the Matt Barkley train, the fact this team got him at 98th overall is notable. Philadelphia filled needs all over the place with savvy picks, starting, of course, with offensive tackle Lane Johnson, who should step in and start immediately. Tight end Zach Ertz should get on the field plenty, whether he starts or not. Ditto Bennie Logan on the defensive line.

The 2013 draft is now in the rear-view mirror, which means it’s OK to talk about 2014 prospects. Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com put out a list of his top-50 prospects. His top-rated QB is Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater:

A tough-minded, intelligent passer, Bridgewater has the athleticism, arm strength and overall “feel” that NFL scouts look for in the position.

Bridgewater (6-3, 220) completed 68.5 percent of his passes last year for 27 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He’ll be a junior in 2013.

Another name to keep an eye on is Clemson’s Tajh Boyd (6-1, 225). Boyd is No. 4 on Josh Norris’ Rotoworld list of top senior prospects:

No one improved more between the 2011 and 2012 season than Boyd. Last year he was able to recognize and avoid pressure much more efficiently while making better decisions downfield. Boyd likely would have been my top QB in the 2013 Draft.

Boyd, a true dual-threat option, completed 67.2 percent of his attempts for 36 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He also ran for 514 yards and 10 TDs.

And finally, there’s Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel. Jeffri Chadiha of ESPN.com takes a look at Manziel’s NFL potential and reveals that the QB has huge hands and has studied Michael Vick:

A&M quarterbacks coach Tom Rossley, who spent 10 years coaching in the NFL and served as Favre’s offensive coordinator in Green Bay, told Aggiesports.com, “[Manziel] has huge hands and I can’t tell you how important that is in the NFL. He has a quick release and is a lot more accurate than given credit for. I don’t see his size being a hindrance. He is bigger than Russell Wilson and bigger than Drew Brees. I think he can be better.”

Manziel has only played one year, but is eligible for the draft after 2013 because he red-shirted in 2011.

Follow Sheil Kapadia on Twitter and e-mail him at skapadia@phillymag.com.
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