Orlando Magic: 25%

Team Needs – Everything

Charlotte Bobcats: 19.9%

Team Needs – SG, C

Cleveland Cavaliers: 15.6%

Team Needs – PF

Phoenix Suns: 11.9%

Team Needs – SG

New Orleans Pelicans: 8.8%

Team Needs – SG, SF

Sacramento Kings: 6.3%

Team Needs – SF, PF

Detroit Pistons: 3.6%

Team Needs –  SG, SF

Washington Wizards: 3.5%

Team Needs – SF, C

Minnesota Timberwolves: 1.7%

Team Needs- SG

Portland Trailblazers: 1.1%

Team Needs- C

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS: 0.8%

TEAM NEEDS – C 

Toronto Raptors: 0.7%

Team Needs- PG, SF, C

Dallas Mavericks: 0.6%

Team Needs- SF, C

Utah Jazz: 0.5%

Team Needs- PG, SG

The complaint states that “Mary Roe,” as the plaintiff is identified, was one of 15 young women who traveled with McCoy to New York on a bus provided by Premier Luxury Rentals, which is also being sued. McCoy and his bodyguard John Doe allegedly assaulted the woman after she refused to be sprayed with water.

“Mary Roe” is seeking more than $50,000 in compensatory damages and punitive damages for assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, false imprisonment and negligence. She is being represented by Bernard M. Cross of Philadelphia.

Whether or not this is true, McCoy has had some trouble this offseason when it comes to his reputation. Earlier, he got into a “Twitter war” with his baby’s mother where he not only said some bad things but was also criticized by his “baby momma” for abusive behavior.

Lane Johnson posing with his Eagles uniform.

The Eagles went to the offensive line with the 4th overall pick by taking Lane Johnson. Overall, a pretty good move as it strengthens the offensive line (which always seems to need help). As far as a lineup change, its projected that Todd Herremans will move back to the position of guard and the very disappointing Danny Watkins will now take a seat on the bench. The only possible negative to the decision is whether the Eagles passed up on some of the better defensive lineman in this years draft such as Ezekiel Ansah or Barkevious Mingo who would end up going in the next two selections (Ansah to the Lions and Mingo to the Browns).

Grade: A-

Round 2: Zack Ertz, TE, Stanford

The Eagles would once again pass up on a defensive player and looked to Zack Ertz as a replacement pick. Ertz will now go head-to head with Brent Celek in the competition for the starting tight end job. Knowing the history of Chip Kelly’s offense, both could very well be utilized in his offensive scheme (Celek as a blocker and Ertz as a slot receiver perhaps?) Either way, the offensive attack was once again made even stronger as it opens up another option at TE following the disappointing season Celek had last year.

Grade: B+

Round 3: Bennie Logan, DT, LSU

Following two offensive picks, the Eagles would finally look over to defense with their third round selection. By selecting Logan, the Eagles now have a tackle up front who has the ability to stop the run (which as all Eagles fans know needs more than just help). However, numerous scouts report that his pass rushing ability needs plenty of work (which is also an area the Eagles could use some help in). Overall, not a bad pick, but in hindsight the Eagles may be wishing they took a defensive player in one of the first two rounds.

Grade: B-

Round 4: Matt Barkley, QB, USC

Barkley in his new Eagles paraphernalia.

On the final day of the draft, the Eagles would return to the offense by taking Matt Barkely. After decreasing his draft value with a disappointing senior season (Barkely would have been an obvious first round selection in the 2012 draft) I’d personally say the Eagles got him for a very good value. It was already advertised pre-draft, that the birds were looking to take a QB at some point (which is smart considering Vick is injury prone/inconstant and everyone knows that your never going to know what kind of performance you’ll get out of Nick Foles). This also opens a slower, more pro-like offensive attack option as Chip Kelley has now shown that he’s willing to work with a pocket passer. In the grand scheme of things, it was a pretty smart pick, we’ll just have to wait and see what kind of QB Barkely turns out to be, as what role he is able to play on this team.

Grade: A-

Round 5: Earl Wolff, S, NC State

Well, he isn’t going to play a huge presence in the secondary (coming in at just 5’11, 209 lbs.), however Earl Wolff is a very physical player who is capable of making tackles making him a very good addition to the current Eagles safety lineup.

Grade: B-

Round 7: Joe Kruger, DE, Utah

Despite being projected to go in the third round by ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., Joe Kruger would stay on the board until the very last round when the Eagles selected him. Kruger is very good at the pass rush, as well as making an immediate defensive impact standing at 6’7, 280 lbs. Look for Kruger to be a key backup lineman during the 2013 season.

Grade: A

Round 7: Jordan Poyer, CB, Oregon State

Regarded as middle round selection, Jordan Poyer isn’t a great player by any stretch, but certainly undervalued. Scouts also report that he has some return abilities so perhaps they will be exposed as the season progresses.

Grade: A

Round 7: David King, DT, Oklahoma

Chip Kelley’s final selection would be he 3rd defensive line choice. Because of this, King will most likely be handled as a practice squad member throughout the majority of the season. It’s always good to have backup options though. Personally, I probably would have looked to experiment at another position that is in need of young talented players.

Grade: C+

Recap: Overall, a very successful rookie draft for Chip Kelley. Expanding the roster evenly on both ends of the football is exactly what this team needs, and that’s precisely what he accomplished.

Draft Grade: A

Poyer could be an impact player from Day 1.

Poyer, still a junior at Oregon State, was arrested on May 21, 2012, in Corvallis, Oregon, and charged with second-degree trespassing after an incident at a bar near the Oregon State campus. He entered a bar under the age of 21, and was asked to leave. He proceded to return to the bar, and fought with security, leading to his arrest.

“It wasn’t a fight, it was more just me being dumb,” Poyer said. “I wasn’t 21, going into a bar, kind of refused to leave, got kicked out of the bar, wasn’t allowed to come back. And I came back, and it was just a bad situation.

To top it off, he had a poor combine. Reports from NFL.com cite him as having “Average size and strength for an outside corner. Doesn’t display the skills to press. Doesn’t disengage from blocks consistently”; his comparison was to San Franscisco 49ers starting cornerback Tarell Brown.

More important than that, however, is how he played in college, where he concluded his career with an Associated Press first-team All-American selection as a senior. He became Oregon State’s the first consensus All-American selection since John Didion in 1967. The Astoria, Oregon native was a semi-finalist for the Bednarik Award and Jim Thorpe Award and concluded the 2012 season by playing in the Senior Bowl.

Poyer started 24 games and finished his career at OSU with 151 tackles including seven tackles-for-loss and three sacks. He added 13 interceptions, 23 pass break-ups, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Poyer was also a standout on special teams as a return man and on coverage units. He is undersized, weighing only 191 pounds, but is known to be a solid tackler.

It is also interesting to note that Poyer was drafted by the Miami Marlins in the 42nd round out of high school. So, he obviously has athletic ability. And with Chip Kelly declaring all starting positions to be open, Poyer will have a chance to be a starter. Realistically, though, he end up competing with Brandon Boykin for the Nickel postion.  Bradley Fletcher and Cary Williams appear to have the two starting jobs locked up on the outside.

Poyer also has abilities as a return man, which increases his value. Last year, the Eagles tried Boykin and Bryce Brown at that position but they failed miserably.

With Kyle Kendrick pitching well and Roy Halladay seemingly getting his act together, the Philadelphia Philies hope to take a turn for the better by continuing off of their recent successes against the NL East rival New York Mets.

With that having been said, the starting rotation hasn’t been the least of the Phillies’ problems.

The Phils come out on Friday trying to win their seventh out of eight against the Mets at Citi Field. On top of that, they are trying to avoid their second four-game losing streak in just two weeks.

Recently having dropped eight of their last eleven games played, the Phillies look to bounce back after losing three consecutive games against the Pirates after having won the first in the four-game series.

The Phillies, who sit at 9-14, and who sit towards the bottom of the NL East, dropped a series against the Pittsburgh Pirates at home for the first time since the 2003 MLB Season, when Jose Mesa and Randy Wolf were among those who pitched a game.

“We’re not getting it done,” said Philies manager Charlie Manuel [...]

The staff has been relatively consistent, this past try at things, the starting rotation posted a solid 2.78 ERA, while letting up only six runs in the past three games.

With the starting pitchers preforming well, the Phillies offense still sees a limited amount of help from their struggling offense, producing an average of 2.7 runs overall.

Kyle Kendrick

Kyle Kendrick (1-1) is on the bump Friday night against Mets right-hander Dillon Gee (1-3). Since the start of 2011, Kendrick is 3-1 against New York with a sub-3.00 earned run average. Along with Kendrick’s good numbers, The Phils won the final four meetings between the two teams last year, and already have taken two of three from the Mets in this year’s first series.

The rather inconsistant Mets, who are currently at 10-1, have traded wins and losses with teams amidst a nine-game home stretch, and are looking to rebound from a recent loss in which they fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-2.

Although the Mets do rank towards the top of the majors in pop, having knocked in 110 runs, they were not able to manage more than just two runs in three of their past four games and are hitting an unimpressive .207 as a team in their last seven.

The Mets turn to Dillon Gee on Friday, who has gone 2-2 against the Fightin’ Phils over the course of his career, sporting a 7.03 ERA in six mediocre starts. Gee allowed ten hits along with seven runs to the Phillies when Philadelphia made the trip up to Citi Field earlier in April.

Ryan Howard, John Mayberry, Jr., and Michael Young all homered off of Gee during the victory on April 9th. Howard, who has gone nine for his last twenty-three, has three hits in nine at bats off of Gee in his career — all home runs. Jimmy Rollins (7-11), and Michael Young (4-5) have also tasted success when facing Gee.

Ryan Howard, Michael Young and John Mayberry homered off Gee in that victory. Howard, 9 for 23 in his last six games, has three hits – all homers – in nine career at-bats against him. Young (4 for 5) and Jimmy Rollins (7 for 11) also have had success against Gee.

It’s usually a good one between these two division rivals. Look for another good series this weekend.

So here we are with our live draft analysis (we’ll update this after each selection is made), and without further ado let’s dig right into the Eagles selections made in the 2013 NFL Draft.

1st Round, Pick 4 (4th Overall): Lane Johnson – OT, Oklahoma

Lane Johnson has been called the most freakish athlete of the entire draft by Mike Mayock, and may also have the most upside of all the 3 top Offensive Tackles in the draft.

It’s no surprise that the Eagles took what they considered the best player available. In Johnson the Eagles get a player that can anchor the right side of the offensive line and be the incumbent to move to left tackle when the team moves on from Jason Peters or should he become injured again. It also gives them the ability to move Todd Herremans back over to his natural position at guard.

Johnson has played both sides of the offensive line at Oklahoma. At 6’6″-303lbs, his athleticism went on display at the combine where he blew many experts away with his performance for a man his size. That athleticism will be put to good use in Chip Kelly’s up-tempo/no-huddle offense. What he also brings to the table is very good skill in blocking in the run game as his athleticism allows him to get out wide on runs to the outside, which the Eagles look to be emphasizing. But he’s no slouch in pass protection, as that’s his greatest asset. He’s very good a resetting his feet and adjusting to the rusher. He’s only played on the offensive line for two years, being a converted Quarterback (has also played Tight End), so he has a lot of room to grow as an Offensive Tackle.

If Jason Peters returns to pre-injury form, paired with Johnson on the right side, the Eagles will have one of the most athletically talented duo of tackles in the entire league. Johnson is a good pick for a team that had more than it’s fair share of issues on the offensive line, mostly due to injury. He projects to become a better NFL pro than he was in college and should be an anchor on the Eagles offensive line for many years to come.

Grade: B+

2nd Round, Pick 3 (35th Overall): Zach Ertz – TE, Stanford

Ertz is considered the top Tight End in the draft. He’s a very versatile player (think H-Back) that runs very good routes, uses his size (6’5″ – 249lbs) well, has sneaky speed and is a very good receiver. He doesn’t possess breakaway straight line speed, but with his quickness in his route running he creates separation and catches a lot of balls that look almost uncatchable. At Stanford, his versatility was unquestioned as he was utilized in a number of positions, being lined up inside, in the slot and also outside. He does need to improve in his blocking, but his ability and talent as an offensive playmaker make up for his lack of skill in the blocking game.

Ertz led the nation in receiving yards by a Tight End and was worked out by the Eagles during the draft process. He gives Chip Kelly another offensive weapon to add to his arsenal. Expect to see a lot of two Tight End formations, and to see him spread out across in multiple formations as Ertz is a player that will definitely get on the field in his rookie season.

Grade: A

3rd Round, Pick 5 (67th Overall): Bennie Logan – DT, LSU

Bennie Logan is a stout/wide bodied player with long arms. He was a player that was somewhat flying under the radar coming into the draft. Logan is somewhat athletic for a big man (6’2″ – 309lbs), yet is much more of a run stuffing defender than a pass rushing threat. He often handles double teams extremely well as he is a physically strong player with low center of gravity and is a space eater on the defensive line. If he gets a hand on the ball carrier, even if he doesn’t make the tackle, he’ll slow them down enough for the next guy to bring him down. Logan is good character guy that should become a positive influence in the locker room.

Logan looks to fit in as a rotational player behind Sopoaga at the Nose Tackle position, or he could also play at the 5-tech Defensive End position. Not quite sure there wasn’t better value to be had at this pick. Using a 3rd rounder on a player that looks to most likely come off the field in passing downs if he plays DE or sparingly serves solely as a backup to spell Sopoaga. While he adds some needed depth to the defensive line, I’m sure that the Eagles could’ve found that depth in later rounds or through UDFAs. Many scouting reports question his stamina as a 3 down player and his height is not ideal for Defensive End, but he does have the versatility to play both the NT and DE positions and we all know that Chip Kelly favors that.

Grade: B-

Eagles Trade With JAX & Move Up From 101st Pick to 98th Pick

4th Round, Pick 1 (98th Overall): Matt Barkley – QB, USC

Matt Barkley is an intelligently talented Quarterback. After a successful 2011 campaign in which he was considered to be a mid-first round selection, Barkley decided to return to USC for his senior season. His draft stock had fallen in 2012 due to a drop in in production on the field that many feel was caused by a porous offensive line and injuries. He is however considered the most NFL ready QB in the draft after being both a 4yr starter in high school and throughout his college career at USC. He is also the first ever 3yr team captain for USC, and leaves with a career 27-9 as a starter.

Barkley is considered best suited for a West Coast style offense due to his lack of a big arm. His strength lies in his intelligence and leadership qualities on the field. While not considered a highly mobile QB, Barkley does possess the ability to move well in the pocket to buy time and also performs fairly well in rollouts. His size is not ideal (6’2″ – 227lbs), but he does have a good frame and big hands (10 1/8″) and displays a high level of toughness to get up after taking big hits. He does very well in looking off defenders and pump faking safeties. Accurate passer with enough of an arm to get the ball out quickly when he sees a favorable matchup pre-snap.

On the surface the Barkley pick by the Eagles is a bit of a head scratcher given the aura that Chip Kelly prefers highly mobile Quarterbacks. However, overall Barkley is a proven leader and a very intelligent Quarterback. Two intangibles that Coach Kelly also covets and this pick shows that he wants a guy that can command the offense. But Barkley won’t just take the offense on his back, he’ll take leadership of the entire team. You can’t coach demeanor and leadership is something that you really want at the Quarterback position. His character is also top notch, which he displayed in returning to USC despite the fact that USC was facing sanctions from the NCAA.

So while unexpected, I like this pick and think that with some pro-level coaching, Barkley will develop into a solid and productive starting QB for the Eagles.

Grade: A

5th Round, Pick 3 (136 Overall): Earl Wolff – S, NC State

Earl Wolff is physical Safety that plays equally well in the box as well in coverage. Played Strong Safety at N.C. State, but is an athletically gifted player that performed extremely well at the combine and could play either of the Safety positions. His 4.44sec 40-time proves that he has the speed to play deep and keep pace in coverage. Sound technician and displays good footwork. Plays well in man and zone coverage. Has average size (5’11″ – 209lbs), but carries it well and has good definition in his build.

Wolff was a nice pick-up by the Eagles. While they added both Patrick Chung and Kenny Phillips in Free Agency, adding a young/physical Safety as insurance makes a lot of sense. Phillips has been injury plagued, so if he falters, Wolff looks as if he can step in and make some noise. His coach at N.C. State referred to him as the heart of the defense. If he performs well in camp, don’t be surprised to see Wolff get a lot of playing time and possibly starting soon. He can also contribute on special teams.

Grade: B

7th Round, Pick 4 (210 Overall): Traded to JAX along with 101st Pick for 98th Overall Pick

7th Round, Pick 6 (212 Overall): Joe Kruger – DE, Utah

Kruger is a large (6’6″ – 269lbs) athletic player that uses power in his bull rush. Has good quickness of the snap and gets to the ball carrier. His technique is considered raw, but has a lot of upside. He’s considered a high effort player that goes full speed on every play. He tends to pop up in his stance off snap and it causes him to lose leverage to his opposition. He is also the younger brother of Paul Kruger.

Kruger was a pretty good value pick with some upside. His frame suggests that he could add weight and either play DE in the 3-4 or move outside to OLB due to his athletic ability. He seems like a more natural fit at OLB.

Grade: B-

7th Round, Pick 12 (218 Overall): Jordan Poyer – CB, Oregon State

Poyer is a solid Cornerback that can tackle with some pop. He’s a smart defender that will come up to make the play on the ball in front of receivers. He had 7 interceptions in 2012. He has experience playing both man and zone, but lacks the strength to engage receivers in press. His size is average (6’0″ – 191lbs), but he plays bigger than his stature. He also has experience returning punts and kicks.

Poyer looks to be a solid addition to the Eagles to compete for the 3rd corner position and possibly return some kicks/punts in special teams. He doesn’t have elite speed (4.54 – 40) but can close on the ball and make plays. He’s an aggressive player that will get some turnovers.

Grade: B

7th Round, Pick 33 (239 Overall): David King – DE, Oklahoma

King is a bit of a tweener between playing inside or outside at 6’5″ – 286lbs. He has a ton of strength and will snap back opposition, but doesn’t quite seem to make a ton of plays. He will get his hands up in passing situations and bat some balls down. Keeps his eyes on the QB and will occasionally chase down the ball carrier. Holds edge well in running game.

It looks like King could benefit from some higher level coaching. He’s a player that had all the talent, but hasn’t quite lived up to expectations at the collegiate level. So he’s a low risk-high reward type of player. Not sure where he fits in with the Eagles, but it would most likely be at DE. If he flourishes, King could become a solid pro and be a rotational player.

Grade: C

Eagles Overall Draft Grade: B

Overall the Eagles fared pretty well in the draft. They addressed almost every major need they had and didn’t have to salvage too many picks in trades to get the players they wanted.

In Lane Johnson they added a Tackle that can anchor either side of the line for the next 10yrs. In Zach Ertz they have a versatile playmaking receiver that can line up anywhere and makes some pretty amazing catches. Eddie Logan is a big wide body that can play both at DE and NT, and compete for a starting position.  Matt Barkley is a Quarterback with huge upside that suffered from injury and a subpar 2012, but he’s as smart a player as they come and has the potential to become a franchise player. He looks to be the value pick of the Eagles draft. At Safety they added what many considered to be a sleeper, that looks to compete for a starting role right away and has the potential to develop into a solid pro. In Joe Kruger they have the pedigree bloodlines and let’s not forget his size. You can’t coach size and if he pans out, could push for a spot at OLB. Jordan Poyer is an aggressive corner that could see time both in nickel situations and also on special teams. And finally, in David King the Eagles have another freakishly sized player that has some low risk-high reward attributes that could pay off at DE with some solid coaching at the NFL level.

Will the Eagles select one of the draft’s premier Offensive Tackles such as Luke Joeckel, Eric Fisher or Lane Johnson that can bolster the line for the next 10yrs if they’re still around at #4?

Will they draft a Defensive End such as Star Lotulelei or Sharrif Floyd to play opposite second year man and budding star Fletcher Cox?

Will the team go after one of the highly athletically gifted Outside Linebackers in Dion Jordan, Barkevious Mingo or Ziggy Ansah?

Will they select their future franchise Quarterback in Geno Smith at #4?

Or will they trade back and take a skill player such as Wide Receiver Tavon Austin or Cornerback Dee Milliner in the 1st round and then maybe target their QB with another 2nd round pick from the trade?

These are all questions we’ve asked and asked ourselves again over the past few months. Starting tonight, we’ll have those questions answered and we’ll have much to talk about between now and Saturday evening when the draft concludes.

We’ll be covering the draft in full detail on the Eagles, covering each pick as it’s made and offering player bios, pick analysis and opinions. So be sure to check back here as the draft unfolds and also follow me on Twitter @jerryp2375 as I’ll be commenting there on the draft in general throughout the evening and also through the conclusion of the draft.

Why Should They Trade Down?

This year’s draft is being widely regarded as a poor class in terms of outstanding talent, but a good class for depth in talent. This means that the Eagles at No.4 might not be getting a player as good as someone in the late first-round or early second-round. A trade down to a pick around No.10 could give the Eagles an extra pick in the early second-round that may provide another starting quality player to contribute to the team immediately. Such a trade will give the Eagles more options high in the draft, which utilizes the great depth of talent in this year’s draft class.

Who Would Be Willing to Trade?

Luke Joeckel of Texas A&M is a front-runner for the 1st overall pick.

Teams that are in need of a starting offensive tackle will be looking to move up in this year’s draft, as there are three great OT prospects expected to go early. The Eagles need youth and depth at the Offensive Line, but with Peters and Herremans coming back from injury, a 4th pick would be a waste if used on a tackle this year. Luke Joeckel, Eric Fisher and Lane Johnson are all in high demand for many teams, and some teams will seriously consider trading with the Eagles for the 4th pick and the likelihood of selecting one of these players. These teams are the Miami Dolphins (No.12), Arizona Cardinals (No.7) and the San Diego Chargers (No.11). Each of these teams desperately require a starting tackle in this year’s draft, and the No.4 pick is a great way for them to fill the need.

What Could Each Team Offer?

Note – For the draft pick trades, I am using the chart used by GMs to value each pick numerically. The chart can be found here.

Arizona Cardinals – In the first three rounds, the Cardinals hold the 7th overall pick, the 38th overall pick (2nd round) and the 69th overall pick (3rd round). This means that their first three picks hold a value of 2265 ‘points’. The Eagles hold No.4 (1800 points) and thus it would be unlikely for the Eagles to move just down to No.7, as they would not gain much in other rounds.

The best potential move:

Eagles get; Pick #7 (1), Pick #38 (2), Pick #140(5).

Cardinals get; Pick #4 (1), Pick #67 (3)

Miami Dolphins - The Dolphins would be a great candidate as they hold four picks in Rounds 2 & 3 altogether, as well as the 12th overall and several in the later rounds. The Dolphins’ star OT Jake Long left to the Rams this offseason; so Miami needs a new starting tackle to replace him. Using the draft pick value chart, here is the best potential trade scenario for these two teams.

The best potential move:

Eagles get; Pick #12 (1), Pick #42 (2), Pick #82 (3), Pick #146 (5).

Dolphins get; Pick #4(1), Pick #101 (4)

San Diego Chargers – The Chargers also have little talent at the tackle position and need to come out of the draft with a starting quality tackle. They hold the 11th pick, 45th pick, 76th pick and several in the later rounds.

The best potential move:

Eagles get; Pick #11 (1), Pick #45 (2), Pick #110 (4), Pick #145 (5).

Chargers get; Pick #4 (1), Pick #210 (7)

Which Is The Best Move?

All three provide good compensation for the Eagles moving down, however I feel that the Dolphins trade gives the Eagles the best value in the upcoming draft. Many analysts believe that the 2nd and 3rd rounds hold the best value for this year’s draft class; and in the Dolphins trade the Eagles receive an extra 2nd and 3rd to provide great depth in their draft selections. However, whichever way the Eagles decide to go, the 4th overall pick is a great position to be in; and a trade down will bring great value and compensation in any scenario.