Eagles Draft Buzz Thread: 4/24


Marcus Mariota. Photo courtesy of USA Today.

Marcus Mariota. Photo courtesy of USA Today.

Between now and the draft, we’ll have daily threads with the latest mocks, buzz and relevant links. Check back throughout the day for updates.

5:13 p.m.: It looks like the Eagles will allow Chris Polk to find a new home.

Polk had yet to sign his low tender from the Eagles that would have paid him about $1.5 million in 2015. It’s understandable if his desire was to move on given that he was looking at a limited role once again with DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles on the roster.

3:13 p.m.: Mike Francesa is the latest to add fuel to the Marcus Mariota talk. From Jimmy Kempski:

“I happened to be chatting with some folks in the NFL about the draft. This is from a pretty credible source. There is a route being paved by the Eagles to actually go after Mariota. I was not convinced there was, because of how much it would cost, but he has actually tried to create a lane, Chip Kelly, to get from 20 to the top of the draft…

“I’ll just lay the one out for you that I actually heard. The Cleveland Browns have the 12 and the 19 and they’re interested in Bradford. They’re interested in Bradford. It would include Manziel going back to the Eagles and Bradford going to the Browns, the 12 and the 19 going to the (Eagles), the 20 going to the (Browns)… one spot doesn’t make much difference, but that was the trade as explained to me… and Manziel’s contract going to the Eagles.

“If (Kelly) could do that and move up, and give two ones, and next year’s one, to move up that high, they’d be giving up three ones to get that high into the draft, and maybe a player. Do the mathematics on it. It would include next year’s one and two ones.”

3:05 p.m.: Josh Norris joined Breakfast on Broad and predicted that the Eagles will draft Penn State offensive lineman Donovan Smith (6-6, 338) in Round 1.

“The more I’m hearing, the more he is going to be a top 50 selection,” he said. “Chip Kelly really doesn’t care about value. He doesn’t care if a guy is being listed in the first round. He wants somebody to fit his scheme. And Donovan Smith, while I don’t think he’s a top 50 talent in this draft, kind of checks all the boxes here for what Kelly is looking for.”

2:53 p.m.: Oklahoma cornerback Julian Wilson has worked out for the Eagles, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.

Wilson has prototypical size at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds with 32 3/8 arms and 9 1/4 hands.

Wilson ran the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds at his campus Pro Day workout and bench pressed 225 pounds 15 times.

At the NFL scouting combine, Wilson ran a 4.58 and had a 36-inch vertical leap.

An Academic All-Big 12 selection, Wilson started nine games at cornerback last season for the Sooners before missing the Russell Athletic Bowl against Clemson due to an injury. He finished the season with 39 tackles and one interception

10:08 a.m.: Matt Brown of Sports On Earth put together an NFL Draft All-Sleeper Team, which includes Penn State linebacker Mike Hull and Stanford corner Alex Carter.

Hull was strangely overlooked on the awards circuit, and now he’s overlooked as a prospect, but he was the centerpiece of an excellent Penn State defense that finished third nationally in yards per play allowed. While not a great athlete, Hull proved himself as an instinctive linebacker who excelled in pass coverage in addition to being steady against the run.

Always underappreciated, Carter was among the steadiest cornerbacks in college football, even if he was overshadowed by players like Ifo Ekpre-Olomu and Marcus Peters in the Pac-12. He didn’t post big numbers, but he has good size and simply didn’t give up many plays for one of the nation’s top defenses.

9:13 a.m. Where will Marcus Mariota ultimately land? The personnel people Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report talked to were all in agreement.

I spoke to five NFL personnel men about where they believed Mariota would go in the upcoming draft, and all believed he’d be picked by Tennessee. Every one. No hesitation.

The differences in the responses came with how they thought the Titans would select Mariota. Three of the sources believed the Titans would stay at No. 2 and take him there. The other two thought the Titans would trade with Washington, which would take USC’s Leonard Williams at No. 2, leaving the Titans to pick Mariota at No. 5—one spot before the quarterback-thirsty Jets.

9:05 a.m.: Mark Eckel of NJ.com relays the whispers he’s hearing on the Mariota trade front.

How about quarterback Sam Bradford,defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, linebacker Mychal Kendricks and that 20th pick? Is that enough?

That trade, which would be with the Tennessee Titans, owners of the No. 2 overall pick, and may also include the Cleveland Browns — but could work without them — is what was being discussed and dissected in some team’s meetings Thursday. All 32 NFL teams have convened with the start of the draft one week away.

One rumor, making its rounds in NFL personnel meetings, has the Eagles dealing Bradford to the Browns for the 19th overall pick. It’s been widely reported that the Browns offered that 19th pick to the St. Louis Rams for Bradford before the Rams traded him to the Eagles for Nick Foles and a 2016 second-round pick. Despite reports that Bradford, in the final year of his contract, would not sign an extension with Cleveland, the Browns are said to still have interest.