Philadelphia Eagles Targeting Geno Smith?

[PhillyFlyers]

Reports out of Philly that the Eagles held a private workout with Geno Smith with new coach Chip Kelly, general manager Howie Roseman, and owner Jeffrey Lurie all in attendance.

The trio then flew down together to watch Smith's pro day workout.

Reports have said that during the private workout, Smith threw over 100 passes. Could the Eagles be targeting Geno Smith in the draft?

It looks like it.

[pavyracer]

My sources have him going to the Raiders. Who is your sources Philly?

[Cuse0323]

Save the Raiders from taking him and move up Philly, please.

[PhillyFlyers]

My sources have him going to the Raiders. Who is your sources Philly?

Pavy

The Philly sports media. It was all over the radio yesterday when they worked him out. It was said they had Geno throw on the run a lot to judge his mobility.

Apparently, if you want to be a QB for Chip Kelly, one of the requirements is that you must be mobile. They said that Smith himself reported that the Philly workout was one of the toughest he's ever had to go through.

They made him throw on the run a lot apparently. He only threw 62 passes in his pro day workout but threw over 100 passes for the Eagles. By the way, in his pro day workout he completed 60 of those 62 passes.

The Eagles are apparently very high on this kid.

[PhillyFlyers]

Save the Raiders from taking him and move up Philly, please.

I heard the Raiders are targeting that LT if he's available. Luke Joeckel. Heard Pryor is the front runner for the starting QB position in Oakland and that they were going to get rid of Palmer for cap space purposes.

[C-Gold]

If Oakland starts Pryor they will almost certainly be picking in the top 3 next year.

[seaborneq]

If Oakland starts Pryor they will almost certainly be picking in the top 3 next year.

The first pick of the 2014 NFL is going to be a Raider regardless.

[Vinnie Paz]

Luke joeckel is going #1, lets get that outta the way from now

As for my eagles, I think we definitely take geno at 4, if not then it's Dion Jordan of Oregon. I think geno would fit nicely though.

[C-Gold]

The first pick of the 2014 NFL is going to be a Raider regardless.

There are people in Jacksonville that would disagree with you. Plus how many people besides me picked the Eagles in last place to have a high draft pick?

If the Raiders start JeMarcus Russell's little brother they will certainly have a top pick.

[EaglesPhan36]

Not sure what to think here. Thought first maybe this was smoke and mirrors play again like they did with the coaching search, but it's not like three teams above Philly are really going to be looking at Smith IMO, so maybe this is their guy. Not sure I'm uber excited about using the #4 pick on him, but if he's the guy - he's the guy.

[C-Gold]

There is no way Geno Smith lasts behind Buffalo and Arizona.

Philly does have dibs on him and new regimes ideally want new QB's. I highly doubt Chip Kelly wants Vick for the long haul. Foles is a WC offense guy. He's said good things about him but he probably does want a more athletic guy.

QB's are hard to peg in the draft because teams use smoke screens. Does anybody think Matt Barkely will be picked above Geno Smith or right around him?

[Mitchell88]

I also think that Geno goes to Philly, he fits their system and can be a number 2 and eventually a 1 if matures enough

[EaglesPhan36]

I highly doubt Chip Kelly wants Vick for the long haul.

That's a no brainer. The guy is already fragile and aging. He's not going to get better, but depending on the system - he's a stop gap at the position for a year at worse.

Draft 101 for me is always that you don't take a guy in a spot where he's not the best player on the board just because he's a position you need. Obviously teams don't adhere to that, they take their guy. I just think at #4, there are better players at positions that Philly needs just as much as a QB. You waste high picks on questionable QBs or any position really, you wind up still looking for a QB for the next draft and the one after that.

[cftball2011]

They have Vick no way.

[C-Gold]

That's a no brainer. The guy is already fragile and aging. He's not going to get better, but depending on the system - he's a stop gap at the position for a year at worse.

Draft 101 for me is always that you don't take a guy in a spot where he's not the best player on the board just because he's a position you need. Obviously teams don't adhere to that, they take their guy. I just think at #4, there are better players at positions that Philly needs just as much as a QB. You waste high picks on questionable QBs or any position really, you wind up still looking for a QB for the next draft and the one after that.

I agree with taking the BPA but QB is different. A franchise QB is worth so much more than any other position. If you have a chance to take a franchise QB I think it's worth it. In some ways even if you flame out it's ok too. If you draft Jemarcus Russell then ok, 2 years later you are taking your chances with a new guy. What really screws you up is if your guy is above average. Is Sam Bradford the answer in St Louis? Is he going to win a championship? Would you get rid of him at this point?

[C-Gold]

They have Vick no way.

Vick will be what 33 this year? He made an entire career on running. If you took away his legs and he was a pocket passer he would be among the worst in the league. But he has legs, for how long? He's 33 and isn't getting any faster. So his biggest asset is diminishing.

That doesn't even factor in his piss poor leadership and his injury history. He came into the league about 12 years ago and has finished exactly 1 healthy season. In the past he's had a 50/50 chance of starting 10 games. The simple fact is that he cannot be relied upon.

How does Geno fit with Chip's system. Geno isn't slow but I don't really see him as a runner. He also holds onto the ball too long and Chip likes to run a fast paced offense.

[kfranz31]

waste of a draft pick

[EaglesPhan36]

I agree with taking the BPA but QB is different. A franchise QB is worth so much more than any other position. If you have a chance to take a franchise QB I think it's worth it. In some ways even if you flame out it's ok too. If you draft Jemarcus Russell then ok, 2 years later you are taking your chances with a new guy. What really screws you up is if your guy is above average. Is Sam Bradford the answer in St Louis? Is he going to win a championship? Would you get rid of him at this point?

Just my opinion, I don't think Geno is a franchise QB. So spending #4 on him in a weak QB draft seems very wasteful. If Kelly is running anything like his Oregon offense, there's not going to be a guy rated high among the QBs coming out who is going to be the ideal fit. And in an offense where speed and blocking scheme seems more important than having the best pocket presence/arm - I think he'd be able to find a QB later in the draft almost every year coming out of college who has the skill set he'd be looking for in a QB for that system. Certainly they won't be quite as good as Geno arm strength wise, etc. - but again depends on exactly how this offense is being built as to what they really need. I'd much rather fill a need on O-line or get the best corner in the draft than overspend on Geno.

[C-Gold]

Just my opinion, I don't think Geno is a franchise QB. So spending #4 on him in a weak QB draft seems very wasteful. If Kelly is running anything like his Oregon offense, there's not going to be a guy rated high among the QBs coming out who is going to be the ideal fit. And in an offense where speed and blocking scheme seems more important than having the best pocket presence/arm - I think he'd be able to find a QB later in the draft almost every year coming out of college who has the skill set he'd be looking for in a QB for that system. Certainly they won't be quite as good as Geno arm strength wise, etc. - but again depends on exactly how this offense is being built as to what they really need. I'd much rather fill a need on O-line or get the best corner in the draft than overspend on Geno.

I don't think Geno is a franchise QB either.

The thing is new regimes usually bring in new QB's early in their tenure. Does he want Vick/Foles who are Reid's guys? When in doubt I also think they go for the QB. I don't know if Chip Kelly has a long leash or not but if they go 6-10 next year then I don't know how long he will last. People just think he is a spurrier guy who won't work in the pros.

Wouldn't Johnny Football be a good fit for his offense because he might be available next year. Also why does everybody assume he will be running Oregon's offense in the pros? He might run a fast paced no huddle offense but I highly doubt he will be running exactly the same offense. With that being said the NFL did get more Collegey last year with read option.

This draft class does look weak especially at the top. Kalil would be easily the #1 pick this year and he was 4th last year. Luck and Griffin would easily without saying be top picks this year. Trent Richardson is easily better than any top RB this year by a lot. People are equating Geno Smith and Barkley to Tannehil and Weeden who went 8 and in the 22.

[Vinnie Paz]

Jake fukkin locker went in top 10 didn't he? I know Blaine fukkin gabbert did. Bottom line, this day & age I see teams drafting more for immediate need and not the "value" pick, which is what geno is, an immediate need. There's 0 chance he's there round 2 when we pick. Manziel could even go #1, can't just bank on getting a good spot next season too, if the opportunity presents itself to grab a qb you take it imo...remember this roster isn't chips guys, these are Reid's leftovers. Although, he's expressed much interest in wanting to coach foles so maybe he sticks with him...apparently, Dion Jordan is #1 on their big board too, that's a legit chip Kelly guy, if I had to put $ on it I say they take him at 4.

[C-Gold]

Jake Locker was the projected #1 going into his senior year but slipped. Why was he the projected #1?

He's big.
He has a strong arm
He's mobile.
He had success in college.

Matt Barkley was the projected #1 this year but will certainly slip. Why? People say his size but he's actually bigger than Geno Smith. I was extremely impressed in his as a Freshman. He never had that deer in headlights, he was so poised coming from high school to starting games as a freshman for USC.

You know what I don't like about Matt Barkley? He had everything handed to him. Just like busts Leinhart and Sanchez. These guys had everything given to them. They had top talent around them, the coaching, the schedule, there was no struggle. They were expected to win and they won but they had it all. Look at what guys like Jay Cutler had in college? His team was so much worse than the SEC teams he was playing against. That's struggle. He had to fight to even compete. He was an underdog in most games. Barkley was playing on teams where he was a heavy favorite for much of his college career.

[Vinnie Paz]

No guarantee hell actually run that offense, from what I've heard/read, they'll have a package of it & that's it. Offense supposed to be similar to new Englands scheme...dual tight ends, short quick passes at an uptempo pace. I think geno would do well in a system like that, not sure how often they'll be throwing their qb to the wolves, we all saw what happened with Griffin....

[EaglesPhan36]

Just seems like a case of pushing a square peg into a circular hole with Geno as the #4 pick. The history of guys getting drafted higher than their probable value is lengthy and riddled with more misses than hits at the QB position I think. I think it's far fetched in any case to think everything is going to click with Kelly in the 1st year and that this team is going to be much more than a .500 floater. There is a lot of changeover on defense and you've got all the new coordinators trying to figure out the personnel. The one thing I hope to God that Kelly does is run the damn ball with whatever base offense he uses. McCoy has been wasted IMO the past couple years. Between him, Bryce Brown and a guy like Dion Lewis or Chris Polk - they have a good group of backs who need to be getting lots of carries. I also see Desean Jackson getting a lot more work no matter what the offense looks like. Kelly likes speed and tempo and that's your quickest player, you gotta find him in screens, end-arounds, etc. Gonna be an interesting season for sure.

I'm definitely skeptical of the hire and what Kelly will be able to achieve, but it was definitely time for a changing of the guard because no matter what the players said - they quit to some extent last year. They all spoke well of Reid, but I think his system was stale at least for that team. For all the skill on offense, they never should have been a colossal failure offensively like they were last year. Turnovers a big part, but they lacked explosive plays/imagination and didn't utilize their best guy in McCoy.

If nothing else, I am hoping Kelly brings some imagination to the team offensively that utilizes the skill players they have right now who are all in their primes. Maclin. Jackson. McCoy. With those three guys, you have to find a way to score a lot of points or you are a failure.

[Vinnie Paz]

Still think Dion Jordan's the guy , still very raw but once he turns the corner he could easily be a top edge rusher in the NFL. Who knows how much longer we keep Cole too right, plus he's Kelly's guy....either that or the best tackle we can get , yet to address fa o linemen too

[EaglesPhan36]

I wouldn't be mad with Jordan. With the way they are re-shifting the defense to be a hybrid/maybe more 3-4ish D ... he'd fit well. I think it says a lot that Barkley and Smith are the only 1st round QBs in most mocks right now and I think they're going to be drafted way too high by someone - I'd prefer the someone be a team other than the Eagles.

[Vinnie Paz]

In the end, I agree with that ep...wouldn't be fuming if we took him though, if we dont I really hope nick foles start.

[EaglesPhan36]

I mean I think as a fan, we'd be fooling ourselves to think that Kelly is going to come in and turn this ship around overnight. Reid let this barge drag with the anchor down for a few years, so there is a lot of fixing to be done. I don't see any reason though with all the pieces on offense and the supposed brilliant mind coming in - that this team shouldn't at least be exciting offensively if they stay healthy. There is just too much there not to put up points if you have a good scheme.

I think kind of lost in all this Geno hype is that it has been mostly defense that Philly went after in free agency. Maybe they're done fixing that before the draft, but I wouldn't be shocked if the defensive focus continues in the draft too - getting that premiere player with the #4 pick. Jordan or the 'Bama corner.

[C-Gold]

my thoughts on the Eagles.

Reid was one of the best coaches in the NFC but he was not good at play calling. He knows how to set up a system and put people in positions for success but NO, he couldn't call 3rd and 1. His clock management was terrible. You can fix that stuff. Let Marty call the plays. People can do that stuff but not everybody can set up an offense. Look at the success of the QB's in his offense.

Vick was the coach killer in my opinion. He's a terrible leader. People swear he has so much potential and there are a number of low class black fans that will always have his back no matter what. If Vick fails it's his lines fault, or his receivers fault or his coaches fault. That's been the story for his 12 year career. It's always somebody elses fault whenever something goes wrong because Vick is #1 and it certainly couldn't be his fault. Vick is the problem. He's not a winner. He was a turnover machine. He's always hurt. Get rid of him. They signed him for nothing and could have traded him for something and that would have been a win. Making him the franchise guy at his age and with his history was a huge huge mistake.

McCoy and Jackson are both fast/quick. I agree they need to be featured in Chip's offense. Have Jackson in motion for end arounds and fake end arounds. Stretch defenses out. Make them defend the entire field.

Everything I've read says the Eagles interviewed lots of coaches and wanted lots of perspectives on how to fix the team. Kelly must have had an appealing plan. The NFL moved backwards and moved more towards the college game. Kelly was a thought leader in the college game and Bellicheck came to him for advice on how to run an up tempo offense. It was certainly a higher risk higher reward coaching hire.

I'd don't buy the Andy was stale, andy was there forever andy had to go argument. People said the same crap about Coughlin before he won the super bowl and then did it again. If you have one of the best coaches you don't let him go period.

I am not sold on Dion Jordan. Most people would say he's not the 4th best player in the country. Remember when Pete Carrol picked Earl Thomas instead of Taylor Mays?

The defensive coordinator was terrible. Was he there for diversity? Other teams scored at will on them. He was worse than Castillo running that wide 9. Now they are moving to a 3-4. I hate changing schemes because some of your players end up useless and you have to roll over talent. If the new coach is going to be there a long time it can make sense. If not you end up wasting players in the great transition every few years.

[Vinnie Paz]

Indy colts interested in Jeremy maclin....

[Uprise]

lock

[PhillyFlyers]

Mel Kiper has the Eagles taking Geno Smith in his latest mock draft.

Kind of weird to me because Smith doesn't seem like a Chip Kelly kind of QB.

If they draft Smith, what would be the point of keeping Vick around? Obviously, if they drafted Smith at #4 they would be looking for him to be the starter.

Sould be an interesting draft anyway.

[TobiasFunke]

Mel Kiper has the Eagles taking Geno Smith in his latest mock draft.

Kind of weird to me because Smith doesn't seem like a Chip Kelly kind of QB.

If they draft Smith, what would be the point of keeping Vick around? Obviously, if they drafted Smith at #4 they would be looking for him to be the starter.

Sould be an interesting draft anyway.

Just saw McShay has them getting Star Lotulelei??? Makes no sense to me

[rcene]

Smith sucks. He will be another bust.

Any team stupid enough to waste a high draft pick on him deserves what they get

[PhillyFlyers]

Smith sucks. He will be another bust.

Any team stupid enough to waste a high draft pick on him deserves what they get

I agree. I don't see the value of taking Smith so high. Maybe the guy turns out to be a superstar, wins multiple Super Bowls, and proves everyone wrong but I just don't have that feeling about him.

[Scorpion]

another dumb running qb just like cunningham, mcnabb, vick akili smith, kordell stewart,...