Derek Bodner’s Blog

The expectations for the Eagles heading into the draft were not overwhelming. With the 26th pick in the draft, you were looking to get a corner who when he learns the system could play the Nickel slot. Maybe draft a safety who could challenge Sean Considine, hardly a world beater. With a deficit of draft picks, moving up was not a likely probability. And while Tom Heckert had been quoted this week saying it would be hard for rookies to make the roster, knowing how the Eagles valued draft picks, trading down was a distinct possibility.

Nothing could have prepared you for what was next to come. And after giving it a few hours to sit back and let it sink in, I think I may be more confused.

It’s not just that Kevin Kolb is a quarterback. Sure, that’s part of it, and the defining basis for the confusion. But it runs much deeper than that. It’s the type of quarterback he is, and how that relates to McNabb’s current condition. I can understand if the Eagles are worried that McNabb’s injuries might have caught up with him, and there may be legitimate worries about this year. Those worries could be uncertainty of him starting the year, as he is coming off major surgery. They could be worried that McNabb may not finish the year, as he hasn’t in three of the last 5 hours. They could be thinking that McNabb may never be the same after this injury. However, Kevin Kolb is not the answer in any of these situations. He won’t be ready to fill these immediate roles, and barring an unforeseen development will be behind Feeley on the depth chart. Likewise, you cannot make this selection thinking McNabb will be a viable starting quarterback for 4+ years, as that would be an egregious waste of resources this high in the draft.

The only way this pick makes sense is if they expect Kolb to play in 2-3 years. And if that’s the Eagles thinking with this pick, fans should start worrying. If Eagles management thinks this team is at the point talent-wise that they don’t have pressing holes to fill, then they have mis-evaluated the talent on the team. Regardless of how long McNabb’s tenure as an Eagle lasts, a viable scenario where this pick works out is hazy at best. If McNabb is the starting quarterback for another 2 years, this Eagles team needs to be using its resources to make another run, as there is virtually always a transition period when a quarterback first becomes a starter. And there are definitely holes to be filled in the short term on this team. However, I find it far more likely that either McNabb never truly recovers from his injury, or that he plays another 4-5 years of good football. Either outcome and this pick becomes a disaster.

Keep in mind this is not coming from my opinion of Kolb. I have not seen enough film of Kolb to make an accurate assessment. What I have seen, I can definitely see the intrigue. I just do not think he was the right pick, and to make matters worse, I do not see this as a value pick. At 26, the draft had not gone to the Eagles plan. I do, however, still think there were players available both with more long-term upside, and certainly with more potential to contribute immediately. With players like Alan Branch, Greg Olsen, Paul Psoluszny, and Eric Weddle all more highly rated prospects, and at a position of need, this pick was neither a need pick nor a value pick. By most accounts heading into the draft, the Eagles could have been looking at Kolb in the third round, or at the earliest with their late second round pick had they been that enamored with him as a prospect. By all accounts, at this point in the draft, they were bidding against themselves for his services. After heading into the draft with the 26th pick, the Eagles lost an opportunity to add badly needed resources to their roster.