What the impact the CowGirls winning in Philly ON A MEANINGLESS GAME (BARELY against our backups) has on the Cowboys's Draft value.

How Draft Positioning Works

From Wikipedia, the relevant lines are:

1. Teams that did not make the playoffs are ordered by their regular-season record.
2. Remaining ties are broken by strength of schedule. For draft order, a lower strength of schedule results in an earlier pick.

So, head-to-head matchups do NOT matter in determining draft position.

Draft Order

SOS from ESPN

Implications

Using an approximate draft value spreadsheet, if the Cowboys had been in the 6th draft position for all rounds (excluding the 7th round pick they used on Brent), they would have a value of 2516. Dropping to the 9th draft position for all rounds, they have a value of 2210.3.

So, a drop from 6th to 9th equates to:

2516 - 2210.3 = 305.7 (late 2nd rounder)

Using a different draft value spreadsheet, if the Cowboys had been in the 6th draft position for all rounds, they would have a value of 2648.8. Dropping to the 9th draft position for all rounds, they have a value of 2293.9.

For this draft value spreadsheet, a drop from 6th to 9th equates to:

2648.8 - 2293.9 = 354.9 (late-mid 2nd rounder)

So, the win drops the whole Cowboys's draft value by about a late 2nd round pick. (~24-29th pick in the 2nd round).

Of course, some of you might say that the biggest drop is in the 1st round (and you'd be right). 

picture via phillysportscentral.com

People thought Andy Reid took a huge risk and lost when he deactivated linebacker Omar Gaither against Dallas, leaving rookie Jamar Chaney as the only option behind Stewart Bradley. When Bradley got knocked out of the game so early with an elbow injury, in went 7th round pick Chaney for his first defensive snaps of the season.

But this move isn't even being questioned by Eagle fans now, after Chaney made 16 tackles in his starting debut Sunday against the Giants in the team's miraculous comeback.

Chaney has now led the defense in tackles for two consecutive games, with 23 overall. He's only six-feet tall and weighs just 242 pounds, but Chaney flies to the football. He's alway in the right place on playing against the run, and didn't do to bad against the pass last sunday. 

He spearheaded a defensive effort that held running backs Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs to 100 total rushing yards on 31 carries after the Giants had rushed for more than 400 yards total in their past two games.

"I think I played pretty good. There's always stuff you can improve on," Chaney said. "One thing Coach (Sean) McDermott and (linebackers) Coach (Bill) Shuey make sure I do is play fast and physical and no matter what I make sure I play fast and physical throughout the whole game and let it go from there."

Bradley remains sidelined for the final two games of the regular season but is expected to be available for the playoffs. Chaney expected to play well in Bradley's place, but to be a major factor in the franchise's greatest comeback ever is unbelievable and definitely worth taking a stronger look at.

He couldn't have foreseen that along with most Eagle fans. I posted a blog hyping Chaney up, but he really impressed me again. (10 billion times the Dallas game.)

"If you ask me, I wouldn't have thought I would have had 16 tackles in my first start," he said. "I prepared real hard for games. I've prepared real hard even when Stew was playing, just in case I had to go in. I just wanted to maximize my opportunity."

Not bad for a long shot subbing for an injured starter. The question for me is, did Chaney play well enough to take the job from Bradley??? Or should we keep both on the field and shake up our linebacker situation???

What do you think???????????????????????????

Get to know our current MLB - Jamar Chaney 
LB #51 (was 49)

 
Height: 6’1" Weight: 242 Born: 10-11-86 in Fort Pierce

Florida College: Mississippi State University Drafted: 220 (7) 

Chaney came out of high school ranked by Rivals as the 26th ranked outside linebacker in the country. His first collegiate choice was the University of Georgia, but he was later denied when they felt that his SAT score of 1260 was too good for his 2.9 GPA. His scholarship was rescinded and he chose Mississippi State over the likes of the University of Florida. He played in every game his freshman year and started three of them on the weak side. By his sophomore year, he was starting full time on the weak side. He started each game his junior season at middle linebacker, but during his senior season, he was lost for the year with a broken bone in his leg. He was awarded a medical redshirt and came back for his fifth year, absolutely excelling in the middle. He led the team with 90 tackles, including 4.5 for a loss with 1.5 sacks. Through the air, he picked off 2 passes and broke up 2 more. He added 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovered and 4 hurries to his senior stat board. 

He came into the draft as anywhere from a 3rd – 6th round pick, with a bright future appearing over the horizon after his NFL Combine performance where he embarrassed the other linebackers. He posted a 4.54 second 40 yard dash time (first among all invited linebackers), a 39 inch vertical leap, 26 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, and a 4.29 second short shuttle. Come draft day, he managed to fall all the way to the 7th round where the Eagles promptly traded up to grab him. 

I feel that we got a huge steal in Jamar Chaney, who I claimed, previous to the draft, is arguably one of the best linebacker from this draft class. Obviously, the value from which he was chosen indicates otherwise, but I do feel like his talents will be shown off at the next level. He’s a very instinctive linebacker who always seems to seek out the right place to be. On a misdirection or a screen, he’s always the first man to the ball and never seems to be fooled by the opponent’s playbook. Against the run, he uses his long arms and athleticism to fend off blockers and clog holes that at one time seemed to be open. His read-and-react time is fantastic with great range from sideline-to-sideline. Against the pass, he struggles to find the ball in the air, but has not shown many issues when having to cover a tight end or running back. As of now, Chaney projects best to the middle linebacker position, but he does have the ability to play each position in this linebacker corps. However, his least suitable position is on the strong side until he adds a little more muscle onto his body.

I know everyone is concerned about the running game with the Giants this weekend, so here is a Chaney

against the run video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LMZmeY-kgo&feature=related

against the pass video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6FErsTC47s

2010 Combine Video: http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-combine/09000d5d816e345a

 The New York Giants have suffered another huge blow as wide receiver Steve Smith will undergo season-ending knee surgery. This is huge for the upcoming Giants Eagles game for the NFC East Title!!! Smith apparently underwent an MRI to his left knee on Tuesday and the team announced he suffered an articular cartilage injury to his knee when he was awkwardly tackled from behind in the Vikings game on Monday.

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/news/story?id=5922009

Apparently Derrick Burgess was resigned today. Just saw via Wikipedia. I thought Darl Tapp was going to get his time to shine, which I know he will get more playing time regardless.

This also shows that our 3rd round 86 overall pick on Daniel Te'o-Nesheim was a joke. I really wished we used that pick at LB or for the offensive line. It didn't make sense to me then or now.

Hopefullly Burgess will contribute, but we still have a HUUUGE HOLD AT LB with Bradley out. LB, CB, and Oline must be addressed in the draft early next year.

Professional career

Philadelphia Eagles

Burgess was drafted in the third round (63rd overall) by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2001 NFL Draft. He appeared in all 16 games as a rookie and had six sacks. In 2002, however, he broke his foot in the first game of the season and missed the rest of the year. He then missed all of 2003 due to a torn achilles tendon.

He returned healthy in 2004 and started 12 regular season games for the Eagles, recording 2.5 sacks. He had more success in the postseason, where he recorded three quarterback sacks, including the Eagles' only sack in Super Bowl XXXIX against the Patriots.

Oakland Raiders

Burgess was signed by the Raiders prior to the 2005 season, and was originally slated to be a backup. By the middle of the season, he worked his way into the lineup thanks to his success as a pass rusher; most notably, he had six quarterback sacks over a three-game span. He became particularly successful at the end of the season and recorded nine over the final seven games of the year; the last sack would break Sean Jones' team record for sacks in a single season. His 16 sacks overall led the NFL and earned him his first Pro Bowl bid. Burgess finished the 2006 season with 11 sacks and earned a second Pro Bowl bid. Even though Burgess dealt with a nagging calf injury all year, he finished 2007 with eight sacks and 40 tackles.

On December 23, 2007, Burgess and teammate Warren Sapp were involved in an altercation with NFL referees near the end of the second quarter of the Raiders' game at Jacksonville.[1] The incident began when linesman Jerry Bergman mistakenly assumed that the Raiders wished to decline a Jacksonville ten-yard penalty. Sapp, the defensive captain, began speaking with referee Jerome Boger, indicating that the Raiders instead wished to accept the penalty. The conversation became heated, with Sapp gesturing and swearing. This resulted in an unsportsmanlike conduct call by Boger against Sapp. Sapp and his defensive teammates continued interacting with the officials after the penalty was called, resulting in a second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Sapp and another unsportsmanlike conduct penalty assessed against Burgess. Finally, the coaches and officiating staff entered the field and began physically separating and removing the arguing players. Boger claimed that during this time Sapp "bumped" him; Sapp denies making physical contact. Regardless, at this point Boger levied a third unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Sapp and ejected him from the game. Sapp did not play in the second half and was eventually fined $75,000 by the NFL; Burgess received a $25,000 fine.[2]

Burgess played in and started 10 games for the Raiders in 2008, recording 3.5 sacks. Entering the final year of his contract, Burgess failed to report to the team's training camp in August 2009 and was placed on the Did Not Report list. He was traded to the New England Patriots on August 6.

New England Patriots

On August 6, 2009, the Patriots traded their original third- and fourth-round selections in the 2010 NFL Draft to the Raiders in exchange for Burgess. The trade was made on the condition that, because the Patriots had already traded their fifth-round selection, the fourth-round selection sent to Oakland would become a fifth-round selection once the Patriots re-acquired one.[3] Later that month, the Patriots traded defensive lineman Le Kevin Smith to the Denver Broncos along with a seventh-round pick (acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles) to theDenver Broncos in exchange for the Broncos' fifth-round pick, which was sent to Oakland for the Patriots' original fourth-round pick.[4]

Burgess played in all 16 games for the Patriots in 2009, starting six. He finished the season with 35 tackles and five sacks. He became an unrestricted free agent following the season and was re-signed by the Patriots on May 14, 2010. However, Burgess did not report to Patriots training camp, and was placed on the Reserve/Did Not Report list on July 29, 2010. He was reinstated to the active roster on August 13, the day after the Patriots' first preseason game. He was released during final cuts on September 4, 2010.

Philadelphia Eagles

Burgess was re-signed by the Eagles on December 14, 2010.

Reuben Frank of the Burlington County Times is reporting that the Eagles have contacted the Bills about running back Marshawn Lynch. This indicates that the outlook for LeSean McCoy and his fractured rib might be worse than thought.

Lynch has been the No. 1 runner in the Bills’ crowded backfield this season, though many believe the team is simply showcasing the fourth-year pro in an effort to increase his trade value. (Such a tactic is common in baseball but not common in the short-seasoned, win-now-at-all-costs NFL.)

Despite being Buffalo’s top runner, Lynch has just 37 carries for 164 yards on the season. He lost a fumble Sunday in the disaster against the Jets and finished the day with only eight yards on four carries. Lynch, a first-round pick out of Cal, rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons as a pro. 

I

Madden update! Vick has gone from 75 to 85 starting this Friday! (Currently at 80 overall)

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Protection is No. 1 in this league. If you can't protect your quarterback, like during the Cowboys games last season, it doesn't matter how good you are offensively. (That and it took McNabb an hour to throw the ball, hence Vicks TD to Maclin) If your QB gets beaten up, you're not going to be successful. A two-tight end package widens those great defensive ends. It allows you to chip block on your way out and slow those guys down.

It also balances the field so you can go either way when you run the ball. There are a lot of advantages to it. But it all starts with keeping your quarterback upright and out of the dirt!

So... is Cornelius Ingram our answer to increased offensive production and protection for Kolb?  Kolb is characterized as being a more short surgical passer, and shifting to a 'two tight end set' with Ingram could be more frequent in next years Eagles playbook.

Ingram was projected an early round before his ACL tear, then projected a 4th round due to injury, and the Eagles nabbed him in the 5th round of last year. He could be this years brake out player, and has been forgotten since his injury during training camp last year.

When he was lost prior to his senior season at Florida, Gator fans were crushed because no one in the SEC (home of America's best college football, thank you very much) had an answer for him. At 6'4", he is too tall for a corner, yet is just as athletic. At 245 pounds, he isn't as big as a linebacker, but he can out run them. Because of his physical advantages (too fast for LBs, too big for CBs), he was often wide open.  Ingram won't run away from many [DBs], because he prefers to run them over.

NFL Comparison: Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers

Antonio Gates: Height: 6-4 Weight: 260

Cornelius Ingram: Height: 6-4 Weight: 245

 (Brent Celek: Height: 6-4 Weight: 255)

The Oakland Raiders have released former No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell after three unproductive and highly paid seasons.

Senior executive John Herrera told The Associated Press the move was made Thursday and that "we wish him well."

The decision comes less than two weeks after Oakland acquired Jason Campbell from Washington to take over at quarterback.

Russell will now likely be considered the biggest draft bust in NFL history. He will have been paid more than $39 million by the Raiders, while producing only seven wins as a starter.

Article from :  Delaware online at http://blogs.delawareonline.com/eagles/2010/05/05/hanson-wants-chance-to-start/

There is concern – or should we say panic – that the Eagles’ plan to replace Sheldon Brown, the ironman cornerback who they traded to Cleveland this offseason, involves Ellis Hobbs, rookie Trevard Lindley or Marlin Jackson.

But there’s another, more experienced corner on the roster who thinks he should be given every chance to win the starting right cornerback opposite Pro Bowl left corner Asante Samuel.

Joselio Hanson said the job should be his to lose.

“Hey man, we’ve got a lot of new guys, a lot of athletic guys and a lot of hungry guys. I can’t wait until we get the pads on and we can really see who’s who,” Hanson told me, along with Mike Gill, on Monday during The Sports Bash on 97.3 FM ESPN.

“For my position, I’m trying to go in and to actually try to start for this team. I feel like I’ve been around long enough. I know the game, know the system inside and out and hopefully I can get a shot, you know?”

You can listen to the entire interview by clicking here.

Hanson took most of the first-team reps at right cornerback during the weekend minicamp but Hobbs was withheld from team drills as the team continues to be careful with his recovery. Lindley, a fourth-round pick, is still learning the playbook and not ready for starter reps. There was some sentiment from the coaches that Jackson and Macho Harris, each of which are competing at free safety but have cornerback pedigrees, could also enter the mix.

Hanson has more experience than any of them, but his season role as the team’s exclusive nickel corner for the past few years has created a perception that the team envisions him only as a slot cornerback and doesn’t think his strengths are on the outside.

Hanson insisted that he could be equally effective on the highway – even against the taller, physical wideouts of the NFC East – despite his 5-foot-9, 185-pound frame.

“I feel like I can be a great playmaker for this team, as long as I get the reps and I get out there playing with the guys,” said Hanson, the former Texas Tech corner who grew up idolizing Deion Sanders. “It actually had been Ellis Hobbs and me at practice in the whole minicamps, so I got a lot of practice with the ones. I felt good out there. I got my hands on a couple of balls and I felt like I did alright.”

Hanson, entering his sixth season with the Eagles, is the team’s longest-tenured corner and most glaring Cinderella story. Considered the longest of long shots to make the team out of training camp in 2006, he not only earned a roster spot but gradually worked his way from special-teams contributor to critical piece of the team’s nickel defense.

Former defensive coordinator Jim Johnson admired Hanson’s scratch-and-claw mentality, along with his lateral quickness and footwork across the middle. Hanson has also emerged into an effective blitzer from the slot. He has 2.5 sacks over the past three seasons, along with three interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

The Eagles already pay him like a starter. Last offseason, the rewarded him with a five-year, $21-million contract to keep him off the free-agent market.

When the coaches devised their practice plans for last weekend’s minicamp, Hanson said nobody had to tell him he’d be running with the starting defense.

“They didn’t tell me to go out there, it was just kind of an understanding,” he said. “You just know I’m the next guy in line, no matter what. I just stepped in. Nobody had to tell me anything. Asante knows I can play. Coach [Sean McDermott] knows I can pay. Hey, I’m just ready.”

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 Ok Eagle fanatics. All I do is play with our beloved Eagles on Madden, but this is the first year without McNabb that I will be playing. The team itself will dramatically be completely different. Last year, 2010, we were rank a high 88, but where do you think our team number will look like in 2011.

What are your thoughts????

Team Rankings:

• Bears: 79
• Bengals: 67
• Bills: 76
• Broncos: 70
• Browns: 68
• Buccaneers: 74
• Cardinals: 86
• Chargers: 88
• Chiefs: 69
• Colts: 87
• Cowboys: 85
• Dolphins: 77
• Eagles: 88
• Falcons: 81
• 49ers: 73
• Giants: 89
• Jags: 71
• Jets: 78
• Lions: 65
• Packers: 78
• Panthers: 83
• Patriots: 93
• Raiders: 71
• Rams: 66
• Ravens: 82
• Redskins: 79
• Saints: 74
• Seahawks: 77
• Steelers: 92
• Texans: 75
• Titans: 87
• Vikings: 80

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There were many questionable moves made in the draft that many here have become in denial about.

I am glad that the Eagles address the need to find someone running the end parallel to Trent Cole, and a possible future at Safety for years. ----HOWEVER!! I am shocked on some of the talent for O-line we let slip passed us in the 3rd and 4th round, that was 2nd round talent? NOT EVEN ONE PLAYER to fill in the hole at RT or RG??? We for sure have zero depth on the O-Line.

Reid wants to make the McNabb trade look genius with the emergence of Kolb. How can this be accomplished if Kolb will be picking himself out of the dirt after every play???

Thoughts???