The Eagles can never have too many EDGE stars, even if we are passing on Ferrell.
No one has to tell the Eagles about the importance of building in the trenches. That’s been the business model since Andy Reid was been pacing the sidelines.
Big Red selected guys that played other positions in Round 1 as well, but more often than not, an offensive or defensive lineman was certain to be the choice, even if those guys didn’t pan out.
Andy took Donovan McNabb in Round 1 back in1999. He took Freddie Mitchell, Lito Sheppard, and Jeremy Maclin in Round 1 during the 2001, 2002, and 2009 NFL Drafts, but those were the outliers. Look at his track record, and you see names like Corey Simon, Jerome McDougle, Brodrick Bunkley, and even Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox.
Howie Roseman has taken Reid’s blueprint and improved upon it. Philadelphia has made several moves over the past few years to strengthen itself in the trenches. The signing of Javon Hargrave comes to mind. So does the decision to draft Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Jake Driscoll, Milton Williams, Tarron Jackson, and Jordan Davis.
In short, even though no one has really connected any dots involving the Eagles or Ferrell, you can see where the idea comes from. How do we put this nicely though? It’s the right plan, but it involves the wrong guy.
Ferrell was drafted too high and hasn’t become what the Raiders have hoped he’d be. In 42 career regular-season games with 26 starts, he’s tallied 79 total tackles, eight sacks, and two forced fumbles. That isn’t what you’re looking for from the fourth player taken in any draft.
Think about it this way. Derek Barnett has been better. Take that how you want, but as you let that sink in, think of it this way. That should be all the convincing you need to steer yourselves away from any theory that involves Clelin Ferrell throwing on a midnight green or a kelly green jersey in 2023.