Well, this has been an eventful week. The teams with returning coaches were allowed to begin Phase 1 of their offseason workout program. That includes the Philadelphia Eagles. Monday doubled as the first day of NFL Draft Week and the first day the Birds were back at the NovaCare Complex.
That same day, news broke of Cam Jurgens' four-year extension. Now, signed through the 2029 NFL season, he'll make $64 million throughout his second NFL contract.
The selection meeting begins on Thursday. Philly will walk in with eight picks if nothing changes between now and then, and despite another well-timed move, no one should expect any changes in the Eagles' draft strategy.
The consensus is the Birds will address needs at edge rusher and depth along the offensive line early. They sat with several highly-touted prospects during their Top 30 visits during the days leading up to the NFL Draft. One of the later sit-downs was with the uber-talented and controversial Walter Nolen.
Might Philly land another draft steal on night one?
The Eagles may again benefit from some pre-draft controversy and land one of the top prospects.
As we watched Jalen Carter's final year with the Georgia Bulldogs, we felt there was no way Philly would land him despite owning a pair of picks in Round 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Lo and behold, character concerns impacted Carter's stock negatively, and he slipped to the Birds at the ninth-overall selection.
History may repeat itself on Thursday.
Thanks to their Super Bowl win, the Eagles own the final pick of Round 1, and there's been some conversation that Howie Roseman may be interested in trading up. Nolen is reportedly one of the guys they are eyeing if they do so.
As was the case with Carter, there have been no concerns about Nolen's talent, but also like Carter, red flags involving Nolen have popped up with the draft on the horizon. Those red flags may benefit an interested team picking later in Round 1, and there are theories that the interested team might be in Philadelphia.
In an ESPN Plus write-up, NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler highlighted some reported concerns about Smith's personality, including entitled behavior and tales of him exiting practice early. Some scouts have even complained about some bad tape he produced.
For those who have forgotten, this is actually what 'Big' Dom DiSandro gets paid for. He's the Eagles' head of security, and if he gives Nolen the passing grade, the Birds may be willing to listen to theories that the former Texas A&M/Ole Miss star wants to improve his public perception.
Don't be shocked if lightning strikes twice and the Birds pull off another first-round draft surprise as they did with Jalen Carter. Quinyon Mitchell didn't have any character concerns last April, but seeing Philly land him AND Cooper DeJean was pretty surprising as well.
Several mock drafts have Nolen landing with Philadelphia in Round 1. Our thoughts are on seeing history repeat itself. The Carter selection already looks like one of the great draft picks in franchise history, and there's a solid chance that acquiring the 2024 All-SEC first-teamer and Consensus All-American would have a similar impact on an already-formidable Eagles defense.
Had Jalen Carter not sacked Matthew Stafford on third and goal during that final Los Angeles Rams drive in the Divisional Round of the most recent playoffs, Philly probably doesn't add a second Lombardi to the trophy case. That's the impact of adding someone like Carter to this organization.
Nolen could produce those same types of game-altering moments. The question is simple. Will he be making those plays for the Birds in Philadelphia?