CHIRPING BIRDS-EAGLES & NFL DRAFT

- I liked what the Eagles did last night, trading away the No. 32 pick ( as expected), dropping down to No. 52, including a second round selection in 2019.  Once running back Sony Michel was grabbed by the Patriots at 31 ( rumors were that Philly was interested in Michel), the die was cast.

- The Eagles traded No. 32 to Baltimore, and the Ravens took quarterback Lamar Jackson. Looks like he will be the heir apparent to QB Joe Flacco. Obviously, the Birds have a bond with the Ravens, as Joe Douglas used t work for Baltimore and GM Howie Rossman has good connections with the Ravens' GM, Ozzie Newsome.

Thinking out of the box, what if the Eagles had kept 32 and drafted Jackson? Trade Foles for a bunch of picks, groom Jackson as the back-up, trade him when the time is right for even more picks.That scenario wouldn't work unless you were sure that Carson Wentz would be back for the season opener.

- At 52, will the Eagles target the Penn State tight end? What about the running backs from Georgia and LSU?  Is there a linebacker at that spot who would spark interest? What about depth on the lines?

- Waiting five hours, and not getting a pick was a bummer, but in the long run, the fans should be happy. Looking around the NFC East, the Giants improved by taking RB Sequin Barkley. They still need someone to block for Barkley. Looks like they will go with Eli Manning  at QB for a few more years. The running back tandems of Barkley and Zeke Elliot in the East, especially in December, shouldn't make the birds happy.

Dallas took a nameless linebacker with health issues. The Redskins got a good player at defensive tackle.Nothing that will change the balance of power in the division.

- Cleveland screws up again. Taking QB Baker Mayfield  was a shaky move. He is under-sized and has immaturity issues. They took a defensive back at No. 4 who is an OK player but leave defensive tackle Chubb on the board for Denver to steal.  The Browns are an 0-16 team by merit. When they trade out of the top spot they mess it up. When they stay  they mess up. They are easily the worst sports franchise in all of sports.

- Four quarterbacks were taken in the top ten for the first time ever. Yet most experts feel there is no one special at QB this year.

- Look for a run on wide receivers in the second round. A ton left, although Ridley and Moore went to Atlanta and Carolina late in the first round.

- Would love for the Eagles to get a return guy somewhere in this draft as well. A punt returner, in case Darren Sproles doesn't return, and possible a guy who returns kick-offs as well.

- Having the draft in Dallas was a bust. No comparison to Philadelphia last year. The gigantic, ugly stadium looked half-empty, the fans were not as into it as Philly fans were, and Dallas didn't have the scenery, landmarks or their own Cowboy fans on board. As Philadelphia used the Parkway as a beautiful backdrop to the draft, all Dallas had was a parking lot for it's draft activities.

After this, hopefully the draft returns to Philly sometime soon.