Rumors From The Inside

• The number one player presently sitting number one on the Eagles board is Tennessee TE Jason Witten, but they do have a high interest in Rutgers TE L.J. Smith.  The Eagles want to groom a replacement for 31-year-old TE Chad Lewis.  If Witten is off the board then the Eagles are hopeful that Smith would be there with one of their two second round picks.  Smith is the only tight end has visited with the Eagles.  However, it is unlikely the Eagles would take Smith in round one but not that they would trade down into the early portion of the second round to select him. 

• Also, the Eagles have expressed an interest in Western Illinois TE R.J. Luke who should be available late in the draft or even possibly as an undrafted free agent.

• Should Miami RB Willis McGahee be healthy enough to perform this season, the Eagles may select him with their first round pick.  If he was not injured, he would have been a top five pick.  The Eagles will almost certainly take McGahee with one of their two second round picks.  However, if his knee continues to heal at this pace, he might not last until the second round.

• The Eagles have expressed interest in Louisville DE Dewayne White who could be selected with one of their two second round picks.  The Eagles had representatives at the Senior Bowl talking to White despite the fact that he was not playing in the game.  White fits the criteria of an Andy Ried character player that is well spoken with a humble attitude.  He is coming off a mediocre junior year, in which he was bothered by a high ankle sprain for most of the season.  If he continues the progress he showed before the injury the Eagles will have done better than Hugh Douglas and KGB.

• The Eagles did have a pre-draft visit with Colorado DE Tyler Brayton.  Brayton is the most versatile defensive end in the draft which would make him very valuable in the Eagles defensive schemes.  The Eagles could nab him with one of their second round picks.

• Also, the Eagles are pursuing Texas Tech DE Aaron Hunt who should be available in the fourth round.  Hunt has great speed and power.  Hunt is a hard hitting play maker who would fit well in Jim Johnson's defense.

• A tweener the Eagles could look at is Alabama A&M LB/DE Robert Mathis who has worked out for many teams.  He measures in at 6'1 230 pounds. He has looked fluid in LB drills and was clocked at 4.53 in the 40 yard dash.  Mathis could probably be invited to training camp as an undrafted free agent.

• A player the Eagles are not as high on as earlier indicated, is Penn State DE Michael Haynes as they do not feel Penn State players project well at the next level.  This could also lead them to eliminating any possibility of Penn State RB Larry Johnson.

• The Eagles will be looking to add another wide receiver during the first three rounds of the draft. The team could spend one of their two second round picks on a receiver or more likely, their third round pick on the position. The Eagles are looking at receivers that can give the element they have been lacking in recent years, namely speed.

• The Eagles have expressed great interest in Middle Tennessee WR Tyrone Calico whom the team has worked out several times. Also, the Eagles sent their wide receivers coaches to put Calico through drills.  Calico possesses the speed and size that the Eagles are looking for and could be their selection in the third or fourth round.

• The Eagles would like to add to their pile of draft picks by trading backup QB A.J. Feeley.  If they can obtain a draft pick from the third round or even possibly the second they would pull the trigger.  The team has re-signed QB Tim Hasselbeck recently who could take over for Feeley and could possibly use a late round pick once again and develop another quarterback as Andy Reid learned from his days in Green Bay. 

• One possibility could be former Michigan QB Drew Henson in the fourth or fifth round.  It appears that Henson will not be able to make it to  major league baseball with the Yankees and will eventually return to football a la Chad Hutchinson.

• Another possibility as a sleeper late in the draft could be Grand Valley State QB Curt Anes.  He is a perfect fit for the West Coast offense and would appear to flourish in Big Red's system.  Anes is extremely efficient in the short passing game with a good release.  Also, he demonstrated solid velocity and accuracy during drills in front of scouts from nearly every team.

• It has been rumored that Eagles CB Sheldon Brown could play some safety this year because of lack of depth.  Therefore look for the birds to draft a combo defensive back.  The Eagles have sent representatives to the workout of Oregon State CB/S Calvin Carlyle who could be a late round selection or a undrafted free agent.  He was solid on positional drills and was clocked at a 4.37 in the 40 yard dash.

• The Eagles may also have interest in Temple G Dave Yovanovits as an undrafted free agent.  He measures 6'3 and 300 pounds.  He has been noticed by several teams and has ran the 40 yard dash at 4.84 seconds.  The recent history of the Eagles show an interest in scouting local players and Yovanovits could fill their need at guard with the departure of Doug Brezenski.

• The Eagles could look at Arkansas Pine Bluff OT Courtney Van Buren as an undrafted free agent.  He has been viewed by many scouts with his size that measures in at 6'6 and 365 pounds.  The Eagles lack of depth at tackle could a player with the size and potential of Van Buren to stick on the roster.