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Sunday Debate: Philadelphia Eagles, Losers of 2016 NFL Draft

By Mark Morales-Smith

Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Carson Wentz (North Dakota State) with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Philadelphia Eagles as the number one overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Carson Wentz (North Dakota State) with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Philadelphia Eagles as the number one overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports /
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This week Brendan Pignataro and I will be taking more of a negative approach to the Sunday Debate. It may be where we really thrive. We’ll be arguing who had the worst draft this weekend. Unfortunately, we kind of agree on this one. This debate will take us to the ever disappointing NFC East.

Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Carson Wentz (North Dakota State) with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Philadelphia Eagles as the number one overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Carson Wentz (North Dakota State) with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Philadelphia Eagles as the number one overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports /

While I agree with Brendan that the Dallas Cowboys draft is a bit perplexing, I feel the Philadelphia Eagles messed this draft up more than any other team and it was doomed before it even started.

Related Story: Brendan's Debate: Dallas Cowboys Losers of 2016 NFL Draft

When it comes to the Cowboys I agree they took Ezekiel way too high. When you have the best offensive line in the NFL and gaping holes on defense, you can’t pass on Jalen Ramsey. That’s a no brainer. The advantage of having a line like that is that it doesn’t require an elite back to be productive and affords you the luxury of improving other areas.

Also Jaylon Smith is a very questionable choice considering the direction the team should be going. They need to be in win now mode with an aging quarterback made of glass. Tony Romo doesn’t have much left in him. He’s more likely to be in a wheel chair than in the Super Bowl in 2019.

However, what I will say about the Cowboys draft is at least they got immense upside. They potentially got a top-five player on both sides of the ball if everything works out as they hope, which is still a huge question mark. I can’t say the same for the Eagles. This whole offseason that started off so promising has turned out to be a complete disaster.

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After signing Sam Bradford to a two-year, $36 million contract, the team also inked Chase Daniel to a three-year, $21 million contract. Then they decided to mortgage their future giving up the eighth, 77th and 100th overall pick this year, as well as a first-round pick in 2017 and second-rounder in 2018. That’s a ton to give up. Of course when giving up a haul like this, they were all but obligated to take a quarterback. So they drafted Carson Wentz.

Wentz lacks experience and is not NFL ready. Not only did he face inferior completion at North Dakota State, he also only played one full season as a starter. His issues are going to take times to fix. He lacks pocket awareness, is poor going through progressions and needs to improve his timing routes a lot. A QB like this needs time and patience to develop. No fan base is less likely to afford you time and patience than in Philly. They are brutal and will not tolerate a struggling quarterback for three years. Now they are stuck with a furious Bradford being overpaid, a highly-paid backup and the second-overall pick.

Because of this befuddling trade, they only had one pick between the second-overall pick and pick No. 14 in Round 5. That selection was an undersized interior offensive lineman out of Oregon State with an alarming medical record Isaac Seumalo. Now this wasn’t an awful pick, but it is what it is. A low-upside high-risk guard or center.

Then in the Round 5 they may have gotten their best pick in

Feb 26, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers running back Wendell Smallwood catches a ball during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 26, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers running back Wendell Smallwood catches a ball during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

. Wait for it …

Smallwood is a scat-back from West Virginia who was arrested in 2014 for attempting to intimidate a witness in a second-degree murder case. Charges were later dropped on Smallwood, however, his “acquaintance” plead guilty to murder. Now, that may or may not be nothing.

So those are the highlights of the Eagles’ draft. After that they drafted mediocre OT Halapoulivaati Vaitai out of TCU. He was a reach and will have to be moved to guard, a position he’s never played. They also added a versatile defensive back in Blake Countess Round 6. That’s more of a depth add. Followed by a slew of seventh-rounders.

More nfl spin zone: 2016 NFL Draft: 6 Worst First-Round Picks

I’m pretty sure I’ve made my case and the Eagles are the big losers in the 2016 NFL Draft. However, while this debate has no losers, I am the clear winner. Leave your comments below I’d love to hear your take and make sure you check out Brendan’s article as well.

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