Why the Eagles should NOT trade for Torrey Smith

I keep seeing pleas for the Eagles to trade for Torrey Smith, apparently based on the questionable reports from ProFootballTalk ('cause, y'know, PFT totally isn't the TMZ of the NFL world). The logic is something like this: 

1) The Eagles need WRs who can catch the ball.

2) Torrey Smith is a WR. He has been known to catch the ball. Also, he is a deep threat who can stretch the field and open up opportunities underneath for players like Jordan Matthews.

3) Profit???

There's just one problem with this: Torrey Smith is not the top WR that some fans seem to believe. His only role would be as a deep threat to change defensive coverage against the Eagles; he's not much better at catching the ball than our current WRs. Yes, including Dorial Green-Beckham or Nelson Agholor (!), and I'll prove it. 

In 2014, Smith had a higher drop rate (6.5%) than rookie Jordan Matthews (5.8%), according to Football Outsiders. In 2015, Smith had a higher drop rate (4.8%) than Matthews (3.9%). In each year of Matthews' career, including so far in the 2016 season, Smith has caught fewer balls, for fewer yards, than Matthews. And Smith has caught fewer TDs, to boot, except for when he caught a ridiculous 11 TDs in 2014. 

And, according to Football Outsiders' DVOA and DYAR, Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor are BOTH better receivers than Torrey Smith thus far in 2016. Green-Beckham would be, too, if he caught more passes for the Eagles. Do you really want to trade a valuable draft pick for a guy who's worse by most measures than our current young receivers? Just so you can get a shiny new toy?

I wouldn't necessarily be against trading for Torrey Smith, but I would be against it if we traded premium resources for him as though he's a #1 WR--because he simply isn't one. I'm not normally a look-at-the-stats-and-forget-the-tape kind of guy, but the tape backs it up: Smith has never been a top WR. Never. And I have no reason to believe that'll change.

The only reason to trade for Torrey Smith is that he can be a decoy (who occasionally catches deep balls), which would open up space for guys like Jordan Matthews, Brent Celek, Zach Ertz (maybe) and running backs like Darren Sproles underneath. 

Torrey Smith is a role player. He is not a sure-handed receiver. He is not the solution to our receiving woes. Period.

The Power of the Schwartz

All this talk about Carson Wentz and the Eagles' surprisingly good offense has obscured the job that the Eagles' coaching staff has done so far!

I think head coach Doug Pederson and offensive coordinator Frank Reich have created excellent, aggressive game plans so far. Unlike Chip Kelly, they've done a great job of maximizing the talent they have, and covering over the weaknesses of the roster (see: Huff, Josh; catching passes).

As for the defense: through three weeks, it's surrendered only 20 points! (The other 7 points scored against the Eagles came on a kickoff return for a TD by the Bears.)

Never underestimate the power of the Schwartz!

Heh, I just watched Spaceballs, and as soon as I heard that line, I thought of Jim Schwartz and the Eagles' defense! Schwartz coaches a defense without his top cornerback (Leodis McKelvin) and a 7th-round rookie (Jalen Mills) starting in his place--and they have yet to give up a passing TD, despite having played against Alshon Jeffrey and Antonio Brown!

Apparently, Yogurt was right--Eagles fans should never underestimate the power of our defensive coordinator! :)

Gimme some respect...

Even after putting an old-fashioned whupping on the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Eagles still aren't getting enough respect from national media--not even from former NFL players! 

The most impressive 3-0 team is the Vikings or the Patriots?! Really, guys?

And all this time, I thought it was expected that Belichick would coach up his players and arrange game plans to maximize the strengths of the guys on the field. After all, it's not like they had no warning that Brady was about to serve a suspension...

And sure, the Vikings lost their 'QB of the future' in Teddy Bridgewater. But how much of a dropoff is it from Bridgewater to Bradford? Peterson is also out for a while, but Asiata and McKinnon have gotten meaningful playing time before, so it's not like the Vikings are having to roll out some unknown quantities to replace their injured stars. And everybody knew that the Minnesota defense would be hot fire this season, so it's not like they're totally coming from nowhere.

Carson Wentz Just Proved Me Wrong

Photo credit: Hunter Martin, Philadelphia Eagles photographer

http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/photos/photo-gallery/Browns-Vs-Eagles-September-11/a8eb69cb-d62a-45ae-b208-54f734e003d3#64355840-9b95-4edb-af0f-cf5e0f9c3282

To start the rookie, or not to start the rookie?...

That feeling when your "friends" spend over $1.5m dollars of YOUR money

As excited as I am about the imminent return of NFL football, I'm always heartbroken to see family and "friends" taking advantage of players: http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/08/trent-richardson-money

Photo credit Matt Detrich of the Indianapolis Star, from http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nfl/colts/2016/06/08/trent-richardson-has-designs-yellow-jacket/85626540/

This ties into the fact that there's an alarming lack of financial literacy in this country! If you don't watch your business and make a plan for what to do with your cash, you'll look up one day and wonder where it all went!

However, as the #3 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft, Trent Richardson signed a rookie contract for over $20 million guaranteed, plus a $13.3 million signing bonus. So the lost $1.6 million shouldn't destroy his finances, as long as he didn't blow through the other $13 million that should be left after taxes.

A reminder that if you want to avoid being broke, you have to keep up the right mindset--whether you're an NFL player or a grad student!

How would you do on the Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test?

Ever wonder what the Wonderlic test is like, or why prospective NFL players tend to perform so poorly on it? Well, here's your chance to take a version for yourself: http://footballiqscore.com/

If you want the full experience, select "Full Quiz" and do not use a calculator--pen and paper only!

Your results will be compared to NFL players. Here's what I got, using my brain only--no pen/paper at all [only because I was under the impression that prospects couldn't use paper, either]:

For the record: I make sure I work within my employer's rules, unlike some people in this post! :P

2016 Eagles Mock Draft

2016 Eagles Mock Draft 

The Eagles shot themselves in the foot by winning the last game of the season against the Giants. Consequently, they’ll have a lower pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, which means more quality players will be gone by the time the Eagles pick--and not just in the headline-grabbing first round, but in every round. 

It’s important to make a good selection in the first round, but it’s even more important to do a good job with later picks; particularly in the second through fifth rounds. Making good picks in these later rounds are crucial to maintaining talent and depth at vital positions! 

Why Mock Drafts Aren’t Worth The Paper They’re (Not) Printed On

Why Mock Drafts Aren’t Worth The Paper They’re (Not) Printed On

First-round mock drafts are usually just useless click-bait. 

http://mikenabors.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/mel-kiper-pic.jpg

Popular mocks usually sway in the fickle winds of popular opinion or a new “expert” analysis. They often give too much weight to recent trends, like how a player performed in the combine, or mid-March rumors of “character concerns” about a player.