Phinally Philly

After an incredible 4 goals in 5 first round games, Claude Giroux was one of the first round heroes.

So, as fate would have it, the four Flyers I put on my Round 1 version of Flyers Playoff Hero are the ones who were the most successful.

Claude Giroux had an incredible 4 goals in 5 games finishing with 6 points. Mike Richards had 8 points total off of 2 goals and 6 assists.

Chris Pronger and Danny Briere both finished with 2 goals and 3 assists a piece for 5 points.

Then there was Dan Carcillo who had 2 goals and an assist including an OT game-winner. How about Laperriere and Betts, the bash brothers, diving in front of absolutely everything?

And you know that Brian Boucher guy? The goalie who was picked to cost the Flyers a 2nd round appearance when dueling Martin Broduer? Boucher currently leads the NHL playoff goaltenders in GAA with 1.59 and in SV% with 0.940. Not too shabby, eh?

So who is it now?

Giroux, Richards, or Briere? Can one of the forwards take over this round against a very good Boston defense?

What about Timonen or Pronger, or even Boucher?

Here is the line-up without Carter, Gagne, and Laperriere for the start of the series.

Things could change, and Gagne could be back midway through. You decide.

Carcillo — Richards — Giroux
Hartnell — Briere -- Leino
vanRiemsdyk — Ross — Asham
Powe — Betts — Nodl
(Gagne) — (Carter) — (Laperriere)

Pronger — Carle
Timonen — Coburn
Parent — Krajicek
Bartilus — Syvret

Boucher
Backlund
(Leighton)

The first place in April New York Mets come to Philadelphia to meet the first place when it counts Philadelphia Phillies for the first time this season.

Thanks to their recent 9-1 homestand, the Mutts have taken over first place in the NL East from the Phillies for the first time since last May. The Phillies going 4-5 on their road trip didn’t help matters, but the Mets have been playing good baseball since getting off to 4-8 start.

These games are always high intensity and I don’t expect this series to be any different. The Mets seem to think that this first place spot is where they belong and the past two seasons were aberrations. Fans in New York are getting a little worked up over the fact that the Mets are in first, but it’s up to the Phillies to remind them that it’s only April.

Coming off of that wild extra innings win in San Francisco, the Phillies had an off day yesterday and will trot Kyle Kendrick out to face the Mets in the opener. Kendrick has been up and down recently, so hopefully he can rise to the challenge and get a quality start.

Both teams will throw their #1s in this series, with Roy Halladay going on Saturday for the Phillies against Mike Pelfrey  and Johan Santana going in the nationally televised Sunday night game against Jamie Moyer. While it would have been great to see the two aces duel on national television, it is more important to have Halladay pitch every 5 days, no matter what. The Mets will be seeing a lot of Halladay over the next few years, so I’m sure there will be a Doc-Santana matchup in the near future.

Pitching has been kind of hit or miss for the Phillies so far, but expect a nice bump when Brad Lidge is activated off of the disabled list today. He had been pitching well in the minors during his rehab and should make his 2010 debut at some point this weekend. The closer’s spot had been filled by Ryan Madson, but after blowing a few more saves on the road trip, I doubt Charlie Manuel wants to see him in that role again soon.

Seeing the Mets in first place is a good thing. The Phillies-Mets rivalry is good for baseball. How fun was it during the 2007 & 2008 seasons to watch the Phillies chase down the Mutts and keep them out of the playoffs? Last season was also fun, seeing how bad the Mets were, but it’s a lot more fun beating them for the top spot in the East.

While it’s only April, games against the Mets always matter. I expect these two teams to be at the top of the division all season, so every game counts. Let the Mets have their fun now. The Phillies will take back the lead when it matters.

Brian Boucher all dressed up for the 2010 Winter Classic against the Bruins.

So…

Who expected that?

It’s certainly been an exciting ride since the time the Flyers beat the Rangers in that shootout. That is if you’ve watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year. Being a Division winner in the East this year was like the mark of death as all top three seeds fell; we obviously beat New Jersey in 5, Boston beat out Buffalo in 6, and the Canadiens pulled off the impossible by beating the Capitals in 7 after a 3-1 deficit. The other team to advance was Pittsburgh.

That leaves us with the Penguins (4) vs. the Canadiens (8) and the Bruins (6) vs. the Flyers (7).

Knowing that Washington’s offense wouldn’t stay dormant for another round, it’s probably a good thing we didn’t face the Capitals. Even so, the Bruins have their own unique set of challenges we have to overcome.

It’s time for the Spring Classic: the Phialdelphia Flyers vs. the Boston Bruins. We all of course remember how this year’s Winter Classic ended; in OT in come-from-behind fashion as the Bruins became the first Winter Classic home team to come away with victory.

The Flyers went 2-1-1 against Boston this year including an OT loss on January 1st when it looked like the Bruins had too many men on the ice.

Now the Flyers will seek a little bit of revenge, and though the Winter Classic was Leighton vs. Thomas, starting in net for this series will be Boucher and Rask.

Boucher, a New England native, has played 2 games against the Bruins this year accounting for a 1.35 GAA and a 0.949 SV%. Rask has played 2 games against the Flyers this year accounting for a 1.92 GAA and a 0.944 SV%.

In the playoffs, Boucher has won 4 of 5 games played and leads the league both with a 1.59 GAA and a 0.940 SV%. Rask has won 4 of 6 games played for a 2.18 GAA and a 0.927 SV%.

However, with offensive injuries on either team, this series might come down to who can score. The Bruins are averaging 2.67 goals-forced per game while the Flyers are averaging an even 3.00. There’s no question that the Flyers have the stronger defense, but dealing with Chara comes with its own problems.

The series will definitely be an interesting one. It will be the first Flyers vs. Bruins playoff match-up since 1978.

We definitely know what big games against the Bruins are like:

We even know what they’re like from before many of us were born thanks to YouTube.

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows though. Boston is going to be physical, but they’re beatable. We do have to deal with some injuries. As most know, Ian Laperriere is the latest to go down, but the good news is that Gagne could be making an appearance at some point during this series. Bruins have their own injuries and moved out their only true sniper, Phil Kessel, out to Toronto last year.

Rask is a good goalie who we will have to exploit. We need to make life miserable for him, and it will be up to call-ups Ville Leino, Patrick Maroon, and Andreas Nodl to help make a positive impact on the series.

Boosh took care of his unfinished business from a decade ago against the New Jersey Devils, and now he has a bone to pick with his home region after not getting the go-ahead to play them in the Winter Classic.

Let the excitement begin.

The action starts in an early game this Saturday. We got the Rangers, we got the Devils, and now the we go back up I-95 to give our regards to the Bruins.

• Saturday, May 1st — 12:30 PM @Boston
• Monday, May 3rd — 7:00 PM @Boston
• Wednesday, May 5th — 7:00 PM @Philadelphia
• Friday, May 7th — 7:00 PM @Philadelphia
• Monday, May 10th — 7:00 PM @Boston (if necessary)
• Wednesday, May 12th — TBD @Philadelphia (if necessary)
• Friday, May 14th — 7:00 PM @Boston (if necessary)

(I hope everyone’s ready for round two.)

It’s crazy to think that a team from Philadelphia can hold onto first place in it’s division for almost a full year, but the Phillies came pretty close to that feat. After their 2nd straight loss to the Giants last night, the Phillies dropped out of first place for the first time since May 25, 2009.

Since it is only April, this is more a post noting the achievement, rather than a post saying “OMG! It’s all over! The Phillies are done!” Crazy as that sounds, there are some peeps out there that are people who think this slump could be the end of the Phillies in 2010.

While not in first place any more, the Phillies are still ahead of where they were last April at this point, and 2009 turned out to be a pretty good year, except for the ending.

It is crazy though how the season has flip-flopped in regards to the offense and pitching. The offense roared out of the gate, leading the league in almost every offensive category through the firs ten games, while the starting pitching struggled. Now, that’s been reversed. The starters have gotten their act together, besides Roy Halladay. Who told him he could lose a game? It’s the offense that is now struggling.

Granted, Jimmy Rollins going down may have contributed to this little slump, but that’s what it is. A slump. Teams go through them all the time.  We all know Ryan Howard isn’t going to go 60 at-bats between each home run for the rest of the season. He’s got to justify that $125 million somehow.

It all boils down to the fact that it is only April. The team team has only played 20 games. (That leaves 142 more for those counting.) It’s going to be hard to break out of their offensive slump going against Tim Lincecum & Johan Santana in two of the next four games, but it will happen. Hell, the way the Phillies have been going, they’ll score a ton of runs against those two and get shutout in the two games in between.

The bats will be back, and if they don’t come back soon, maybe Cholly can take a page from Union coach Peter Nowak and make the team run sprints after losing ugly. Now that’s a coaching tactic I like.

Word come out today, seemingly from nowhere, that Ryan Howard has agreed to a 5 year, $125 million extension, according to CSN Philly’s Jim Salisbury. The deal also includes a club option for a 6th year.

Heading into this season, it was a hot topic on who would get extended after 2010: Ryan Howard or Jayson Werth. With all of the attention being paid to the team trying to keep the payroll down this past offseason, one of those two most likely wouldn’t be getting an extension.

Since Howard has been the cornerstone of the Phillies the past few years, it makes sense to extend him. Yes, while  power hitters tend to slow down as they age, Howard hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down, besides his little slump he’s in now. Letting him walk or trading him would be something the Phillies just couldn’t do.

Werth exploded last year for the Phillies. He’s become an All Star in the past season and a half and is loved by many in Philadelphia, especially for his beard. He will most likely command a significant raise, and I just don’t see the Phillies keeping him unless he takes a below market deal to stay in Philly.

The Phillies have a plethora of young/semi-young outfielders ready to step up and become starters. John Mayberry, Jr., Ben Francisco, & Domonic Brown are all on the verge of becoming MLB regulars. With a year left on Raul Ibanez’ contract and Werth potentially gone after this season, those 3 will be looked at to take their places in the outfield in Philadelphia.

The Phillies team that is on the field now is due for a major shakeup in the next few years. This is just the first move of many.

The 75th NFL Draft was completed yesterday and the Eagles were able to bring in a haul of 13 players, both from their original slots in the draft and through several trades, which saw them both move up and down the board.

Some excellent picks were made, including a trade up to 13th overall to nab Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham. One absence that really sticks out among the players the drafted is the lack of any guys on offensive line, and through Andy Reid’s comments last evening, it seems that the team is happy with their current crop.

Fans should be happy with most of the picks, as the team did an excellent job picking up guys with talent and addressing many of the needs on defense. Here’s a quick snapshot of each of the draftees.

FIRST ROUND (13): BRANDON GRAHAM
Defensive end / MICHIGAN
When the Birds moved up from 27 to 13, everyone thought the team would nab Earl Thomas, a free safety that would have filled the shoes of Brian Dawkins nicely. While Graham is a surprise addition, he’ll fit in well as a slightly-undersized (6’1″) pass-rusher. As the defense continues to develop under second-year coach Sean McDermott, this pick will likely make more sense.

SECOND ROUND (37): NATE ALLEN
Free safety / SOUTH FLORIDA
This is the pick from Washington, otherwise known as “the guy we got for Donovan McNabb.” Only time will tell as to who got the better end of the deal, but on paper I am absolutely thrilled with Allen. While I would have liked to have Thomas, Allen is a very close second best. He’s quick, great in coverage, and has big play-making abilities. This is the guy that will allow the team to transition on from Dawkins.

Nate Allen (#5) on the field

THIRD ROUND (86): DANIEL TE’O-NESHEIM
Defensive end / WASHINGTON
This is another undersized guy who was projected to go a round later, and it’s a selection I am still on the fence about. The Husky is another quick guy, which the team seems to really love. One thing that really stands out about him is his work ethic, as has been noted by many scouts.

FOURTH ROUND (105); TREVARD LINDLEY
Cornerback / KENTUCKY
Lindley is a corner that looks up to Charles Woodson, but his style of play very much mirrors current Eagle Asante Samuel. Samuel is known for two things – cutting routes to pull down interceptions and being a weak tackler. While some say he is the steal of the draft, his injury history and marginal tackling ability have me worried.

FOURTH ROUND (121): KEENAN CLAYTON
Outside linebacker / OKLAHOMA
Yet another undersized back that is quick on his feet, but if the Birds reached on any pick, this is it. There were better players available at this point, like end Greg Hardy and safety Myron Rolle.

FOURTH ROUND (122): MIKE KAFKA
Quarterback / NORTHWESTERN
While his experience might be lacking – his only year as a starter was his senior campaign – this is the type of guy that Andy Reid loves to develop. Plus, I can’t wait until I can get my hands on his jersey. Kafka is a mobile and intelligent quarterback that loves to throw, and by the time Vick’s contract is up, he should be ready to step in as the number two guy.

Kafka looking for an open receiver

FOURTH ROUND (125): CLAYTON HARBOR
Tight end or fullback / MISSOURI STATE
With Brent Celek blossoming as one of the league’s top receiving tight ends, it’s only natural that the team goes after a versatile blocker like Harbor as a compliment. He came from a small school which may stunt his growth a bit, but he’ll be helped by his raw athleticism.

FIFTH ROUND (134): RICKY SAPP
Defensive end / CLEMSON
This big school end was an absolute steal at this spot, and despite his torn ACL his junior year, Sapp could likely make an immediate impact with the Eagles. An athletic guy that could prove much more valuable than one would expect from a fifth-rounder.

FIFTH ROUND (159): RILEY COOPER
Wide receiver / FLORIDA
This is another fifth round steal. He’s a guy with good hands that has the potential to be a Jason Avant-type player, making key third down and red zone grabs. But also don’t be surprised if he turns out to be Hank Baskett 2.0, but without the playmate wife.

SIXTH ROUND (200): CHARLES SCOTT
Running back / LOUISIANA STATE
While Scott is not quick, he’s a big back that could prove to be good for both short yardage plays and blocking. He’ll be a true grinder that plays with little fanfare.

SEVENTH ROUND (220): JAMAR CHANEY
Linebacker / MISSISSIPPI STATE
Chaney is quick and an effective tackler, looking like a steal in the 7th round. Outside of that, only time will tell how he pans out.

SEVENTH ROUND (243): JEFF OWENS
Defensive tackle / GEORGIA
Looking at his make-up, he could he a solid guy against the run, which is a definite weakness the team has.

SEVENTH ROUND (244): KURT COLEMAN
Safety / OHIO STATE
Plays both free and strong safety, will likely end up on the practice squad.

Despite having four months until the team matches up against Green Bay, the draft always unofficially marks the beginning of the season. The Eagles squad we see take the field in 2010 will have new starters up and down the board, and will be a very young team.

The word across the Delaware Valley and beyond seems to be general satisfaction with the draft.

This sentiment is echoed by Phinally Philly reader and Philly native AJ Keirans who was well aware of all of the holes that the team needed to fill, especially on defense.

“I was surprised that the team traded up and didn’t take Earl Thomas from Texas. Knowing the impact that a strong leader like Dawkins had on the defense from the safety position, I thought that it was no-brainer they would get him. I think that (Brandon) Graham, while a surprise pick, is a quality player who will bring some much needed speed to the Eagles pass rush.”

And since the great Jim Johnson has passed on, Sean McDermott needs to continue making the defense the great unit it once was. As Keirans says, McDermott needs to begin fortifying his legacy with his own players.

Don’t expect all of these guys to make the final roster, but with a few days for things to settle in, it seems as though the Birds have solved their defensive problems, but there remains question marks at O-line and corner.

Whatever happens, this is the most change we’ve seen in South Philly in over a decade.

Coming off the rough loss to Toronto FC last week, the Union head up I-95 to take on Red Bull New York for the first time at brand new Red Bull Arena.

This should become one of the top rivalries in MLS, along with the Union and D.C. United. Funny that almost everyone agrees that the Union will instantly become part of the top rivalries in American soccer. Guess the league has been waiting on Philly just as long as Philly has been waiting on MLS to arrive.

In an interesting scheduling quirk, these two clubs will play twice in a span of 5 days. Today’s game is a regular MLS match, but the two teams also play on Tuesday the 27th in a preliminary for the U.S. Open Cup. Hell of a way to get a rivalry off the ground with two matches in 5 days.

Without Danny Califf for this game due to his clothesline of a Toronto player and subsequent red card, the U will have to step up. Calif shaved off his mohawk after that game, but hopefully that doesn’t turn down his aggressiveness. He sets the tempo for the Union’s physical play and he’ll be missed.

While GK Chris Seitz has gotten off to a rough start, letting in a few soft goals, he has the backing of Piotr Nowak as this team’s goalie. Seitz is young and will have some rough stretches, but so will the team as a whole. He’s got talent and will improve over the course of the season. RBNY is a tough team and will challenge him, but it will be up to the defense to help him out. That will be particularly difficult with Califf’s absence.

While the win over D.C. United was nice, it’s going to be hard for the Union to keep up with RBNY in this one. NY is off to a great start and will be taking on a Union team that is shorthanded. Nowak will have to make a choice on who will replace Califf, and it better not be Shavar Thomas. He came on late in the match against Toronto and looked terrible. He was way to slow and couldn’t preserve the tie.

The offense has looked like they’re starting to get comfortable up front after playing a few games. Sebastien Le Toux and Alejandro Moreno are playing very well and will be looked at to sore goals for this team all season.

With the Sons of Ben traveling up to Red Bull Arena, the Union will have a solid section of supporters for this match. It will be tough for this young Union team to keep up with RBNY. When you break it down though, these two teams have something very similar in common. Neither has won an MLS Cup.

Nowak will have his team prepared for this. He loves rivalries and will play this one up, just as he did the D.C. match. It will be a hard fought and physical game, but look for RBNY to take a close match.

A disconnected locker room never looked this good.

What’s the phrase I’m looking for?

“A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

Abraham Lincoln said that over 150 years ago, and it’s still true to this day. However, the opposite is also true. A unified locker room is capable of incredible things.

So what happened to all of the “locker room discord” that had been floating around for months?

The story itself about a feud between the veterans and the young core has died out almost completely. It was spotted last back on April 4th when Chuck Gormley put together his best attempt to explain why the Flyers’ season was falling apart right before the playoffs.

For most of this season, there have been chat room debates over whether Chris Pronger would serve as a better captain than Mike Richards.

Following Friday night’s 1-0 home loss to the Canadiens, Pronger vacated the locker room quickly, leaving a crowd of reporters around Richards, who looked up and said, “I’m not going first.”

Whether Pronger’s quick exit was intended to let the captain address the team’s shortcomings in one of its most important games is debatable, but Richards did not exactly provide the leadership expected from a 25-year-old with 10 years remaining on a $69 million contract.

The perceived power struggle between Pronger and Richards could be just the tip of a Flyers iceberg that will certainly be explored in the offseason.

With games against the Red Wings and Maple Leafs followed by a crucial home-and-home set with the energized Rangers, the Flyers are about to find out what they’re made of.

The Flyers will either prove they are as good as many predicted back in October, or they will be forever linked to the Phillies’ monumental collapse 46 years ago.

While Gormely, and many other Philly beat writers were trying to make a story where there really wasn’t one, a few have been saying all along that the locker room dramatics were just more nonsense.

How about the cries for Richards to give up his position as captain to Pronger since he was obviously not ready to lead this team?

They have all vanished to the tune of 8 points in 5 games. Richards is tied for third in postseason scoring with the Great Ovechkin, behind both Crosby and Nicklas Backstrom. Giroux has 6 points in 5 games. Briere and Pronger, the man supposedly at war with Richards, each are pacing at a point per game.

The Flyers have done the supposedly impossible by knocking off the 2nd seeded Devils in nonchalant fashion. The series was fairly easy with Parise quieted by strong defensive play and Kovalchuk looking almost foolish as he tried desperately to do everything himself.

These Devils were a team that was supposed to click at the right time with a gigantic weapon in acquisition Ilya Kovalchuk. Instead the Flyers forecheck, defensive depth, and awareness around both nets turned them into fairly easy first-round fodder. The Flyers were “banging home the junk” and “clearing out the trash” to borrow some phrases from The Mighty Ducks movies.

Pronger and Timonen have combined for 33 blocked shots. The rest of the roster has combined for another 52. That’s 85 blocked shots in 5 games.

Speaking of blocked shots, how about those Holmgren acquisitions? Still think he is a terrible General Manger who isn’t able to put a functional team on the ice?

A lot of the hatred headed his way is largely undeserved. Despite jokes about his “What can you do?” comment, there was really nothing he could have done. Did you want to give up Giroux, JVR, or Carter for Kovalchuk or Vokoun at this point? Perhaps you wanted to throw some of that defensive depth and futures Montreal’s way for Price or Halak when that blueline has absolutely anchored this team through the first series and will only get more important?

I don’t even need to touch on Pronger’s Norris-worthy season. In the playoffs he’s been even better.

Betts and Laperriere? Just look at Lappy’s face and tell me they aren’t doing their part. The Wonder Twins have helped kill 87.5% of the Devils’ powerplay. New Jersey has only scored four powerplay goals despite having an unimaginable 32, that’s right I said 32, chances with an extra man.

Carcillo? He’s a hero. I think everyone still calling him Downshall can switch to Carbomb now. His explosive nature, now under control somewhat thanks to Laviolette, has been important to the Flyers’ success. The extra goals? What can I say? Forecheckers need love too.

What about Boucher, who came out to play a decade after the epic implosion that was the 2000 postseason? He’s only stepped his game up when the games have mattered the most. The softies have virtually disappeared. Granted a lot of that has to do with a more confident group of skaters and I can’t necessarily promise his success will continue, but Flyers’ fans can be happy that they get a chance to rest before the next series.

Leino, who was a healthy scratch for the playoffs so far, stepped right into his role without missing a beat. He looked great last night even if he didn’t get himself on the score sheet. Injuries haven’t killed the Flyers just yet. They still have a chance.

So who is next?

Well, the Flyers are the first team to move into the next round. The Senators came up with a miraculous 3OT win last night against the Penguins to fend off elimination for at least one more game. The Bruins lead the Sabres 3 to 1, as do the Capitals over the Canadiens.

If the Capitals do beat the Canadiens, which is likely to happen at this point, everyone can get ready for some trips to the good old District of Columbia.

Since we likely have the Capitals, it’s safe to assume we’re already preparing for them as of today. Their defense, much like the Devils’, is weak and susceptible to a strong forecheck. We can beat the Capitals if we can play like we did in this series; play hard on the forecheck and use or defense depth as an advantage to thwart the likes of Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom, and Knuble. Boucher will have to be on his game, and we will still need all the offense we can get. That of course is made much harder by the fact that Gagne and Carter won’t be making appearances.

What can you do? We just have to soldier forward and hope for some rest as the other teams fight to move on.

In another note, everyone needs to have a round; have a beer or two on behalf of Ian Laperriere. The man is an absolute warrior. I’m glad he’s okay. Everyone’s glad he’s okay. I understand his decision to wear a shield from now on. You have to keep safe for your family, just never stop being an absolute warrior. You are Flyers Hockey.

During the first week of the season, the Phillies’ looked like they were set to shatter all kinds of offensive records this season. While they still might, the bats have cooled off in a big way over the past few games.

In their first 10 games, the Phillies scored 77 runs with a team batting average of .315.  In the next 4 games, they’ve only scored six runs with a .188 team batting average. There have been some injuries, like Jimmy Rollins and Jayson Werth, but that’s a severe drop off. Now, with Placido Polanco out at least one game, the offense really needs to pick up the pace and start scoring runs.

Of course, this slowdown in offensive production happens at the same exact time as the starting pitchers start to improve. Last night’s game was the 3rd straight in which the starting pitcher had gone at least 8 innings and given up less than two runs. Cole Hamels and Kyle Kendrick finally showed up and pitched very well in their starts, but didn’t get the offense just couldn’t score. Everyone knew Doc would go deep and this time, 2 runs were more than enough for him.

The offense is going to go through slumps, as will the starting pitchers. As much as we’d like it to happen, Halladay won’t be going 35-0 with a sub 1 ERA this year.  Hamels and Kendrick won’t go 8+ in every start. The offense won’t be shut out and score 1 run in 18 innings.

After splitting the first two games with Atlanta, the Phillies have a chance to leave with a 2 game lead in the East if they can get the win today. Jamie Moyer gets the start against Derek Lowe, whose not the first pitcher a struggling offense wants to face. Moyer got off to a rough start in his last outing, but rebounded nicely. Hopefully he can get off to a better start this time around.

This series has also proved something about Atlanta. Jason Heyward is the real deal.  This kid is going to be a star. Here’s hoping that Moyer can keep the youngster off balance with his scorching 80 mph fastball, like he does with most young hitters.

If the season began today and the Eagles made no further moves, then this squad would be lucky to get nine wins. The tough schedule coupled with the inexperienced of many of the players will lead to a much weaker team than in years past. On top of that, Kevin Kolb may turn out to be Bobby Hoying 2.0, forcing the Birds to turn to Vick or someone else.

The last few years have been easy to put a finger on, so with an unpredictable draft coming up that will surely revolutionize the face of the team, we’ve decided to reach outside and talk to one of our favorite Eagles bloggers about what the team needs to do to succeed.

Eagles Couch, as described by it’s owner Bill Buckminster, is “one fan’s pathetic attempt to analyze the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL from the comfort of his own couch.” I have to disagree with him on the pathetic part, especially since I find myself agreeing with him quite a lot. But that could just make me pathetic as well.

This year’s three night prime time draft extravaganza begins tonight at 7.30pm. While the Eagles have 10 picks across all of the rounds, in classic team fashion they are expected to make some trades to move around the board and address their many needs. Bill, aka Mr. Couch, was kind enough to answer a few questions about what we can expect.

Phinally Philly: What are some of the holes that the team has to address in the draft?
Couch: Safety, corner, offensive line, and defensive end are the top priorities. They’ll probably grab a linebacker and a quarterback in the late rounds too. Andy also can’t resist just loading up on late round lineman on either side of the ball.

PP: Which players do you expect the team to go after?
C: Unfortunately, I don’t know much about college ball. I can’t get into anything that’s decided by polls. When they start a playoff system, I’m all about it. I’ve read that the safety Eric Berry is one of the top 4 can’t miss prospects of the draft. We’d have to trade up to top 5 or 6 to get him. Otherwise it feels like the Birds will trade up to the mid-teens and draft Earl Thomas out of Texas. One late round sleeper I would keep an eye on is Armanti Edwards out of Appalachian State University. He’s a great multi-dimensional quarterback out of Division 1-A who be a perfect fit for the wildcat offense when the Birds finally dump Vick in the pre-season. Full disclosure: I only know about him because I live about 45 minutes away from Appalachian State, and Division 1A does have a college playoff, which are fantastic.

PP: Who would love to see the Eagles pick up if they were going first? Why?
C: I would love to see the Birds go get Berry, but that would take a major power move. They would have to get up to the 6 spot at a minimum. They would have to give up a 2nd round pick, but not necessarily the pick they got for McNabb or possibly next years first rounder. It would be out of character for Reid to make such a bold move, but this off-season has been very out of character. It does feel like Andy is going to want to go all out this year and prove that he can still win without McNabb.

PP: Do you expect the team to trade up (or even trade down)? If so, what would their reasoning be?
C: I’m sure the Eagles will be trading all over the place during the draft. It’s been a hallmark of the Reid era. They seem to trade too much. Almost like they are trying to prove to everyone else how brilliant they are. They’ve stockpiled a lot of picks in the first three rounds this year, and it sounds like a lot of other teams are eager to move down in the draft. It looks like they’ll trade up in the first round. They coveted a top 7 pick in the 2nd round of the draft, so they are not moving the McNabb pick. With the new draft schedule, they’ll have almost a full day between the first and second round to reexamine their draft board and make that 37th pick.

Couch is right – expect the Birds to move all over the place during the draft. We’ll see the team nab some expected the players, and we’ll see some “oh shit” moments as well. I wouldn’t be shocked if a quarterback is picked either, but let’s hope that guy is not Tim Tebow.  If there are some good corners, safeties, and offensive linemen in the midnight green by Saturday night, then this will have been a good draft.

Join us starting tonight for more coverage – be sure to follow @Phinally and @soundofphilly for all of the team’s moves across Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.