Lesley's Last Word: Breaking Down The Bird's Draft
By Lesley Van Arsdall
Now that we've all had a week to process the 2013 NFL draft, here are my thoughts...for what it's worth.
The first three picks (OT Lane Johnson, 4th overall; TE Zach Ertz, 35th overall, DT Bennie Logan, 67th overall) make sense, although it may have made more sense to draft a defensive player before the third round, seeing as how bad the Eagles 'D' was last season.
The one pick that interests me the most is the selection of Matt Barkley in the fourth round (98th overall). The quarterback from USC was once considered a high, first round draft pick. Barkley could have made a lot of money if he left after his junior year and that's where he was selected, but he chose to return to USC for his senior year instead, which I consider a noble thing to do. Unfortunately for him, his senior year was a disappointment and a shoulder injury caused his stock to plummet even further.
I heard Barkley speak for the first time this week and I liked what he had to say. He sounded like a true leader. Can he play? That remains to be seen.
It will also be interesting to see how Barkley fits in to Chip Kelly's plan because he, Michael Vick and Nick Foles all have very different styles. This leads me to believe that maybe Kelly doesn't have a plan just yet.
I can't wait to see how it all plays out!
