The Philadelphia Eagles are a franchise with a solid core of very young offensive talent. Andy Reid has transformed his offense from a unit which featured no marquee weapons for Donovan McNabb, into a group that is headlined by explosive playmakers such as LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin, and DeSean Jackson.

However, the team is going through a serious transition. There is a changing of the guard happening in Philly. Veteran leaders Brian Dawkins, Tra Thomas, Brian Westbrook, and now quite possibly Donovan McNabb will have been disposed of in favor of younger talent.  To make matters worse, the Eagles must decide how best to move forward after the tragic loss of their defensive co-ordinator, Jim Johnson.

Finding more leaders is a must for the Eagles in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Free Agency:

Philly has been quite active in overhauling their roster, having released Brian Westbrook, Darren Howard, Shawn Andrews, Reggie Brown, Kevin Curtis, and Will Witherspoon.  Of those players, Andrews and Witherspoon were considered starters, while the remaining players were valued role players.  To help offset those losses, the team signed DL Darryl Tapp, as well as DB Marlin Jackson to play safety. It appears that the Eagles are zeroing in on the Draft to fill the remaining spots on the roster.

Draft Needs and Targets:

Despite the infusion of talent at offensive skill positions, the Eagles' massive offensive trenches still need a makeover. They have their bookend tackles, but need to strengthen the interior of the line soon.  Losing Shawn Andrews in free agency, plus an injury to C Jamaal Jackson leaves the interior an area of need coming into the draft.

Philadelphia loves monstrous linemen. The average weight of their linemen is 330 pounds, and the average height is 6'5" 1/2. Of the potential lineman pool at pick #24, the Eagles could target Idaho OG Mike Iupati or C Maurkice Pouncey of University of Florida.  Both players have received a late first round grade, and are maulers with good feet.  From a size standpoint, Iupati seems the ideal fit (6'5" 331 lbs.), whereas Pouncey is 6'5" and a mere 305 lbs. However, it has been noted that Pouncey plays big and has proven how stout he can be against SEC DT's Dan Williams and Terrence Cody.  the real issue at stake is whether Philly wants to utilize a premium pick on an interior offensive lineman, since those positions can be found in the middle rounds.

If they decide to pass on this area until later on, another logical area to look at along the middle of the defense, namely LB and S.  Before last season, the heart and soul of the defense, Brian Dawkins was allowed to leave for the Broncos. And the defense has not been the same since.  Furthermore, defensive co-ordinator Sean McDermitt was forced to go to his 3rd string MLB after the position was depleted by injuries. With this in mind, I could see them being keen on a play-making safety like an Earl Thomas if they are willing to move up into the first-half of the Draft. Or they could look at Taylor Mays, who could be a good value in the back half of the 1st round.  He won't be the ball hawk that the team may hope for, but he certainly can fill Brian Dawkins other role as enforcer.  Plus, Andy Reid loves big and strong players.  Mays fits the bill.

As mentioned before, LB is an area of concern.  Perhaps a player of Sean Weatherspoon's type, extremely vocal and smart, would go a long way in restoring that swagger on defense.

Pro football bigwigs such as Mike Holmgren and Pete Carroll descended on Norman, Okla., Monday to take in the long-awaited pro day of Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Sam Bradford.

Hope all the big-name gawkers enjoyed watching Bradford, because they're certainly not going to be coaching him any time soon.

Sign it, seal it, deliver it: Bradford is heading to St. Louis as the Rams' first overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft.

Things could be more frustrating for Minnesota Vikings fans regarding QB Brett Favre in 2009.  Was he coming back was he not coming back and would he play for the Vikings.  On and on it went for Favre during the off-season, but as expected he finally decided to sign on with the Vikings to help them make a run at the Super Bowl with one of the most complete teams in the NFL. 

Today represents the biggest day of Sam Bradford's football career, call it judgment day.  Bradford's Pro Day where he goes out and throws the football for real for the first time since his shoulder injury means the difference between being picked number one overall, or sliding down the draft boards. 

He is the only QB worthy of being selected number one overall and wh the St. Louis Rams needing a future franchise QB it's hard to imagine them passing on Bradford if he can prove his shoulder is healthy and 100%. 
 
Therein lies the major question, just how healthy is Sam Bradford's shoulder?  Speaking from past scouting experience, I watched Arizona State quarterback Andrew Walter in the last game of his career tear up his shoulder against the UofA.  Walter was considered by many to be a potential first round pick before his shoulder injury.  Walter was unable to throw at the combine and had to wait until the last possible week before he could throw.  As a result his stock was hurt considerably, and I would argue his career was hurt because of his shoulder injury.  Walter had one of the strongest, most accurate deep balls I have ever seen.  I'd argue his deep passes were the most accurate throws I've ever seen in a QB. 

Yes it's crazy to make that type of statement, but Walter had a strangely unique ability to complete the deep ball during his ASU career.  After his shoulder injury however the zip, and the confidence Walter once had was gone. 

This is the same dilemma that Bradford faces, only it's a question of his overall accuracy versus arm strength.  Bradford is said to be so accurate that one scout waxed "he could throw a football through a shot glass he's so accurate". 

This type of praise may be a little over the top, but it doesn't understate the importance of this day for Sam Bradford.  He needs to throw well to boost his stock and the amount of money he'll get. 

Shoulder injuries are not kind and don't simply go away, they can be the worst injury out there in terms of how long they linger.  Especially on an NFL quarterback where most basic of fundamentals all start with the shoulder. 

Beyond the shoulder issues I'd argue that Bradford also needs to prove his foot work to NFL scouts.  Why most experts are overlooking the fact that Bradford spent most of his career throwing out of the shotgun is the most perplexing aspect of his scouting report.  Where as  Tim Tebow threw out of the shot gun and was criticized for not coming out of a pro style offense, Bradford too played out of a system at Oklahoma. 

A shot gun spread system that didn't rely on Bradford to hit his receivers with precise passes based on timing in the routes.  The Oklahoma receivers are not known for their route running abilities, more their work in finding the open lane and then Bradford delivering the ball on target. 

It will be interesting to see how successful he is behind center taking three and five drops and delivering the football based on the timing of a route and throwing the ball to a spot on time.  The Sooners' offense was no where near a pro style offense, but this hasn't hampered Bradford's stock to this point in his evaluation. 

The Indianapolis Colts runner up to the New Orleans Saints, but of the most successful franchises over the last decade in the NFL as far as regular season records are concerned.  The Colts last missed the playoffs in 2001 when they finished with a record of 6-10.   Since then they have won 10 or more games in each and every season.  Perhaps even more impressive it was only in 2002 that they finished with 10 games, every year since they have won 10 or more games. 

With all that said the Colts have only two Super Bowl appearances during that time frame and only one Super Bowl title, a win over the Bears in 2006.  You can essentially guarantee in 2010 is that the Colts will be competing for the league's best record and will likely make another run at an NFL title.  There team is consistently that good and plays that strong year after year.  Whether it's a testament to Peyton Manning or the success that Bill Polian drafts with the Colts are going to compete on an annual basis. 

Perhaps I shouldn't be the one writing up a profile on Taylor Mays, because it is unlikely that there is any other person in the country that carries the same bias against Mays that I do. 

Most people see Mays for all of his positives and all of his negatives, but they still give him a first round grade.  

Me on the other I struggle to give Mays a first round grade, but as tends to happen with prospects who come out of the top prospects in the country, there is a tendency to overrate those prospects. 

However based on a number of factors there is legitimate reason to not think of Mays as a first round worthy free safety or even a strong safety and certainly not a linebacker in the NFL. 

Succeeding as a safety in the NFL requires a lot more than being a big, fast and strong player, Mays is that, he's likely one of the best if not arguably the best pure athlete to come out of college in the last decade. 

There in lies the major problem though, his size and speed ratio is working to his advantage and causing scouts to look at Mays with blinders on. 

Call it the Mike Mamula syndrome a player who blows up the NFL scouting combine and then his stock begins to take off exponentially for no legitimate reason. 

Mays is that type of prospect coming out of  USC,  the legends of his 40-yard dash times are legendary, talk of at one point Mays ran a 4.19 that USC coach Pete Carroll hand timed himself. 

Here's the problem though, Mays did what he was SUPPOSED to do, BLOW UP THE COMBINE, but what he can't get away from the fact is that his ball skills are so poor and his tackling may be equally as bad.  Mays has never been a solid open field tackler that can square up on a RB in the open field and wrap up and make the tackle.  He can fire up into the hole, attack his gap with ferocity, and make the tackle, but he's not a good tackler. 

He also has a real lack of ball skills and coverage abilities in the secondary.  He's not going to cover anyone in a one on one situation, not going to go man to man on a TE who is more physical than Mays, or cover a good hands back on third down.  He's going to do everything in his power to make the big hit as he did throughout his career at USC. 

Make no mistake Mays' high light reel is full of big hits and unbelievable plays that he makes with his speed, but you don't see the type of ball skills of the two safeties rated ahead of him, Earl Thomas and Eric Berry.   To be a safety a player needs those read and react skills, needs those coverage skills to anticipate and get a jump on the ball. 

Mays instead goes for the BIG hit every time and NFL scouts and analysts have a horrible tendency to fall in love with those big hits and the fact the player comes out of a program like USC makes it all the more maddening.

As an example, three linebackers came out of USC last year two drafted in the first round.  Of the three LB Brian Cushing was thought of to be the worst of the bunch, but when you popped in the game tape the player around the football, the player making the most plays amongst the LBs was Cushing. 

Rey Mauluga, the 6-foot-2 256-pound 4.5 40-yard dash LB, showed up as the guy who made the high light reel plays (the big play against Illinois in the Rose Bowl and the INT against Ohio State) but wasn't consistent in his abilities.  Making the wrong reads, over pursuing taking bad angles or flat out missing tackles.  A year later the rookie of the year on defense wasn't Mauluga who received much more hype than Cushing, but it was Cushing himself. 

This is that same level of hype that Mays is getting, unfair if not astronomically insane hype based on high light reel hits and mythical athleticism. 

You never see Mays make the basic plays on the ball nor does he make any INTs or have his hand in a lot of turnovers.  Mays had a total of FIVE interceptions during his career at USC, in four years as a starter.  Three of them came in his freshman year, which means two INTs over the next three seasons for USC. 

That more than anything is perhaps the most telling stat for Mays, in coverage zone or otherwise he's lost.  He can make up for those poor instincts with his speed, but there are times where a player like Golen Tate caught a ball over the top of Mays' double coverage for a touchdown.  Mays showed the ability to get the ball and take a good angle but because he went for the player instead of the ball he ended up missing Tate all together.

Mays is perhaps the biggest boom or bust prospect in the NFL draft this year.  He has all the tools physcially and has enough skill to potentially be coached up into a solid player at the next level.  The question with his reckless style, and lack of true football instincts will he able to translate his freakish ability into consistent play making ability?

Based on his skills as a player Mays gets a third round rating at best, but because of his top five level athleticism it helps him sneak into the second round of the NFL draft.

Florida Cornerback Joe Haden ran the 40-yard dash at the UF Pro Day today and bested his surprisingly bad time from the Combine. Reports are that Haden ran in the high-4.3s, low-4.4s.

This should help confirm Haden's story that he was suffering from a mild back sprain during the Combine, and may elevate him back up to the first CB drafted position he held almost unanimously for months; but it may not.

Boise State cornerback Kyle Wilson has been climbing draft boards all over the country, and a number of teams are rumored to have him above Haden on their big board.