That 2011 Eagles Draft That Happened

Perhaps I'm in the minority here, but the whole NFL lockout business really took away much of the hype surrounding this year's draft for me. Both in the weeks leading up to it as well as following along as it happened, my interest levels this year weren't as sky high as usual. I'd say the success of the other teams in town contributed a bit, but I feel like the lockout really dampened my excitement in this year's NFL draft. Did this happen with any other Birds fans out there?

That said, now that the 2011 draft is in the books, I'm all for learning about who will try to make an impact on the Eagles next season. As usual, Ray Didinger has one of the best overall takes, summarizing a draft that signified the end of an era -- an era many of us cherished.

But while that era took us to a Super Bowl, it never got us one of those coveted parades down Broad Street. So is it really worth mourning an era that always left us wanting more at the end of every season? I'd say just a little bit, only because David Akers and Quintin Mikell were both such stand up guys to have on your team.

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The most noticeable trend in the Eagles 2011 draft was the seeming impact Howard Mudd had on the personnel decisions. Would the Birds have gone with three offensive lineman had Mudd not been talked out of retirement? I doubt it. It's very interesting to see just how much pull must have had with Andy and Howie. Watching the progression of these young (and not so young) linemen will be a fun experiment in seeing just how good Mudd may be.

But, but, but... what about a starting corner?

As GM Howie Roseman points out in a Q&A with Reuben Frank, if you address all of your immediate needs via the draft, you probably had a bad draft. Another interesting note from the chat with Roseman is the art of the draft pick trade. Roseman explains how they turned a 4th rounder this year into a lower 4th rounder this year and a fourth rounder next year.

As they say though, we've got to wait a couple years to see how Andy and company's last week's worth of work will rank. That is if they start playing football gain any time soon.