There is a nice little piece today over at Foxsports talking about the Eagles efficiency in recent years at drafting for the future, and not necessarily current need. They use Lito and Mr. Brown as examples to replace Troy and Bobby.
An AFC executive says that by the second year, high draft picks should be impacting the team. I guess we should give up on FredEx by now.
Link: FOXSports.com - NFL- Draft foresight can bring view from the top.
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The Eagles have drafted for the future as well as any team in football. Before the 2002 draft, the team had negotiated with cornerbacks Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor, whose contracts were up after the 2003 season, about signing contract extensions. The Eagles got the impression that neither would be easy to sign. So the team chose to draft cornerbacks Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown in the first and second rounds. Vincent and Taylor left the team as free agents after the 2003 season, and Sheppard and Brown became solid starters last season. Last year, the Eagles picked Shawn Andrews in the first round. They played him at guard in 2004 before he broke his leg, but the grand plan is for him to succeed Jon Runyan at right tackle, probably after this season, when Runyan's contract expires.