During the process of trying to wriggle the Titan’s receiver free from the team (that drafted him in 2019), the Eagles cognoscenti gathered in GM Howie Roseman’s office to take a closer look.

How the Eagles’ Reboot Has Gone So Far

One thing is clear, Nick Sirianni and GM Howie Roseman working together to pull every lever to keep the team competitive as the roster goes through a pretty thorough retool. The Eagles’ management truly acknowledges that building in the NFL doesn’t have an endpoint, where they gradually come upon answers and eventually get to the point where they have them all.

Here’s what the finished draft looks like for the Eagles:

• A look at some insight and draft trends into the thinking of a bunch of teams.
• An overview of how the Panthers plan to address two critical spots mapped out.
• A tie that binds the two players the Lions took big swings on Friday night.
• A discussion on how the Jets managed to get 4 of the top 20 players on their board.

The Birth of a Mess in Philadelphia

15 months ago, the Philly team finished 4-11-1. The Eagles had separated with the only coach to win a Super Bowl and the roster was aging in key spots. On top of that, the franchise QB wanted out and the hire of Sirianni wasn’t well received.

The result was that coming out of it all, Howie Roseman had two key assets with which to work; one was the sixth pick in the draft, earned with that 2020 record, and the other was Carson Wentz.

With those two assets, the Eagles saw an opportunity to attack the developing market inefficiency and they started dealing mid-rounders away for established veterans. So, Sirianni’s first season started and the Eagles surprised everyone and ripped off 7 wins in their final 10 games to rally from a 2-5 start to make the playoffs.

Not Hogging the Veteran Market in 2022

After their success, it only seemed natural for the Eagles to hog the veteran market in 2022 but they didn’t. Instead, they focused on the Brown trade and its connection to deals for Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill earlier in the offseason, mostly because there was a blockbuster contract attached to it.

The trade itself was more tied to the flexibility the Eagles created for themselves by building the aforementioned draft haul in an environment where picks were coming cheaper than ever.

The Women’s National Basketball Association draft is back in person this year and the excitement levels are high. There are only 144 roster spots in the league and that’s why the pressure is on for prospects to get their name in WNBA history. The Atlanta Dream had to select a player first, but more on that later.

The Night of the Draft

The event at Spring Studios in New York City began with details on the situation of WNBA star Britney Griner. She’s been detained in Russia and commissioner Cathy Engelbert said that getting her home safely is still their number one priority right now. Then, the first pick was made.

Atlanta Dream Picked First

The Dream picked Rhyne Howard, a Kentucky guard, from the University of Kentucky. A previous week, the team got the top pick from the Washington Mystics in order to select Howard, a three-time first-team All-American. Regarding the pick, Howard commented that it was a sigh of relief and a dream come true.

The Atlanta Dream acquired the first overall pick from the Washington Mystics in a deal that sent the third overall pick and the 14th (second round) from Atlanta to Washington. The Mystics hold rights to swap picks with the Atlanta Dream in the 2023 draft as part of the blockbuster, too.

The team has had the top pick before in the WNBA draft, back in 2009, when Atlanta selected former Louisville star Angel McCoughtry. She’s the most accomplished player in franchise history, who led the Atlanta Dream to the WNBA Finals in 2010, 2011, and 2013. McCoughtry, a five-time All-Star, and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, now plays for the Minnesota Lynx.

As the Night Continued

After the Atlanta Dream selection of Rhyne Howard, the Indiana Fever, who had 4 first-round selections, made Baylor forward NaLyssa Austin the second overall pick. The Washington Mystics picked Ole Miss center Shakira Austin, third. The selections were done in three rounds and 36 players were drafted.