Eagles Draft at a Glance: SS up for grabs

Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Posted: 12 p.m.

By Reuben Frank
CSNPhilly.com

Third in a series of 10 stories previewing the Eagles needs going into the 2011 NFL draft. Today: Safeties. On Thursday: Running Backs.

The Eagles have a few easy options at safety, including signing steady veteran Quintin Mikell to a one-year extension (once such things are possible) and starting him next year alongside Nate Allen or simply going with second-year pros Kurt Coleman and Allen this coming season.

We have a hunch the Eagles will do neither. The Eagles will probably attack safety fairly early in the draft as they remake their secondary, possibly in the third round after theyve addressed cornerback and offensive line and likely by the end of the fourth round. Since 2002, the Eagles have taken six safeties in the first four rounds, including Allen with the 37th pick last year.

Allen, expected to be 100 percent whenever the preseason starts following a mid-December season-ending knee injury, will start at free safety, but strong safety remains up for grabs.

Allen is smart, productive, athletic and always around the ball. Coleman doesnt have world-class speed but loves to hit, has natural leadership ability and played much higher than a seventh-round pick as a rookie. Theyre both young and could develop into a very good safety combination in time.

But we expect the Eagles to try and upgrade, keeping Coleman as a special teams stud and backup at both spots while developing another young safety as the starter.

The Eagles actually have a glut of safeties with at least some NFL experience. Marlin Jackson has been rehabbing for a year now and sure looks like a stud, although he hasnt been able to stay healthy. Midseason pickup Colt Anderson played a lot late in the year with mixed results. Unknown but promising Jamar Adams could be a sleeper and will get a long look if minicamps ever get started.

And theres always Mikell, the safety valve. Q isnt under contract but has played his entire eight-year career in Philly, made a Pro Bowl team just two years ago and was still playing at a high level in 2010. Mikell would give the defensive coaches a measure of trust if theyre not quite ready to rely on the young guys.

Whos already on the roster:
Jamar Adams, Nate Allen, Colt Anderson, Kurt Coleman, Antoine Harris, Marlin Jackson, Quintin Mikell, Jamar Wall.

Who has to stay:
Allen, Coleman. Anderson for special teams.

Who has to go:
Harris. Were skeptical that Jackson can stay healthy, but hes such a physically imposing specimanhe looks like a Hall of Famer in the locker roomwell keep him for one more go-round. Just in case.

How bout this guy?
Cals Chris Conte is the kind of guy the Eagles love. Smart, physical, versatile and ... undersized! Conte is a converted corner who really blossomed this past season in his first year at safety. Hes boosted his draft status big-time in recent workouts, and in a weak safety draft will probably end up as a third-round pick.

Conte spoke at the Combine about moving from corner to safety early in his senior year.

Learning the whole secondary, theres not that much after that you have to learn, he said. You have to start learning what the linebackers are supposed to do, you start to put all the pieces together, it makes it a lot easier to know the whole defense and where everyone else is supposed to be, and you can give guidance also to younger guys who are learning the positions too because Ive played pretty much everything.

When youre in the season and trying to learn four different positions it can be a little bit difficult. Its hard being in the season, when youre moving around from position to position, but I think in the long run, to have the experience at all those positions is great.

Conte was 6-2 12, 200 pounds at the Combine, but he played a lot in the box this past season as a 215-pound strong safety and said hes comfortable playing up to 225 pounds. Assuming hes a safety in the NFL, hell have to put some of the weight back on.

I think my experience at corner, playing all the different positions, and bringing that over to safetyIve done all those things, he said. Im a bigger safety as far as height-wise, and I can put on weight. Ive been 225 in my career. Ive lost weight getting in shape, but I think I can pretty much do everything.

Did you know?
In the last 50 years, the Eagles have drafted five Pro Bowl safetiesBill Bradley (third round in 1969), Joe Lavender (12th round in 1973), Wes Hopkins (second round in 1983), Brian Dawkins (second round in 1996) and Michael Lewis (second round in 2002).

Andy Reid safety history:
Damon Moore (4th round, 1999), Michael Lewis (2nd round 2002), Norman LeJeune (7th round, 2003), Matt Ware (3rd round, 2004), J.R. Reed (4th round, 2004), Sean Considine (4th round, 2005), C.J. Gaddis (5th round, 2007), Quintin Demps (4th round, 2008), Nate Allen (2nd round, 2010), Kurt Coleman (7th round, 2010).

Reid's best pick:
Lewis with the 58th pick in 2002.

Reid's worst pick:
Ware with the 89th pick in 2004.

E-mail Reuben Frank at rfrank@comcastsportsnet.com

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