J.J. Redick: Not Only the Shooter the Sixers Wanted, But Player They Needed

Image Courtesy: Bleacher Report

• The Philadelphia 76ers have not been a legit player in Free Agency for some time so when the team did not make a move at 12:01 AM on Saturday you had to wonder, are they going to defer to next years free agency class?  It seemed that way as the day before the only rumblings you heard about the Sixers going into Free Agency was that they were going to target Celtics F/C Amir Johnson, who they ended up signing only a couple hours after making their big splash to a 1-year $11 Million deal, and that they were only going to give out 1-year deals to players that they sought out in this years class.  Lets face it, the Sixers obviously have been tanking and in doing so they never brought in shooters because scoring was not the main objective in this time, heck the best shooter has been Robert Covington, who in his best year shot 37% from behind the 3-Point line.  In comes former LA Clippers Shooting Guard J.J. Redick, who would agree to a 1-year $23 Million deal to play in Philadelphia for the 2017-18 season. That being said as this young nucleus has been built, they finally addressed the need for a shooter with the addition of Redick, because even though the First Overall Pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, G Markelle Fultz, is known for his shooting ability he is not that guy who will knock down 3's on a consistent basis.  What Redick also brings is experience and I think he will be a fantastic locker room guy for a team filled with mainly players sub-23 years old.  The biggest thing that Redick is going to do for  this team is open up space on the floor for the young nucleus of talent on this team and provided more opportunities for the young guns to score because of how much of a threat Redick is from beyond the arc, something this team has been missing for many, many, many years!

Image Courtesy: Twitter.com: Adrian Wojnarowski's Twitter @wojespn

• Getting this twitter notification (above) as I was driving on 76 heading to Ocean City, NJ for the 4th of July was a fantastic feeling, some would say an early beginning to the fireworks for the city of Philadelphia.  When Sixers GM Bryan Colangelo said they were only dealing out 1-year deals I was very weary of this happening because as I mentioned before I thought Redick would look to get years along with the big money.  For Amir Johnson to get a 1-year deal that made sense but for J.J. Redick I thought it didn't since he is 33 years old and hasn't gotten that big deal in his career that he has earned by being a career sharp shooter in a league where the 3-point has become ever more important with each passing year.  This is a great move for both parties!  For the Sixers this allows them to see what they have in Redick, see if he fits with this new unknown young nucleus of talent, it helps them project how many years they have left with him if they would like to sign him to a new deal next season, and most importantly it gives them financial flexibility next year as there are some interesting Free Agents in next years class.  For J.J. Redick this deal is great for him as $23 Million for a player who is mostly known for shooting is a very big deal for a specific talent and he can choose if he wants to be here next year or if he wants to chase after the money again next season with a team like the Brooklyn Nets who will just hand it out like candy on Halloween.  Word is that the Brooklyn Nets were offering similar money with more years as well to go along with the fact that Redick has a place near the Brooklyn area, so why wouldn't he go there.  ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski was able to get in touch with the 33 year old sharp shooter and find out why he chose to take a 1-year deal with the Sixers and it was a pretty simple answer, "This is where I wanted to be".  The Process really has come full circle and all of a sudden it has become a destination for Free Agents across the NBA moving forward.  It also helps when Redick and Sixers Rookie Phenom Center Joel Embiid bond over a soccer game as seen in the picture below!

Image Courtesy: Twitter.com: @JoelEmbiid's Twitter

 About J.J. Redick

• Jonathan Clay "J.J." Redick, born June 24, 1984 (33 years old).
• 6 Ft 4 in., 190 lbs.
• Born in Cookeville TN, Played High School Ball in Roanoke, VA at Cave Springs HS
• McDonald's All American in 2002 (Won MVP of Game)
• Was National College Player of the Year at Duke University in 2006.
• 11th Player Selected in NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic in 2006.
• Spent Career with Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, and Los Angeles Clippers.
• Career % Stats: 44.7 FG%, 41.5% 3P%, 88.8% FT%.
• Career Per Game Stats: 11.9 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 1.8 APG.

Process Comes Full Circle As Sixers Land #1 in Celtics Trade

Fultz Working Out for Sixers on Saturday.  Image Courtesy: PhillyInfluencer.com

University of Washington Guard Markelle Fultz will most likely be donning the Red, White, and Blue this coming Thursday night and the city of Philadelphia has erupted into absolute pandemonium!  But how did we get here? For 4 years now the city of Philadelphia has been using the phrase “Trust The Process” in regards to their basketball team and on Monday June 19th, 2017 it became official that trusting the process had finally payed off in the biggest of ways!  Sure, in 2014, did the Sixers potentially luck out by nabbing the loveable Cameroonian big man, Joel “The Process” Embiid, who took the NBA by storm in only 31 games after missing his 1st two seasons?  Yes.  And did the Sixers strike gold by landing the 1st overall pick in last years draft by selecting a potential generational talent in Ben Simmons, who was once held in current Head Coach Brett Brown's arms as a child?  Correct. But it seems the time has come where all of the real dirty work done by estranged former General Manager Sam Hinkie has paid off. Trades, pick swaps, Euro-stashes, buy-outs, 10-Day contracts, Jakarr Sampson, Hollis Thompson, so on and so forth we’ve finally reached what the process was all about.

Friday evening Adrian Wojranowski, basketball's version of Adam Schefter, along with Marc Stein and Zach Lowe revealed the Sixers, who own the number 3 pick in Thursday night's draft and the Boston Celtics, who own the top spot via the Brooklyn Nets had been discussing a potential trade that would send the Celtics’ first overall selection to the Sixers for a package of picks including Thursday's third overall selection.  I'm surprised Twitter didn't crash cause in such situations since it usually does.  Here are the details of the trade:

• Sixers acquire the first overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft (G Markelle Fultz)
• Celtics acquire the third overall pick in this year's draft AND either the Lakers 1st Round Pick next year if falls between picks 2-5 OR Kings first round pick in 2019 as long as it is not the 1st overall pick. (I believe would then receive the Sixers 2019 1st Runder, not 100% on that though).

Here’s what to know about Washington Universiry One-And-Done Freshman Phenom Guard Markelle Fultz:

• From Upper Marlboro Maryland.
• Measurables: Stands at 6-4, Weighs 195 lbs. and has a 6-9 wingspan.
• Fultz is a perfect compliment to the Sixers.  He is the only Combo-Guard who plays both positions extremely well coming out in this year's draft.  Fultz can run the offense AND he can play off the ball if the Sixers really believe Ben Simmons will be the team's Point Guard (in which I still have a hard time buying and you can read my opinion in my last blog post  (UNPOPULAR OPINION: Ben Simmons Not a PG/Can Coexist with De'Aaron Fox)
• Fultz in his Freshman year at Washington averaged 23.2 PPG, 5.9 APG, 5.7 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 1.2 BPG.  Fultz had a FG% of 47.6, 3P% of 41.3, FT% of 64.9 while playing 35.7 MPG.
• Washington went 9-22 but like Ben Simmons last year the rest of the team was terrible and made coaching changes throughout the year.
• Went to DeMatha Catholic in Hyattsville, Maryland, in which he will be the 18th player drafted in the NBA Draft from the school, as well as was the HS Alma Mater of Eagles HOF FS Brian Dawkins...Good Company!
• Fultz was cut from DeMatha’s Varsity Basketball squad in his sophomore year for being undersized.
• Had offers towards the end of HS from the likes of UNC and Kentucky but chose Washington because they noticed him and took to him back when one of the scouts happened to get to DeMatha early and caught Fultz’s JV game, where the scout said along the lines of if this kid grows not only will he be an NBA Player but a star in the league.
• Fultz recently signed a Sneaker deal with Nike but he did consider signing with Crazy MadMan LaVar Ball’s Big Baller Brand, headlined by his oldest son Lonzo Ball who very well could go 2nd Overall in the draft behind Fultz.
• Won Gold with the 2016 USA National Team in the FIBA Americas U18 Championship.

I will break down more of Fultz’s game in a post next week as well as how it affects the rest of the team and what they should do in Free Agency, beginning July 1st.  But just know this was Sam’s plan the whole time when it came to trusting the process, acquire assets for the day you need the best player in the draft or a top level talent under contract that will finalize the squad to compete for a NBA Championship.  Right now is a time to rejoice because things MAY finally be looking up, but once Free Agency is over it is time for the team to get healthy, get on the court, and put the next phase of the process in motion.  Again, on behalf of all of the true Sixers fans who trusted the process from Day One, THANK YOU for this opportunity!

• Continue to” Trust The Process”!!!

UNPOPULAR OPINION: Ben Simmons Not a PG/Can Coexist with De'Aaron Fox

Kentucky PG De'Aaron Fox. Image Courtesy: NBA.com

76ers F Ben Simmons.  Image Courtesy: ESPN.com

• Okay! First let me address the elephant in the room (or on the screen in this case)...If this isn't your first time reading my work, you know that around this time last year I was clamoring for the Philadelphia 76ers to draft Duke SF Brandon Ingram with the 1st Overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft over former LSU and current 76ers SF Ben Simmons.  One thing that I know I have going for me is that I will admit when I am wrong and reassess any situation if necessary.  That sounds like me back tracking, even though we did not see Simmons on the court for an official NBA game this year, we were all amazed by his court vision in summer league, where Ingram did not impress in a full season with the Lakers, so with that being said yes, yes I am back tracking!  Moving on...

• The 76ers have another lottery pick in this year's NBA Draft but they are picking 3rd Overall this year and not 1st.  Before I continue, there are a couple wrinkle's that need to be unfolded before I get to my main point so just bare with me as I address them.  Similarly to last year, this draft in my opinion, has one player that is in a league of his own compared to the rest and that is Washington Huskies G Markelle Fultz (the apple of my eye).  I'm going to stop there on Fultz, because barring a trade with the Boston Celtics, who own this years 1st Overall Pick (Thanks Brooklyn! #SMH), the Celtics would be stupid not to take the talented multi-dimensional Guard who would fit in perfectly with this 76ers roster without a doubt as he can play both Point and Shooting Guard as well as on or off the ball as he can create his own shot successfully.  

• So that leaves us with the Los Angeles Lakers picking at 2 and our Philadelphia 76ers picking at 3 and here is where the conundrum begins.  Many believe this is a two-player draft, ranking UCLA's G Lonzo Ball right alongside Fultz, but I would disagree and I am not discrediting Ball by any means.  I'm not going to go in depth on all of the Ball Family controversy/hoopla, but besides the fact Big Daddy Ball LaVar is a distraction for his talented son, Ball has a shot that I have compared to Former University of Florida Heisman-winning Quarterback Tim Tebow's throwing motion that was not successful in the NFL.  I believe Ball has a wonderful all-around game, as he does everything well, but to me his shot is so far fetched that elite defenders in the NBA will not let Ball score at will as he did in college, but again I could be wrong.  Via the media and LaVar Ball, it seemed like a forgone conclusion that the Lakers would draft Ball at 2 and Kansas SF Josh Jackson, who before last season was slated as the best player coming out of college, would essentially be left there for the 76ers to nab at 3.  Even though the 76ers seem to be loaded in their front court with a couple of rising talents such as F Ben Simmons, F Dario Saric, F Robert Covington, C Joel Embiid, and F/C Jahlil Okafor, who could play any of the SF/PF/C positions essentially, a player like Jackson with his elite defensive skills, play-making ability, and transitional game in an up-tempo NBA under Head Coach Brett Brown's scheme would be more than ideal.  The issue is there are RUMORS the Lakers do not like Lonzo Ball and instead are in love with Josh Jackson and they may have given Jackson their promise they will take him at 2.  With that being said, if the Lakers take Jackson, an unhappy ball-dominant Lonzo Ball and company would be sitting there for the 76ers at 3 OR my 2nd favorite player in this draft Kentucky G De'Aaron Fox would be just happy to play basketball alongside 76ers rookie phenom Center Joel Embiid.  There are many other options and possibilities the team could go at 3 or further down if they decided to trade back, but for my argument's sake I am going to leave it between Ball and Fox.

• De'Aaron Fox is an ultra-speedy, athletic PG who stands at 6'4, 187 pounds and can drive to the basket at will, while being an elite defender similarly to the aforementioned Kansas SF Josh Jackson.  Fox was not mentioned as a Top-5 talent most of the season until it came down to tournament time as he stepped his game up, when to me it seemed that his back court buddy, Kentucky SG Malik Monk who is also making the leap into the NBA this year, did not show up when it mattered most.  Fox essentially made his mark in Kentucky's Sweet 16 demolishing of UCLA while holding G Lonzo Ball to only 10 points with his superior defensive skills, which many believed Fox was capable of going into the game.  That being said not only did he shut Ball down, but he exploded for 39 points, which was not predicted by many at all, even me.

• Here is where I will elaborate more on Fox's game and make my conjoining point that Ben Simmons is not/should not be the 76ers Point Guard moving forward.  The one thing DeAaron Fox and Ben Simmons are both lacking is a shot and the team needs a shooter or two who they can rely on.  De'Aaron Fox has shown in moments he can shoot (the Elite 8 game verse UNC for example), but is not as consistent as many would like, but there are two reasons why I think this can change.  The first and main reason why I think that Fox can improve his shot is that he had to defer to Malik Monk who in my opinion has an NBA comparison to Cleveland Cavaliers G J.R. Smith, a streak shooter who can be extremely hot or cold on any given night and does not have much else of an all-around game, which is something the 76ers can't afford at this time.  The other reason I believe Fox can improve is shot is because he has the size and physical skills and youth to where he can be molded into a better shooting Point Guard. To me Fox's abilities are rare for his size at the PG position, especially defensively and I think that type of talent is hard to pass up.  In regard to Simmons, I have gone against myself of last year and have realized the potential of what Simmons can do on the court is unlike many others who have ever played the game of basketball, let alone any type of talent that has called Philadelphia home.  Fortunately, but unfortunately with Simmons' ankle surgery that kept him sidelined for all of his rookie campaign, Simmons had time to work on his shot and hopefully there has been improvement, but I think we all know that he most likely will never be an elite shooter, especially from beyond the 3-point line and that is okay.  

• The problem here is that many are already assuming that Simmons will never get injured again after this and he will stay here and not be tempted to leave in 3 years when his rookie deal is up.  Now we don't know what the future will bring for any of us in life or in basketball, I mean we only have gotten 31 games out of Joel Embiid in three seasons so we know nothing is guaranteed, but that being said I don't think a talent like De'Aaron Fox should be passed up because he "may" not mesh with Ben Simmons who "may" not be on the court from time to time or "may" not be here in 3 years when the process is in stride.  The overall thought is that the almost 7 Foot tall Simmons will be the teams PG, potentially on both side of the ball as HC Brett Brown and GM Bryan Colangelo have both alluded to on multiple occasions.  Here is the thing, I trust Brett Brown more than I probably should and that is ok, but I do not agree that Ben should be the PG and that we should draft around him.  To me Simmons has the ability to be a much more dominant Draymond Green, because his skill set shows he can push the ball up the floor after getting a rebound by facilitating or driving to the basket with his size and speed.  Many have also said that Fox is ball-dominant such as Lonzo Ball and that neither can coexist with Ben Simmons, but Fox has shown he can defer to others or himself whenever necessary and knows how to play his role.  As high as a basketball IQ that Simmons is said to have Fox has shown me to have just as high of an IQ on the court and he knows and is confident in his strengths and weaknesses.  I believe Fox can run the offense from the point based off of what I've seen and think the team would be much better suited to have a traditional PG such as Fox run the offense from the top of the key compared to Simmons, who could do damage down low with his mid range game and getting to the basket alongside Joel Embiid who would cause a match-up nightmare for many smaller teams in the league.  The rule of thumb when it comes to drafting a prospect in any sport is BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE and DeAaron Fox is the "BPA" in this situation because he is a player in every sense of the word and the 76ers would be foolish to let him slip as his potential hasn't even been tapped yet in my opinion.

Philly Sports Source's 2017 Philadelphia Eagles Draft Grade's

Images Courtesy: Philadelphia Eagles Instagram

      I think it is safe to say the Philadelphia Eagles Front Office, led by GM Howie Roseman, took care of business in Free Agency signing key players at key positions, without strapping the team financially moving forward.  Now the next task at hand is the 2017 NFL Draft, that took place in our home of Philadelphia on the Ben Franklin Parkway, on the steps of the Art Museum.  It seems as if the draft couldn't have gone any better, which is a great thing for the city and hopefully it will be back next year, but just think, if it weren't for Minnesota trading their 1st Round pick to us for QB Sam Bradford things would've gone a lot differently and not been nearly as big of a success, so thank you Minnesota!  Back to business, the Eagles definitely still had holes to fill at CB, RB, and other positions moving forward so this draft was very important, with that being said I believe they took care of those needs but not conventionally and not for this season specifically.

• Round 1: Pick 14: DE Derek Barnett (Tennessee) 
• 6'3", 295 lbs. Broke Reggie White's Tennessee Career Sack Record (Had to mention it)
• Was I in love with the pick? No, not because of the player, but because it wasn't sexy.  I really wanted them to grab Alabama LB Reuben Foster (who went 31 to the 49ers, who had a hell of a draft) or another talent at more of a position of need even though DE is a big need.  With Marshon Lattimore falling to the Saints at 12 I thought maybe there was a chance he would fall in the Eagles lap and the early run on Wide Receivers didn't help either.  Barnett is a high motor guy, who can get after the Quarterback and stop the run, which sometimes can be a rarity with DE's.  Positives with Barnett is that he has no wasted movements and studies and perfects his craft so he can be the best edge rusher he can.  A negative that more of the combine guru's will flag him for is that he is not 40-time fast, but to me he plays game-speed fast.  Barnett after his poor combine results went on the say "I'm a football player, not a track star".  He has a good attitude and knows what he needs to improve on and that was visible at his Press Conference last Friday.  Will he pan out in the NFL and make an impact for the Eagles, I believe so.  I know we have had bad luck with early drafted DE's, but I think Barnett can change those fortunes immediately.
• Draft Pick Grade: B+

•  Round 2: Pick 43: CB Sidney Jones (Washington)
• 6'0", 186 lbs. Tore Achillies at Washington Pro-Day (Could miss all of 2017)
• LOVE LOVE LOVE this pick!  I wanted Jones at 14 before the injury hands down, pound the table, beat the drum, the whole 9 yards, yada, yada, yada.  No one on the Corner has swagger like Sidney!  (See what I did there?)  As aforementioned, Jones could miss all of 2017, but the value and potential of what Jones could be is worth the pick at 43 in my opinion.  At 6'0" and arm length of 31.5 inches, Jones has prototypical size for a corner back and played the position well.  Jones' player comparison is to current Kansas City Chiefs CB Marcus Peters, who also spent most of his college career as a Washington Huskie.  Jones is a chance taking ball hawk who is as smart of a corner as he is aggressive.  Jones doesn't just use his physical skills and natural athleticism to get the job done but he does a great job at knowing where he is on the field at all times and forces the WR he is up against to the outside giving the WR and QB little room to complete a pass against him in bounds.  WARNING: Though a terrific player, an achillies injury to a corner is tough to recover from due to constant cutting, running and back-pedaling, but if he does fully recover the Eagles will have a shutdown corner who will be able to live on an island comfortably.
• Draft Pick Grade: A+ (Based on Value/Potential)

• Round 3: Pick 99: CB Rasul Douglas (West Virginia University)
• 6'2", 209 lbs.  Tied for lead in the Nation with 8 Interceptions.
• In the round prior, the Eagles drafted a (great) corner, but as I said before there is a good chance Sidney Jones will not play at all in 2017.  That being said Howie Roseman and Joe Douglas, Director of Scouting, went right back to work in round 3 and went back-to-back cornerbacks.  This time, assuming he can stay healthy, Rasul Douglas will be fighting for a starting spot on the Eagles improved defense as a rookie or at least make an impact where he can.  Where Sidney Jones has prototypical size for a corner as I mentioned before, Douglas has exceptional size for a corner!  Besides the fact he's 6'2", 209 lbs. he has even better arm length at 32 3/8 inches which helps him cover his competition.  Not only is Rasul Douglas a ball hawk, who was tied for the Nation lead with 8 Interceptions (with FSU CB Tarvarus McFadden), but his long size helps him be extra aggressive and could be a great press corner in this league, which Jim Schwartz's defense is predicated on.  This isn't too bold of a statement with the state of the Eagles Corners, but I believe Douglas will be starting opposite CB Jalen Mills on Week 1 in Washington.
• Draft Pick Grade: A   
• NOTE: Eagles originally had the 74th overall pick, but traded it to Baltimore for DT Timmy Jurnigan and the 99th overall pick, which is a humongous boost for the D-Line after the loss of DT Bennie Logan to the Kansas City Chiefs.  Jurnigan is a former 2nd round pick of the Ravens, where Joe Douglas was pretty much responsible for making this pick.  The only reason why Jurnigan was traded from Baltimore was due to a crowded D-Line and the fact DT Brandon Williams just got a huge contract, where Jurnigan will be eligible to get paid after this season and Baltimore could not afford both.

• Round 4: Pick 118: WR Mack Hollins (UNC)
• 6'4", 221 lbs.  Potentially a Special Teams Star.
• This was a surprise pick for me in the 4th round and not because of position, but because of the kind of receiver they went after.  The Eagles definitely upgraded the Wide Receiver position in Free Agency with the signings of WR Alshon Jeffery and WR Torrey Smith, but there was still a need to bring in more competition for the core that was here, even including Jordan Matthews (who yes I know I am hard on).  Here's the thing though, Hollins most likely will not be a prototypical WR in the league.  He actually has Alshon Jeffery size and speed and will be used like him, when he is actually in the game though.  In college Hollins was used in less than 50% of UNC's snaps on offense as he was used to be a big play/stretch the field type of receiver.  I think Hollins can be a better version of Former Eagles WR Riley Cooper (don't kill me!), but I think his real impact will be on Special Teams and could replace S Chris Maragos as a Special Teams Captain in the future.  
• Draft Pick Grade: C

• Round 4: Pick 126: RB Donnel Pumphrey (San Diego St.)
• 5'8", 175 lbs.  Darren Sproles' Replacement? Broke Marshall Faulk's records at SDSU.
• With the Eagles 2nd pick of the 4th round they finally took a Running, who many believed it was too little, too late, which I don't wholeheartedly disagree with.  There were many among-st the fan base that clamored for FSU RB Dalvin Cook or Stanford RB Christian McCaffery or even me who wanted Oklahoma troubled RB Joe Mixon, but the Eagles stood pat and didn't give up too much to grab one, since there was a rumor the Vikings jumped the Eagles to grab Cook in the 2nd round.  Would I have loved to see them grab a 3 down back? Sure, but with the development of this team I think next year is the year they invest in a franchise Running Back one way or another.  Insert Pumphrey, the small scatback, who is the Darren Sproles clone.  It makes too much sense here that they went this route.  Now whether or not he can do the things Sproles has done has yet to be seen, but I like the value of the pick because after the majority of the aforementioned RB's there was a big drop off.  Let's give Pumphrey time to adjust to the NFL, if he pans out for the Eagles its going to be in year 2 or 3 and at this point you gotta trust the process!
• Draft Pick Grade: B

• Round 5: Pick 166: WR Shelton Gibson (West Virginia University)
• 5'11", 191 lbs.  Everyone (myself included) will look for a Desean Comparison.
• Besides the size aspect of the Eagles 4th Round selection in UNC WR Mack Hollins, I believe that Gibson will have a much greater impact at offensive Wide Receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles throughout both of their careers.  This is obviously a Boom or Bust pick, as most Wide Receivers and Corner Backs are, but with his size and big play ability, especially in the Big 12, you never know if a player of his calibre will translate or not.  He does have Desean Jackson type skills with his game speed and ability to track a ball in the air as well as he does.  Here's the difference Jackson has proven he can do it against bigger Corners in the NFL, can Gibson?  Jackson was drafted in the 2nd round and played in a conference with better defenses.  I absolute think Gibson can sky-rocket up the depth chart past wide receivers Bryce Treggs, Dorial Green-Beckham, and Nelson Agholor if he can do what he does best and act out his best Desean Jackson impersonation.  Love the value of the pick!
• Draft Pick Grade: B+

• Round 5: Pick 184: S Nate Perry (Nebraska)
• 6'2", 218 lbs.  Can he be converted into a Linebacker?
• To be honest I don't know much about Nate Perry and I don't think many people do, unless you are a draftoholic.  When you get to this point in the draft it becomes a game of chance taking as GM's are now just trying to find Diamonds in the Rough that are very inexpensive going forward.  From what I've gathered is Perry is a hard-hitting safety who was very calculated in coverage as he was not the most talented on the field but he could defend the ball in the air and make tackles at the line of scrimmage.  That being said, I heard a rumor that the team is looking to maybe mold him into a Linebacker, which this team desperately a 3rd Linebacker alongside Jordan Hicks and Nigel Bradham.  Disclaimer: these player-position changes fail more than they pass in the NFL but it is worth a shot.  Perry's best chance to make it onto the team will be on Special Teams, so we will see how that goes.
• Draft Pick Grade: B-   

• Round 6: Pick 214: DT Elijah Qualls (Washington)
• 6'1", 313 lbs.  Versatility and close to home for CB Sidney Jones.
• The Eagles used their last selection of the 2017 NFL Draft on Qualls, who can play various positions on the D-Line.  Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz, loves players who can be versatile and he fits the mold but the only issue is that even after the departure of DT Bennie Logan as I mentioned earlier, the D-Line is crowded and he will have to standout above DL Beau Allen to make the team in my estimation.  With how good Washington's defense I think there is a chance and he had a good deal to do with that but Beau Allen has already proven he belongs in the NFL, so it will be an uphill climb for Qualls.  Best of Luck!
• Draft Pick Grade: B

Conclusion

      Did the draft go exactly as I would've predicted? No, but I don't get paid to do this for the team.  I truly believe they have a plan and I think they executed.  As I mentioned before I got into my pick summaries, they made moves for the future and not for immediate success.  I think they executed a nice combo of bringing in players who can make immediate impacts and who will be future assets going forward.  The one area I wished they addressed earlier was adding a legit Linebacker in the draft as that was a big position of need for me.  I believe the difference in this year's draft with Joe Douglas compared to drafts prior is that they 100% stuck to his big board and if a player they coveted was not there at the desired pick they found a way to trade back and then trade up to a spot where they could find someone else they desire, essentially a kill two birds with one stone type of theory.  Time will tell how this draft pans out, but I am proud of the job Howie Roseman and Joe Douglas did.

• 2017 PSS Philadelphia Eagles Draft Grade: A
• Like I said I am proud of what they did, especially because I think Howie took a step back and let Joe Douglas have control of the draft board.  This is not a biased pick, I am just very satisfied with the draft as I believe we will really reap the benefits in 2018.

ALSHON JEFFERY IS AN EAGLE!!! (UPDATED)

Image Courtesy: PhiladelphiaEagles.com

• THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES HAVE SIGNED FORMER CHICAGO BEARS WR ALSHON JEFFERY TO A 1 YEAR/$14 MILLION DEAL! (A++++)
• Ian Rappaport sent out a tweet not long after the signing saying "Alshon Jeffery turned down a multi-year deal with more security from Vikings, but he is betting himself long term with the Eagles and Wentz"...I don't know about you but if true and if you are an Eagles fan and that doesn't make your heart melt then you need to check if you have a pulse.  
• Alshon Jeffery when "Healthy" is fantastic. AJ is a 6' 3"216 lbs, big time play-making Wide Receiver, who can go down the field with good speed for size, leaping ability, able to get up against any other defender and is a strong redzone target for Carson Wentz!  Finally the man has a weapons...
• UPDATE Mar 11, 2017@ 10am: The actual numbers in Alshon's deal (according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com) are that his Base Salary is $1 Million GTD, $7.75 Million Signing Bonus, $750K Workout bonus, and $4.5 Million in Incentives.  Just when you thought this deal couldn't get better it did because instead of $14 Million against the Eagles small salary cap in '17 it is only around $9 Million, which gives the Eagles a little more flexibility to continue pursuing mid-level free agents and signing draft picks.

Image courtesy: PhiladelphiaEagles.com

• The Philadelphia Eagles earlier today came to an agreement and have officially signed Former Baltimore Ravens and San Fransisco 49ers Wide Receiver Torrey Smith to a 1 Year $5 Million deal with team options options in both 2018 and 2019 for $5 Million each season! (B+)
• Gives 2nd year QB Carson Wentz another tall and fast target on the outside to go along with WR Jordan Matthews in the slot!

Now Eagles G Chance Warmack. Image Courtesy: PhiladelphiaEagles.com

•  Right after making a humongous splash with WR phenom Alshon Jeffery, the Eagles slid in another one year deal, this time upgrading their already filled offensive line, with former Tennessee Titans 1st Round (10th Overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft) Guard Chance Warmack!  Don't have the numbers on this deal yet but should be a good team friendly prove it deal! Without the numbers I give this deal a B at the moment, maybe this moves Center Jason Kelce out of here whether Trade of Cut most likely!
• UPDATE Mar 11, 2017 @ 10am: According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today, the details of Chance Warmack's deal with the Eagles is a 1 Year "prove it" deal that can reach up to $1.5 Million with a 500K Signing Bonus, $760K Base Salary, and another $250K in pre-game roster incentives!  After all this the Eagles have added depth and bolstered up an offensive line that last year was an issue and made it a strength moving forward.  Warmack rejoining up with his former Offensive Line Coach at Alabama and present Offensive Line coach with the Eagles, Jeff Stoutland, should do wonders for him going forward and could help him get paid next year and hopefully with the Eagles!  I give this move an A for the Eagles as they have next to nothing invested on a guy who was a former Top-10 pick in the draft who's potential hasn't even been tapped yet! 

Sixers: Trade Deadline/Player Updates & New Podcast

Now Departed Sixers: F Ilyasova (Left) and Nerlens Noel (Right).  Image Courtesy: SB Nation

      The 2017 NBA Trade Deadline has come and gone and the Sixers did not stand pat.  Philadelphia made moves to acquire assets and expand roles for players on the current squad.  With the 3rd worst record in the league, the Sixers were not looking to add any superstars such as Indiana Pacers SF Paul George or Chicago Bulls SF Jimmy Butler, but they were looking to help build for the future.  On top of the trade deadline, the Sixers made a couple of announcements within the past couple of days that will raise fan's eyebrows, and not for the better!

      But first with a Non-Sixers related point...I am happy to announce that last night, February 23rd 2017, The Small Ball Lineup made it's debut on Wildfire Radio!  You can catch myself, Keith Small, and Nick Granese live every Thursday Night at 9:30 PM on Wildfire Radio.  You can also stream/download every episode on our show's page in the link below.  Enjoy!

Wildfireradio.com/small-ball-lineup

Sixers Trade Ilyasova to Hawks

                 Philadelphia Sixers Receive                                 Atlanta Hawks Receive

                       F/C Tiago Splitter                                                 PF Ersan Ilyasova

                     2017 2nd Round Pick

              Swap of 2017 2nd Round Picks

•  The Sixers 3 games into this season acquired PF Ersan Ilyasova, and OKC's 2020 1st Round Pick for F Jerami Grant and ever since joining the team Ilyasova brought much needed veteran experience and made an immediate impact.  He played well most of the season, but my only true criticism I had of him was his shot selection late in games.  He has a short-term memory when it comes to missing a shot, but sometimes that can be a detriment late in games when a higher percentage shot is needed and hes taking a 17-foot jumper with :20 seconds left on the shot clock, but that's just me.  Anyway, the reason why he was parlayed to Atlanta was due to his upcoming Free Agency.  The move proved the Sixers were not willing to pay Ilyasova a big contract this summer that I believe will be in the range of $72 million over 4 years.  In return the Sixers receive Tiago Splitter, an aging, injury-plagued F/C who spent time with Head Coach Brett Brown from their days in San Antionio, and 2 2nd rounders.  The return isn't great, but it is a return as Splitter may never see the court and the 2 draft picks are back pocket assets.  The best part of this move is that the recently surging PF Dario Saric will see an expanded role and time as a starter, which I believe will be good for him experience wise but I see his best production coming as the 1st guy off of the bench who I predict will win the "6th Man of the Year" Award at least once in his career.  Trade gets PSS's Approval.

SSixers Trade Nerlens Noel to Mavericks 

                   Philadelphia Sixers Receive                                Atlanta Hawks Receive

                       G/F Justin Anderson                                               C Nerlens Noel

           2017 1st Round Pick (1-18 protected)..

              ...Most likely 2 2nds in '17 and '20

           C Andrew Bogut (Negotiating Buyout)

•  Essentially the beginning of the "Process", Nerlens Noel was the 6th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft where former GM Sam Hinkie made a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans that included G Jrue Holiday in exchange for NO's pick in which Nerlens was selected.  I loved most of Nerlens game; his speed, rebounding ability, defense, rim protection, and ability to run the fastbreak...his game, especially defensively, translated to the NBA, but his down-low shooting and scoring presence needed improvement.  The Mavericks get a great defender and rim protector in Noel and he will be missed in Philly.  Again, like Ersan, Noel was coming up on Free Agency and with C Joel Embiid, they have already identified him as the future Center of the team even with only 31 games of experience and they were not going to overpay Noel to be the back up Center, which he could get a deal in the range of $85 Million over 5 years.  Similar return as the Ilyasova trade but we just may see something out of the 3rd year G/F Justin Anderson who is said to be a great perimeter defender but needs work on his scoring ability.  I am very intrigued to see what he brings to the table.  PSS Approves of the trade.

Sixers Key Player Updates 

• GM Bryan Colangelo announced this morning that the 2016 1st Overall Pick in the NBA Draft G/F Ben Simmons will not suit up for the Philadelphia 76ers this season, due to the Jones Fracture in his right foot not fully healing as soon as they expected.  A crushing blow for the team, even thought most of the fans had a general idea this was would be the case when he didn't step on the court in January.  It took me a while to come to this point because I wanted to see him on the floor this season but it is better for him to get healthy and not rush coming back for this season when there is nothing to play for essentially.
• C Joel Embiid will miss "at least" the next 4 games with continued swelling in his left knee, which there is a slight tear to his meniscus.  They "target" a return to the court date of March 4th against the New York Knicks, but I see that as doubtful and would not be surprised if he was shut down for the rest of the season, because again in the Simmons case, there is nothing for the team to play for so treat this as an audition for players on the team who want to be here next season.

State of the Sixers: Lack of Transparency

Sixers C Joel Embiid dancing at Meek Mill show last night in WFC. Image Courtesy: Philly.com / Twitter @Owlpress

• Good Morning Philadelphia!  The Sixers are in the spotlight early Saturday morning without the team playing a basketball game on Friday night.  Center Joel Embiid shined on the stage where Philly native, Meek Mill,  performed as he brought the 7+ footer out to dance to Future's "Wicked".  Everything would've been fine with the Rookie Center dazzling the Wells Fargo Center crowd had he not been missing his 9th straight game tonight against the Miami Heat with a bone bruise to his left knee.

• Embiid has not played since the Sixers' nationally televised 5-point loss to the Houston Rockets in Philadlephia, in which after Embiid admitted to having some pain after one of his best games of the season.  On this same night, Joel admitted he had to convince the Sixers Medical Staff to play as he suffered the bone bruise exactly one week earlier against the Portland Trail Blazers.  Embiid has been selected to play in next Friday's NBA Rising Stars Game and Saturday night's Skills Competition, but new Sixers GM Bryan Colangelo says Embiid will not be able to participate in the festivities unless he plays in at least one game before next weekend.

• The Sixers have been on the uptick this season, mostly to Joel Embiid's debut in the NBA and his impact it is having on the rest of the team; the Sixers next win will double their win total from a year ago(10-72) with 29 games left to play, so they have that going for them.  But besides Embiid injuring his knee against the Trail Blazers and only playing once since, the first overall selection in this past June's NBA Draft, Ben Simmons, has not stepped on the court in an NBA regular season game due to a fractured foot on the last day of Training camp in September.  Simmons' injury usually has a recovery time of 6-8, but the Sixers, who have plenty of experience being cautious with injury, would not rush the rookie on to the floor so add at least two weeks to that.  Well ,we are now 18 weeks removed from the surgery and questions about the rookie are now intensifying and GM Bryan Colangelo is feeling the heat.

• As we rewind back to yesterday afternoon, Colangelo was a guest on 94.1 WIP Sportsradio Philadlephia's Carlin and Reese Afternoon Show and it seemed as if Colangelo was close to hanging up the phone as Carlin and Reese piled on the questions about the lack of answers regarding Embiid and Simmons' injuries.  Joel Embiid, who has been held out of games by the Sixers organizaiton because he is "hurt", dancing on stage only about 6 hours after the heated interview does not look good for the Sixers.

• Here is my problem with it all...The NBA stepped in on the Sixers situation with former GM, Sam Hinkie, who essentially tanked and kept a lot of information regarding the team close to his chest, as they [NBA] thought it was bad for the game, yet he really exposed the NBA for the flawed product it was and is.  So Hinkie was forced out and Jerry Colangelo was convinced by the league to intervene by bringing in his son Bryan Colangelo, who I feel is a meddling-middle of the road GM that in the past has lead his teams to mediocrity and nothing more, to fill Hinkie's shoes.  Yet, besides bringing in a couple middle of the road veterans, who have somewhat helped, Colangelo is not so sneakily conducting business as Hinkie did.  Such acts include; making moves to get the team as close to the cap floor as possible, sitting out Embiid and Simmons for longer than need, and not being upfront and transparent with the fans/media as to what the team is doing.  Now I ask, are Embiid and Simmons really as injured as the team is making it seem to be? OR...Is Colangelo pulling off the mid-season tank since the Sixers won too many games in July?  This upcoming draft in June has the potential to be one of the best drafts in years with a ton of talent at the Guard position which the team really needs, so I have no problem with the mid-season tank as long as there is more transparency from the organization.  The bottom line is speaking for myself, and I believe many others, the city will be behind this team when everything goes right because the most important thing is to win and all of the malarkey in the middle will pass, but I just don't see the point in keeping everything close to the chest, when Colangelo was brought in to be the "Anti-Hinkie".  As you can see with Colangelo's appearance on WIP for example, there is growing frustration with the organization as a whole that could be avoided by being straight forward and not throwing Head Coach Brett Brown under the bus to have to answer the questions that should be being asked by Colangelo and ownership.  The Sixers are by no means the New York Knicks right now as they go through turmoil on many different fronts, but I don't want to see the promise of this team and what could be be demolished by a lack of transparency when all this city wants just a little bit more honesty and not to feel as if they are being left in the dark as we all want to enjoy the ride that could come.