Andy Reid must draft even better in 2010 than in 2009.
Too often teams are concerned with getting many good players in the draft, rather than three or four starters who can develop into great players. It leads to a team full of backups and rotation players -- as we've seen over the past few seasons with the Eagles.
This year, however, they must be more focused on finding starters and future stars. They are betting their 2010 season on the rookies they bring in, so they don't have the luxury of simply sitting and picking when it's their turn.
Instead, they cannot be afraid to trade away multiple picks to move up for a guy they really like and whom they feel can start immediately. More specifically, if there's a safety, defensive end, or linebacker available, they must be willing to go after that player and give up whatever it might take to make the deal work.
Over the years we've seen picks like Kevin Kolb, Victor Abiamiri, Trevor Laws, Bryan Smith, and even to a certain extent Brodrick Bunkley, who have given absolutely nothing in their first few seasons.
Bunkley at least looks like he's a star in the making now, but during his rookie season his play had a lot of Philadelphia worried that he was going to be another flop pick.
The 2009 draft was a step in the right direction as the Eagles got immediate production out of Jeremy Maclin, LeSean McCoy, Macho Harris, and Moise Fokou. Two of those guys (Maclin and McCoy) will be starters in 2010, Fokou will be a battle for the SAM linebacker spot, and Harris will see some time in the defensive backfield at safety and cornerback.
However, that's only four players out eight. Brandon Gibson (trade) and Paul Fanaika (signed off practice squad), are no longer on the team, while Cornelius Ingram and Fenuki Tupou spent their '09 season on Injured Reserve.
That was fine on a team laced with veterans, but the Birds no longer have that luxury and are counting on even more production from the 2010 class.
A starter in every round is always the goal, and if the Eagles want to have a real shot at a Lombardi trophy in '10, they'll have to come damn close to that mark.