The Eagles must spend their first 3 picks on defense!!! They just have to. Anyone who saw that defense this year knows the only answer is to load up on defense. Right?

Wrong.

The offseason starts in early March with free agency. This is when teams try to fix clear holes in their roster with immediate solutions. You don’t build through free agency, but you have to use it to plug holes. There are always going to be roster issues that need to be addressed. Maybe a draft pick didn’t pan out as expected. Maybe there was an injury late in the season to a key starter that will carry over to the following season. Retirement/age or salary issues can force a team to make cuts, which open up starting jobs. Free agency is a way of repairing the roster.

The draft is all about long term thinking and roster building. You cannot go into a draft thinking “We must address this, this, this and that.” There are some occasions when a team has to force a pick because free agent plans didn’t work out, but even that isn’t recommended.

The best teams focus on talent when it comes to the draft.

Let’s not turn this into a debate on semantics. If 2 players are equally rated, of course you will take the one who fits a need. If one player is rated slightly lower and the need is great enough, you can make an exception in that case. The point isn’t to go into the draft thinking “We must come away with players at these positions” but rather to go find good players you believe in.

Finding the right guys is more important than filling the right positions.

The Dallas Cowboys fielded one of the worst defenses in the history of football in 2013. They added some help prior to the draft, but not much. Then they spent their 1st round pick on an OL, Zach Martin. He stepped in at RG as a rookie and played at an All-Pro level. That helped the offense to play better. That helped the run game to become dominant. That helped the offense to stay on the field and keep the defense off it. That helped Dallas go from 8-8 to 12-4.

Most people were screaming for Dallas to draft defensive help. It was the obvious need. Instead they showed great discipline and went with the best player.

The Eagles had the best secondary in the NFL in 2002. And then they turned around and spent their top 3 picks on DBs (Lito Sheppard, Michael Lewis and Sheldon Brown). Andy Reid, Jim Johnson and Tom Heckert knew the secondary was aging. They had 3 draft prospects they liked and drafted them. Those guys made the transition from Bobby and Troy a seamless one. They also were a big reason the Eagles went to the Super Bowl in 2004.

I was shocked when those picks were announced. I just knew the Eagles would draft a WR or maybe a stud LB. Maybe a DT to pair with Corey Simon or a young TE. DBs? No way. But the Reid and Heckert made the right call.

Every human being on Earth and even people as far away as Pittsburgh will tell you that the Eagles need defensive help. No one disputes that.

The Eagles need to focus on free agency and trades with finding immediate help for the secondary. I do think they will spend draft picks as well, but those players will be for the future, not 2015. If the Eagles are looking for a starting CB at pick 20, then 2015 is not going to be the kind of season I want it to be.

I’m not saying a rookie can’t play his way into the lineup. Obviously you love when that happens. You don’t want to be counting on a rookie to solve a big problem. That’s when you are in trouble. Even a really talented rookie is still a rookie. He’s going to make rookie mistakes. You’re better off with a veteran starter if that is possible.

Both free agency and the draft are critical to building a championship roster. The Pats don’t win a Super Bowl without great picks like Brady, Wilfork, McCourty, Collins, Edelman, etc. or key signings like Revis, Ninkovich, Browner, Blount, etc.

The Eagles will want to sign free agents to help the defense and if that goes right they can draft the players they want rather than focusing on needs.

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