DAY TWO
The Philadelphia Eagles, dealing with a veteran cornerback who wants to be traded, packaged some extra draft picks to trade for a veteran cornerback.
The Eagles began the second day of the NFL draft Sunday with three trades, the third of which netted them the Patriots' Ellis Hobbs, a four-year veteran cornerback who was New England's third-round pick in 2005.
The acquisition of Hobbs pleased the Eagles' disgruntled Sheldon Brown, but only because he hoped it could lead to his departure from Philadelphia.
"I think it's great," Brown told The Associated Press. "I look at it as great news in terms of me being traded."
Hobbs was acquired after a series of swapped draft picks. The Eagles first traded their third-round pick, 85th overall, to the New York Giants for another third-round pick, 91st overall, and a fifth-round pick.
Minutes later they traded that 91st pick to the Seattle Seahawks for a fifth-round pick and a seventh-round pick, plus a third-round pick in the 2010.
That left Philadelphia with a half-dozen fifth-round picks, so they shipped two of them to the Patriots for Hobbs.
"Its a shock at first, because you play your whole career in an organization, said Hobbs, who has one year remaining on his rookie contract. "But its a business.
Thats how the Eagles are treating it with Brown, their second-round pick in 2002 and a starter the past five seasons. Brown, who has four years left on an eight-year contract that will pay him $2 million this season, went public with his demand for a new deal or a trade two weeks before the draft.
The Eagles responded with a terse statement that made it clear a new contract was out of the question.
"I knew the repercussions of what I was doing, said Brown, who has not committed to attending next weeks mandatory minicamp. "I wanted a new deal, but that wasnt happening. So I want a trade. If it can happen now, because theyre in a better situation, thats fine. But I realize it could take time.
Hobbs seemed aware of the Eagles' situation.
"Obviously so ... to make a move like this, Hobbs said. "I heard rumors anyway that they were interested and things like that. I didnt have any expectations as far as something would shake this early.
"Theyre bringing me in here for a reason. But everything has to be earned out there. Nothing is going to be given.
Hobbs joins an Eagles secondary that includes former New England teammate Asante Samuel and Brown as the current starters. Joselio Hanson, who signed a new long-term contract this offseason, and Jack Ikegwuonu, a 2008 fourth-round pick who spent his rookie season on injured reserve, are the listed backups.
"One of my former teammates is there and Im sure he said good things about me, Hobbs said. "I just look forward to getting out there and showing Philadelphia what I have. Hopefully, we can bring success thats already established there.
Hobbs started 17 games his first two years with the Patriots, then did not miss a start in 2007 and 2008. He had nine interceptions in his four years in New England, including three last season.
He also returns kicks, averaging 26.0 yards on 35 returns in 2007 and 28.5 yards per return in 2008.
Hobbs said he did not know why the Patriots felt he was expendable.
"From the business side, they feel like they can make moves other places, Hobbs said. "Whos to say? Maybe they wanted more success or maybe they wanted something different to shake something up, I dont know. Its kind of a typical move of them where they move players in and out. You really dont understand it and it kind of hits you very abruptly with certain players from the past, Deion Branch, Willie McGinest, David Givens to name a few. Now, Mike Vrabel, who was the face of the organization, they got him out of there. Its just how it goes.
The Eagles did use three of their fifth-round picks, selecting Florida tight end Cornelius Ingram, 6-feet-3 1/2, 241 pounds, who missed his senior year with a torn ACL; Virginia Tech cornerback Victor Harris, 5-9, 195, who could move to safety; and Oregon left tackle Fenuki Tupou, 6-5 1/2, 316.
In the sixth round, they added Washington State wide receiver Brandon Gibson, who caught 57 passes for 673 yards last fall.
On Saturday, Philadelphia took two offensive stars, selecting Missouri receiver Jeremy Maclin with the 19th overall choice and Pittsburgh running back LeSean McCoy in the second round with the 53rd overall pick.
DAY ONE
The Philadelphia Eagles got a weapon they didn't expect for Donovan McNabb, trading up two spots to select Missouri wide receiver Jeremy Maclin with the 19th pick in the NFL draft.
A star in Missouri's high-octane offense, Maclin was expected to be a top-10 pick in many mock drafts. But he slipped several spots Saturday and the Eagles grabbed him.
Philadelphia sent its first-round pick (No. 21) and a sixth-round pick (No. 195) to Cleveland for the 19th overall choice.
"We thought he was going to go quite a bit higher," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "This is not who we had targeted. He fell in our laps and we wanted to take advantage of it."
Maclin becomes the first receiver selected by the Eagles in the first round since they took Freddie Mitchell in 2001 at No. 25. Mitchell was a bust in Philadelphia.
Maclin, a speedster listed at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, caught 102 passes for 1,260 yards and 13 touchdowns as a sophomore last season. He's known for stretching the field and making big plays, but also is an effective possession receiver. Maclin is a dangerous kick returner, too.
"He's very intelligent, a quality kid," Reid said. "There's a lot you can do with him, run a ton of reverses and gadget plays." McNabb hasn't had a true No. 1 target since Terrell Owens was kicked out of town in 2005, less than a year after helping the Eagles reach the Super Bowl.
The Eagles, who lost to Arizona in the NFC championship game, were interested in acquiring Anquan Boldin from the Cardinals. But they couldn't pass up the chance to get Maclin. Reid said the team rated Maclin so high on its draft board they didn't even bring him in for a visit because they expected him to be long gone. "He was the best player available," Reid said. "I completely trusted the board on that one."
Maclin joins a deep receiving corps that includes DeSean Jackson, Kevin Curtis, Jason Avant, Hank Baskett and Reggie Brown. Jackson, a second-round pick last year, led the Eagles with 62 catches and 912 yards to go with two TDs.
"We have plenty of people there," Reid said. "It's a matter of them being on the same page as Donovan. We have some versatility and flexibility."
Most draft experts predicted the Eagles would select running back Knowshon Moreno, but he went to Denver at No. 12. Others had Philadelphia taking tight end Brandon Pettigrew, but the Eagles passed on him and he went to Detroit at No. 20.
Maclin caught 80 passes for 1,055 yards and nine TDs his freshman year. He also ran the ball quite a bit, finishing with 91 carries for 668 yards and six TDs on the ground. Maclin returned three punts and two kickoffs for scores in his two seasons.
SECOND ROUND PICK
The Philadelphia Eagles added depth at running back, choosing Pittsburgh's LeSean McCoy with the 53rd overall pick in the second round.
McCoy provides insurance behind Brian Westbrook, the dynamic-but-injury-prone halfback who's been the Eagles' best offensive player in recent seasons. McCoy, listed at 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds, has a combination of speed and size. He ran for 1,488 yards and 21 touchdowns as a sophomore last season.
McCoy averaged 4.8 yards per carry in his two seasons at Pitt, rushing for 2,816 yards and 35 TDs. He also caught 65 passes for 549 yards and one score.
Earlier, the Eagles traded up two spots to select Missouri wide receiver Jeremy Maclin with the 19th pick.
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