The Fanhouse's own Michael David Smith thinks Bunkley has been the biggest bust of this year's draft class. He writes:My choice for most disappointing rookie is first-round defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley. He was a workout warrior at the combine, and the Eagles don't exactly have a great history drafting workout warriors to bolster their defense (see Mamula, Mike). Bunkley doesn't get many snaps in the defensive line rotation, and when he plays he gets pushed around too easily. Second-round offensive tackle Winston Justice hasn't even set foot on the field yet this year. It's not shaping up to be a very good draft for the Eagles.I just shuddered at the thought of Bunkley being the next Mike Mamula.
While at the Eagles v. Redskins game on Sunday, I noticed Bunkley standing on the sidelines with his helmet in his hand. It appeared as if he was itching to get some action. As MDS noted above, he simply hasn't performed this season.
Even Eagles football guru Ray Didinger thought Bunkley was a great pick at 14. After draft day he noted:
I like Bunkley very much. His style of play is an excellent fit for the Eagles' style of defense. At 6-3, 305-pounds, he combines power and quickness. He has surprising burst for a man of that size. He had nine sacks and 25 tackles for losses, a school record, last season.Did the Eagles really blow another early pick which most people thought was a steal? It'll be interesting to see how Bunkley grows as a player, but one thing is certain, he isn't growing while standing on the sidelines.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. What would you expect from a guy who missed almost all of camp? The term "bust" is thrown around way too easily. Its pretty weak to make an assertion like that based on so little evidence.
Posted at 2:27PM on Nov 16th 2006 by Krizmonster
2. A Bust? He's not in a position to get a lot of playing time and therefor hasn't had the opportunity to prove himself, one way or the other. Maybe if we weren't that deep at DT and he didn't miss so much camp he would be getting more snaps. And Winston Justice? How the heck do you him expect to surpass Runyan & Thomas on the depth chart. We haven't had the luxury of a bunch of blowout-wins to get time for the young players. Whoever is making these judgements is obviously out of things to write and is trying to generate some sort of buzz. The only reason a rookie should ever start or get significant time is when you are desperate at that position. We aren't like that anywhere and the Andy Reid has no history indicating that any rookie would get significant time. Our franchise QB didnt start till his 11th game his rookie year. SO don't expect too much out of these guys and be thankful we don't need to ask a rookie to come in and try and make an impact. They can sit and learn and earn their roster spots.
Posted at 4:06PM on Nov 16th 2006 by MrPeepers