An in depth look at the Eagles Linebackers

Tuesday Februrary 18th 2020 the Eagles declined Nigel Bradham's 2020 option leaving them with a talented but vastly inexperienced group of LB's. On the surface the group looks more like a collection of role players than it is a group of starters with clear cut depth players. I am higher on this group of guys than most but I still see an obvious need to address the position. I would say this position is best addressed by a free agent signee to add a bit more experience to the position but it wouldn't be shocking to see them address this position with a starting caliber free agent a mid to late rounder development prospect. But first let's address the specific role we need to address heading into 2020. 

With one quick look at the guys on the roster it becomes apparent the most experienced linebacker on the roster now is Nathan Gerry. He is headed into his fourth year on the team, having played in 39 games since being promoted from the practice squad in October of 2017. Gerry is an interesting prospect. He entered college at Nebraska as a LB despite weighing around 200 lbs. He spent one season as a LB before Nebraska began to use him as a box safety. He blossomed in this role for two years only to turn around and be drafted as a LB. This is why the practice squad time was extremely valuable for him. He came into the NFL as a 6'2 218 lb converted safety. He needed time in a weight room to bulk up to the 235 lbs he plays at now. Last season was Gerry's first with significant playing time as a starter. While he did miss tackles at times, his ability in coverage is undeniable. He is  a prototypical new age linebacker. In today's NFL more teams are using converted safeties as LB'S because they spend a lot of time in nickel and dime packages. Having a true LB on the field can be a liability, that's why a guy like Gerry who has the instincts and experience of a safety with a bigger frame is such an asset in this defense. Gerry may actually be one of the better ball hawks on this defense. He had 9 ints in 2 seasons as a starting safety in college. He displayed his playmaking ability last season, in 16 games he had 78 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 5 passes defended, and 2 ints as well as 1 td return. I believe he would be suited as a weak side linebacker in our defense, and I believe he has the athleticism, and is young and determined enough to develop as a run defender and shore up his tackling. In three years this guy went from practice squad to most experienced LB, and most likely to return as a starter. 

Kamu Grugier-Hill is another former safety, however his stats in coverage last year did not look like it. Grugier-Hill didn't start playing football until his junior year of high school. Then he started his playing career as a safety and punter. He went on to play college football at Eastern Illinois. He played LB in college but was still 6'2 215 lbs and closer to a box safety, than he was a true LB. He was drafted in the 6th round by New England but didn't make the team, I believe they intended to stash him on the practice squad much like the Eagles did with Gerry but Philly swooped in and signed him off waivers. In his first two seasons Grugier-Hill was primarily a special teams player, recording 30 tackles, and 4 kickoffs for a 62 yard average in relief of the injured Elliot. The following season he began to develop a role on defense logging 45 tackles, 1 sack, 2 passes defended, and 1 int. Heading into 2019 he was talked up as a potential break out candidate, with teammates going as far as saying it was a challenge going against him in practice. Unfortunately he went on to get hurt, and disappointed through the 2019 season when on the field. He is an impending free agent but the Eagles tend to keep their own guys over adding free agents, and they typically play it cheap at LB which leads me to believe he will he back on another 1 year deal. He only made $850,000 last year so the potential is there for an even cheaper deal after a poor 2019 in which he suffered multiple injuries. I still believe he can be a starting caliber LB in the NFL but I think he and Gerry are essentially the same player with Gerry being the more polished player in coverage. Now having two of these guys would be extremely helpful in big nickel packages when you only line up two LB's, why not have two former safeties. But in order for Grugier-Hill to last in this league he has to be better in coverage. He simply isn't effective enough in run defense or rushing the passer to get around his smaller size. 

Duke Riley is a guy who came over in a trade from Atlanta last season. Riley is a career LB but was another undersized guy coming out of college at 218 lbs. He formed a highly touted LB group with Deion Jones, and Devondra Campbell in Atlanta after being drafted in 3rd round. He however never lived up to expectations in Atlanta, and was shipped to Philly in exchange for Jonathon Cyprien and a swap of late round picks. He quickly became a special teams captain in the playoffs. He may not have planned out in Atlanta but they only gave him 32 games to figure it out. This is a third round pick, clearly the guy has talent it's just a matter of utilizing it. Am I advocating for him to start? No. But letting him compete wouldn't hurt, and he adds solid experienced depth which we desperately need right now. More importantly his 

Alex Singleton may not be a very well known name, and a lot of people are simply writing him off as the forgotten man. The guy who has little to no effect on the roster whether he stays or goes. I however view him a bit differently. Singleton is a guy who may not have caught on with an NFL team right away but this is a guy who was drafted to the CFL in 2016, playing with the Stampeders for three seasons. He played in 54 games racking up 322 defensive tackles, 17 special teams tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, 6 forced fumbles, 4 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 interception  and 9 pass deflections. In three seasons his list of awards is impressive. Two years being named all pro, two years being named conference all pro, 2017 most outstanding defensive player, and led his team to a 2018 Grey Cup win. This guy is just 26 years old, and he wouldn't be the first CFL star to come back to the NFL and prove people wrong. Remember Cameron Wake? 

Tj Edwards is a guy who didn't  get a ton of playing time last season while he technically started 4 games he was not asked to be a 3 down LB all game long. While there is a lot of buzz around him stepping into a fulltime starting role in 2020 I am still hesitant to hand the job over without competition. Especially if he is slated to start at the Mike. What I like about his situation is coming out of college he had a lot of playing time. He was a four year starter, so this isn't some role player, or special teams guy trying to make the leap. No he is a starting LB in his mind, and more importantly his film to an extent backs up this thought. More importantly he showed solid ability in coverage and tremendous ability to come up with big plays in the passing game with 10 career ints. 

So what do the Eagles need at LB? Their biggest need in my eyes is a true mike linebacker. That can run sideline to sideline and affect the run game. I truly believe we have a solid LB in Gerry, which means we really only need one more starting LB, unless Malcolm Jenkins is let go. Jenkins plays a sort of hybrid safety/strong side LB role. Which makes the need for 3 full time starting LBs less than a typical team.