Losing Graham thins out the defensive end rotation.


As if the final weeks of the season weren't going to be difficult enough, the Eagles will now have to do it without two starters on defense as Stewart Bradley and Brandon Graham are expected to miss the rest of the season.

Once Graham hit the turf, there was an immediate cause for concern due to the way he was writhing and clearly in pain. When they showed the replay, I was hoping for some sort of contact to his knee that would imply perhaps a sprain or hyper-extension.

No such luck. He's clearly shown attempt to plant and having his leg give out on him. More often than not, that means a torn ACL.

Those fears were realized Monday as head coach Andy Reid announced Graham had in fact torn his ACL and would be out for the remainder of his rookie season.

Graham had been an off-and-on starter with Juqua Parker, starting six of the first 13 games of the season. Parker will now be expected to start the remaining games and will likely see more snaps than he's used to seeing in a single game.

Rookie defensive end Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, who has been more than disappointing, will likely be active for the rest of the season as the team's fourth end. The problem, however, is that both he and Darryl Tapp are right defensive ends. One of them, likely Te'o-Nesheim, will be asked to play out of position.

Bradley injured his elbow after being cut by one of the Dallas Cowboys running back. When he put his hand down to break his fall, his elbow clearly gave out and created one of the nastier replays you'll see this season.

The elbow bent in, let's say, an unusual fashion. It didn't take years of medical school to know it was dislocated and that the team would likely need to find a replacement for the final weeks of the season and hope he can return for the playoffs.

I'm not a huge fan of Bradley's and losing him doesn't worry me too much, but there's no denying that at this point he's the best option in the middle. Rookie Jamar Chaney did a good job filling in, but there's no guarantee he'll be the guy moving forward.

Veteran Omar Gaither has seen significant time in the middle in past seasons and even started one game in the middle this year when Bradley was forced to miss with a concussion. Gaither, however, has been falling out of favor with the coaching staff for the past couple seasons and would have to really shine to prevent Chaney from starting.

Another option could be Kawika Mitchell, the former Buffalo Bills linebacker the Eagles worked out last week. Mitchell would likely need a week or two to pick up the defense first, but as a veteran he could step in without much of an issue.

If I was a betting man, I would put my money on Chaney getting the first starts of his young career with Gaither as his backup and replacement on the special teams units.

In other injury news...

Rookie linebacker (and part-time safety) Keenan Clayton will miss at least one week with a sprained knee.
Continue Reading...

For now, Akeem Jordan is the Eagles' starting WILL.


I said in an earlier article that I thought the newly-acquired Ernie Sims might be thrown into the mix at SAM linebacker, but given his size (6'0, 230) that seems unlikely. Quite frankly, there's probably no shot of that happening and I'm not quite sure what I was thinking.

Sims is about the same size as the Eagles' other two WILL linebackers -- Akeem Jordan (6'1, 230) and Omar Gaither (6'2, 235) -- but gains his advantage with his speed.

He was drafted to play weakside in a cover 2 defense, so that should give a clue as to what the Lions thought of his ability to drop back and cover in space. He wasn't afforded that opportunity as the Lions changed their defense almost immediately, but it could be something to give him a slight edge over Jordan heading into offseason camps.

Right now, Jordan will be the starter heading into the offseason workouts. He has been the guy here for a couple seasons, and Sims will have to uproot him if he wants to start.

Gaither has had his chance to start and was only average. He is playing on a one-year deal after being a restricted free agent; Otherwise he would most likely be playing elsewhere as the Eagles were unlikely to retain him had he been an unrestricted free agent.

And there's even still a chance Gaither gets moved this Thursday.

But even with Jordan as his only competition, there's no guarantee the former ninth-overall pick will be a starter in Philadelphia. The Eagles think very highly of Jordan and would have a hard time sticking him on the bench without being absolutely positive that Sims is the better choice.

So not only will Sims have to play well, he will have to make Jordan look like a scrub if Sean McDermott and Andy Reid are going to feel comfortable turning away from Jordan.

Both Sims and Jordan are playing on one-year deals, so whomever is put on the bench will most likely not be back next season. Both guys know that, so it's going be some quality competition all season long to see who stays and who goes.
Continue Reading...

Gaither may have played his last game as an Eagle.


Of the nine guys the Eagles tendered as restricted free agents this offseason, only two of them, Jason Avant and Leonard Weaver, have received long-term deals, while Chris Gocong has already been moved to the Cleveland Browns.

The other six guys will be playing under one-year deals and don't figure to be in the Eagles' long-term plans.

Of those six players, Ellis Hobbs, Akeem Jordan, and Nick Cole figure to see substantial playing time as either backups or starters and are more-or-less untouchable. Cole could be the most likely to get moved given Andy Reid's ability to plug in linemen, or if Reid jumps on Maurkice Pouncey at 24th overall as many seem to believe.

Two others, Omar Gaither and Max Jean-Gilles, appear to be available to the same fate as Gocong -- traded to the first team willing to take them.

For those of you who can do math, you know I didn't mention one guy. Sav Rocca, the guy I didn't mention, isn't in the Eagles' long-term plans, but he's probably their best option for right now and is certainly not going to get them anything via trade.

The market for Gaither and Jean-Gilles doesn't figure to be vast, if one exists at all, so either player would most likely be used in a package so the Eagles can move up in the draft.

Jean-Gilles would be best suited heading to a downhill run-first team, as his run-blocking ability far outweighs his pass-blocking. He's a big body at 6'4, 350 pounds (give or take), so he could help any team looking to run right up the middle.

Gaither is much more intriguing guy. He's very versatile and has started in the middle and on the weakside at linebacker, but could probably even play the strongside in a pinch. Teams will love his versatility, as Reid does, so he could be much more difficult for teams to pry away.

He's not quite physical enough to be a starter on anything more than an average defense, but he's a very good backup for any team still running the 4-3. He could find some use as a 3-4 inside linebacker, but WILL is probably where he belongs.

It's a bit more sketchy with the other players, but I would be very surprised if either Jean-Gilles or Gaither are on this roster when the 2010 offseason camps really get under way.

I believe the Eagles will be looking to move up in almost every round of the draft, and Gaither and Jean-Gilles will be two pieces of ammunition in order to do just that.
Continue Reading...

Will Witherspoon saved the Eagles' defense in '09.


In one of the more surprising moves of the day, the Eagles have decided to part ways with linebacker Will Witherspoon only one season after trading for him from the St. Louis Rams.

Witherspoon came in as Stewart Bradley's replacement in the middle after Omar Gaither didn't work out, but was moved to WILL after Akeem Jordan was injured. He kept Jordan on the bench all year long while the middle was a revolving door.

While I thought Witherspoon played fairly well, the Eagles apparently did not believe he was worth the $5 million he was due in 2010. His play doesn't warrant such a high number, but his versatility, to me, would have been enough to keep him around.

This isn't the first time the Birds have done this, however. They cut ties with Takeo Spikes only one season after trading for him back in 2007. A move that, like this one, leaves fans scratching their heads.

Linebacker is a position in which the Eagles are lacking, so either way you slice it this doesn't make much sense -- at least not from where I'm sitting.

I understand the money and that they really only traded for him because they had no other options once their 'backers started dropping like flies, but he was the only reason this defense didn't completely fall apart last season and, overall, was the best linebacker they had.

The Birds must figure that he becomes expendable with the return of Gaither -- a guy who is just as versatile and a whole lot cheaper.

Witherspoon certainly wasn't a superstar, but he was a guy who did whatever Sean McDermott asked of him and did it well, so it's shocking and a bit disheartening to see him leave. However, he should warrant some good attention as a free agent, and might even have a shot at returning to Philly at a reduced rate.
Continue Reading...

Are Trotter's days in Philadelphia over? ... Again.



Jeremiah Trotter, set to become an unrestricted free agent regardless of the status of the CBA, has been saying all offseason that he wants to remain an Eagle. He reiterated that desire to Philadelphia's CBS affiliate recently.

"I look forward to being an Eagle again," Trotter told CBS3. "I think I proved to everyone I can still play the game."

He definitely proved that he can still be effective -- starting seven games and recording 40 tackles -- but convincing the Eagles that he deserves another contract when they have all of their linebackers coming back next season will be difficult to accomplish.

Omar Gaither and Chris Gocong were set to become unrestricted free agents, but with the CBA in limbo will only be restricted free agents. So unless they're cut or someone thinks they're worth losing a draft pick, Gaither and Gocong will both be back for 2010.

That gives the Eagles, at the very least, two very good backups and really diminishes the need for Trotter. Gaither can, and has, played in the middle, so he would take the backup spot Trott is shooting for.

Not only that, but the age difference alone is going to have the Eagles leaning towards Gaither.

Based on what the Eagles have done in the past, and what my gut is telling me, Trotter is going to get a beautiful "thank you" speech from Reid, but he will not remain an Eagle.

He will, however, remain on Reid's speed dial if something were to happen again.
Continue Reading...

Losing Gaither is a huge blow to this Eagles 'D'.


We all knew that Omar Gaither's foot injury was more serious than what was being let on once the Eagles swung a trade for the Rams' Will Witherspoon. However I'm not sure anyone thought the prognosis would be a Lis Franc sprain and season-ending surgery.

But that's where the Eagles stand now. It's another starting linebacker down for the year, forcing the Eagles to give up a fifth-round pick and a promising young rookie receiver just to patch up a linebacking corps decimated by injury all year long.

First it was Stewart Bradley going down for the season, then Joe Mays began suffering from several different injuries, hampering his progression as a player and even having him inactive for most of the games played this season.

Now with Gaither down for the season, the depth is about as impressive as a kiddie pool. Jeremiah Trotter and Tracy White are both veteran guys who have spent their careers on the opposite end of the spectrum as far as success goes, but both are about equal at this point in their careers. White doesn't have the skill of Trotter, but is younger and much quicker.

Joe Mays is someone Eagles fans are familiar with as a kid with a lot of raw talent that he just can't seem to turn into playing time. He seems lost in the system, and at this point is only a special teams player.

Then Moise Fokou is a surprise seventh-round pick who is really making leaps and strides in this defense, but is still not where he needs to be to make an impact even as a backup.

So it seems that right now Trotter and White are the most likely candidates to step in were one of the starters (Akeem Jordan at WILL, the newly-acquired Will Witherspoon at MIKE, and Chris Gocong at SAM) were to go down or just need a breather.

Another option is using guys like Juqua Parker, Trent Cole, and Darren Howard in a Joker role as stand-up pass rushers, but that would be a worst-case scenario and only in certain situations.

Witherspoon is an upgrade over Gaither as a starter in the middle, but having a starting-caliber backup at two positions would have been invaluable to an Eagles defense that's been suffering for quality depth at linebacker for a few years now.

Either way, Gaither is out for year and coach McDermott will have to find a way to adjust and create opportunites for the guys he has.
Continue Reading...

We all love Trotter, but it's time to pull the plug.


Bringing Jeremiah Trotter back to Philly was a long shot to begin with, but now it's become obvious that it's not going to work.

He didn't do a whole lot against Tampa Bay. He was stonewalled when he attempted to blitz and really was not a lot of help in the running game. On top of that, he was a liability in the passing game, and that carried over into this week.

He was the man responsible for covering Zach Miller on his disastrous 86-yard romp, and was the man responsible for Gary Russell on the Raiders' game-sealing third down play in the fourth quarter.

Every time he had to step up, he was unable. He knew exactly where he had to be and knew when and where to react. Unfortunately, he was physically unable to keep up with with younger, faster players.

It's the same reason why Brian Dawkins is now in Denver, so why would the Eagles keep Trotter around when he's more of a liability than Dawk ever would have been?

We all love Trott. He epitomizes what being an Eagle is all about. He's tough, he's a warrior, and he'll never, ever give up on a play or on this team. However, he just does not have what it takes any longer.

It's time that Joe Mays sees the field in the same situations that Trotter would have. At least with Mays, seeing him mess up can be attributed to his youth and inexperience, something that can be overcome. Trotter's age and loss of speed can never come back. He's just going to continue to get slower as the season goes on as he takes more and more of a beating.

It won't be a happy day for Philly, as was the first two times he left the city, but this is a business and it's something that needs to be done. Perhaps they can find a way to keep Trotter on the roster, but he needs to be relegated to more of a backup role behind Omar Gaither and Mays.

As one other Eagles fan put it to me earlier today, "I guess we didn't realize that Stewart Bradley might be the most valuable player on the team."
Continue Reading...

Mays has squandered his opportunity to make this a reality.


What was supposed to be a great opportunity for Joe Mays has ended, and from it comes an opportunity not for Mays, but for Omar Gaither.

Gaither will get the start on Sunday when the Eagles head south to Carolina to take on the Panthers. Why he's getting the start is the disappointing part for Mays.

Mays was basically handed the starting job after Stewart Bradley went down for the season with an ACL tear. All he had to do was not lose the job, and it would be nearly impossible for Gaither to take it from him. To the dismay of Mays, and the Eagles, the only thing Mays did right this offseason was implode. He looked lost in camp, and even worse in preseason.

I've been a supporter of Omar Gaither from the very beginning, but it's still incredibly disappointing whenever a guy can't take advantage of an opportunity given. Mays earned the nickname "Headbuster" last year because of his reckless abandon, but it became obvious this year that being a starter was simply too much pressure for him.

He began to think too much, and couldn't keep up with the game. The speed of the play developing, and of the other players, was simply too much for him.

Now to make matters worse, he won't even be suiting up on Sunday. He's been ruled out of the game with a shoulder sprain, and now the Eagles are extremely thin if one of the starters were to go down.

To illustrate this point, the backup at middle linebacker is Chris Gocong, the current starting SAM who has never played a single down at MIKE linebacker. Gocong's backup is then Moise Fokou, a young guy who has impressed during camp and the preseason, but is only a rookie. It goes without saying that if Gaither, Gocong, or Akeem Jordan were to go down, we're in trouble.

So instead of running one of the best defenses in the NFL as a second-year player, Mays will be watching someone else do it while he watches from the sidelines in his street clothes. That's certainly not the scenario for which the Eagles were hoping.
Continue Reading...

Joe Mays is quickly becoming a fan favorite with his tough play.


Bryan Smith - Rotation of Defensive Ends Tonight

A third-round pick a year ago, Smith was a major disappointment in his rookie season, not even suiting up for a single game in 2008. This year, he hopes to change that by showing that he has the edge speed to warrant some playing time on passing downs.

He didn't have a great camp, but I wouldn't say it was bad, either. However, for a guy picked in the third round who didn't produce at all in his rookie year, not having a great camp is a let-down. He will have a chance to show what he can do tonight with Trent Cole and Victor Abiamiri out agains the Pats.

If he doesn't show something in the preseason, he may find himself on the outside looking in.



Joe Mays - Starting Middle Linebacker Tonight

With the season-ending injury to Stewart Bradley, most people (including myself) assumed that Omar Gaither would step into the starting middle linebacker position without getting much of a fight. It made sense considering Gaither had started there before, and Mays is only a second-year player.

However, Mays received about 75 percent of the starting reps at middle linebacker, and took full advantage of every snap.

Mays made a mark last preseason as a rookie, and looks to carry over a good camp into preseason again this year. We know that he can play around the line of scrimmage and stop the run, but seeing him in pass coverage will be the real key. If he can show that he can cover in the middle of the field, Gaither won't be seeing much time.



Omar Gaither - Backup WILL/MIKE Tonight

As mentioned before, it was assumed that Gaither would step into the starting role at middle linebacker after losing his job at the WILL position to Akeem Jordan last season. That has not been the case, and now Gaither is fighting for two starting jobs. If he can't beat out Jordan, he'd like to surpass Mays, or vice versa.

Gaither is a competitor and a guy who the defense really likes as a player and a person. They say that a quarterback must win over the lockerroom, but a middle linebacker must do the same, and he has done that. Guys respect him and will listen to him.

The other thing working in Gaither's favor is the fact that he knows the defense, while Mays is still trying to learn everything that the playbook has to offer. Gaither is in the middle of two very interesting battles, and the preseason will have a lot to do with the outcome of both.



Quintin Demps - Starting Free Safety Tonight

If you'll notice, every positional listing has the qualifier of "tonight" added to it, and that's for good reason. Simply put, just because they are the starter tonight does not mean they'll be the starter next week, or come September 13th.

Demps is getting pushed for a guy in Sean Jones who is attempting to make the switch from strong to free safety. He's a ballhawk and has experience as a starter. Demps, on the other hand, is going into only his second year in the league and his first as a starter since the departure of Brian Dawkins to Denver.

Demps needs to show that he can make reads on the fly and really cover a guy going deep. He'll get a great test tonight going against a group of guys who created the most prolific offense the NFL has ever seen in Tom Brady, Randy Moss, and Wes Welker. Tonight will be a great way to see if Demps is really ready or not.



Dimitri Patterson - Fifth Cornerback Tonight

Patterson is quickly overtaking the favorite, Jack Ikegwuonu, for the spot of fifth corner on this team, and rightfully so. Patterson is an incredibly physical guy who is not afraid to get into a receiver's face and really make him work not only to run his route, but to get the ball. Patterson will frustrate a lot of receivers into silly mistakes.

He was working hard all throughout training camp and is now looking to make an impression on the coaching staff tonight. I'd say he has a few steps on Ikegwuonu, but he can really separate himself with a good game tonight, and will certainly be worth watching.

Other Players to Watch: CB Jack Ikegwuonu, OLB Chris Gocong, CB Ellis Hobbs, OLB Moise Fokou
Continue Reading...

We now know that this will not be the starting trio Week 1.


Well, it didn't take long for my question of "roadblock or speedbump" to get answered.

The Eagles were doing 80 on the freeway, and something threw a huge brick wall in front of the Ferrari we were cruising in right to Miami.

Stewart Bradley, starting middle linebacker, has torn his ACL and is most likely done for the year.

Just like that, in the blink of an eye, the Eagles season just got that much harder. The defense is now faced with a daunting task of overcoming the loss of their starting middle linebacker, and the man who was supposed to lead this team.

While it's always a huge blow to lose a player like Bradley, it's not something that the Eagles are incapable of rebounding from.

Omar Gaither has played the MIKE position, and has played it well. After the Eagles cut Jeremiah Trotter, Gaither was thrust into the starting role almost immediately, and responded by having a solid season. Gaither is now a guy playing with a chip on his shoulder after losing his spot, and this is just the kind of opportunity that he has been waiting for.

Then of course Akeem Jordan would man the WILL spot and Gocong would stay at SAM, no need to change anything there.

Of course there is the distinct possibility that Joe "Headbuster" Mays could find himself with a starting spot if the Eagles like Gaither better as a role player at the WILL spot.

No one exactly knows what Andy Reid and Sean McDermott are planning at this point, but you can bet that they are in fact planning. McDermott already had a difficult task in front of him replacing a legendary coach like Jim Johnson, but losing a guy that he was banking on to be the team's leader and his starting middle linebacker only makes it more difficult.

Bradley will almost certainly be headed to the IR, so the Eagles will have an open roster spot. The problem they face is what to do with it.

Right now, without Bradley, they have Tank Daniels, Tracy White, and Gocong at SAM, Charleston "Chews" Hughes, Joe Mays, and Gaither at MIKE, and Moise Fukou and Jordan at WILL.

I don't see Hughes making the team, as he was a long-shot to begin with, and before this I didn't see White making the team, either. However that may have just changed. Fukou was a late-round draft pick and will probably make his way to the practice squad as I don't believe they think he's ready to be a primary backup.

So they could be left with the same people at SAM, Mays and Gaither at MIKE, and Jordan alone at WILL. They could perhaps move Daniels or White to backup WILL, but I don't think they want to do that.

Let's not forget that Daniels hasn't even been practicing at linebacker, but instead taking snaps at defensive end. That may have been his only shot at making this team, but with Bradley's injury they'll probably just attempt to move him back to linebacker.

So who's out there? Well, there's one guy who I think could really help the Eagles in terms of having a great backup, and adding leadership to a defense without direction.

Derrick Brooks.

He's the perfect fit for the scheme and for the situation. He's played linebacker in a 4-3, and played it extremely well as a walking Hall of Fame guy. Yes, he's a bit long in the tooth, but they're not asking him to start, only play as a primary backup. He says he has at least one good year left in him, so give him a one-year deal and give it a shot.

It couldn't possibly hurt, could it?

A move like this gives the Eagles the depth that they certainly need, and gives them leadership. On top of that, it also gives these young guys a chance to learn from a guy who most certainly will have a bust in Canton sometime in the near future.

Either way, the Eagles defense will have to step up this year. No Dawkins, no Bradley, and no Jim Johnson certainly puts them in a bind. This will test the will of every young man on this defense, and the young man running the defense from the sidelines.

You can't know the true character of a man until he is faced with adversity. Well, we'll be discovering the character of every man on this team, this year.
Continue Reading...

Hopefully this is still the starting trio of linebackers in Week 1.


For the most part, last night's first annual "Flight Night!" was a roaring success for the Eagles.

Over 30,000 people came out to support the Eagles charity efforts, the players got in a practice, signed some autographs, and everyone had a great time.

Then came everyone's worst fears associated with such an event. Stewart Bradley injured himself during the practice. Worse yet, it was his knee, which he says made a "pop" noise.

Knees and popping noises are never good. Ask most any player who has torn a ligament in their knee and they will tell you that they hear a distinct "pop" before hitting the ground in agony.

Apparently, the trainers have told the coaches that they are concerned, and while they're hoping for the best, are expecting the very worst.

If Bradley goes down for a lengthy period of time, the linebackers should still be okay. All they have to do is slide Omar Gaither back to the middle, where he has started before, and start Jordan at WILL. Or, they could give Joe "Headbuster" Mays a shot in the middle and still have a battle between Gaither and Jordan for the WILL.

Of course, the best-case scenario is to have Bradley be just fine and able to play. A lot of people were talking Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams for him last year, and he was expected to take that leap this year. Not only that, Bradley has been looked at as the defense's leader in the absence of Brian Dawkins. He will be unable to fill either role from the sidelines.

The results should be back later today, or very early tomorrow, and we'll get to see if this season's road to the Super Bowl got a huge roadblock, or just a speed bump.
Continue Reading...

Stewart Bradley and Chris Gocong were solid starters last season and seem to have their spots on this team solidified. However, the WILL position is another story.

Seemingly without cause, Omar Gaither was benched last season in favor of Akeem Jordan. The change took place after the horrendous display by the entire team in the Baltimore game, but for some reason Gaither seemed to be the scapegoat.

The dilemma here is that while Gaither was playing well, perhaps not great but playing well, Jordan played just as well as Gaither.

The problem is that there are four starting-caliber linebackers, but only three spots available. This is a situation that will be resolved in the summer months when the team reports to Lehigh University.

This young but talented group took enormous strides during the ’08 season, but still have a lot to prove after really being taken advantage of during the playoffs.

In the first two games against the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants respectively, they took advantage of weak offensive units. While the Giants are usually not looked at as a weak offensive team, lingering injuries slowed Brandon Jacobs and the team was without Plaxico Burress due to his well-documented night club incident.

Reality struck this young group in the NFC Championship game, and can really be pointed to as a main reason for the lopsided first half. The Arizona Cardinals, unlike the Vikings and Giants, were far from offensively inadequate. Led by Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald, the Cardinals attacked the middle of the field all game long with incredible success.

Personally, I don’t understand Gocong playing on the strong side. At Cal-Poly, Gocong was an unbelievable pass-rushing defensive end, registering 23.5 sacks in a single season. However here in Philly rather than rushing the quarterback, he’s been entrusted with covering the tight end.

To me, this doesn’t make any sense.

Why would you take a guy who’s already been taken out of his comfort zone going from DE to LB, then make it worse by asking him to cover the great tight ends who litter the NFC East? My suggestion would be to flip-flop the linebackers.

I believe Gaither should be the starter at SAM, while Gocong moves to WILL in order to take advantage of his pass-rushing ability. Some may say that Gocong is at SAM because he’s a better cover-guy, but is he that much better than Gaither that his pass-rushing ability should be ignored? I don’t believe so.

Stewart Bradley was a guy who a lot of people in Philly were clamoring for him to make the Pro Bowl, but I’m not so sure. He made a lot of mental mistakes throughout the season, but especially early on. Now that’s not to take away from a good first season that he had, but that’s really about all it was; Just a good first year.

However with that said, I do believe that he will evolve into a Pro Bowl player in the middle for Philly for many, many years to come. Unfortunately, that’s not happening just yet.

Gaither and Jordan both played well at WILL, and either of them will have the trust of Andy Reid and Jim Johnson to performed their role, whatever that may be.

Given that we have four starting-caliber linebackers with only three available spots, I have a solution to get everyone involved while also confusing opposing defenses to no end.

The 3-4.

Do I want the 3-4 full-time? No, of course not. We’ve had too much success and have the personnel for the 4-3, but the 3-4 could help us for a couple plays a game to get all of our linebacker talent on the field.

The linebackers would be Jordan at WILL, Gaither and Bradley at the MIKE, and Gocong at the SAM (or flipping Jordan and Gocong if it was up to me), with Broderick Bunkley playing nose in between Trevor Laws or Mike Patterson and Victor Abiamiri. This way, we get all of our linebackers on the field while throwing a curveball at the offense.

The line may be a bit small, but not by much. Abiamiri is 6’4” and 270 pounds with Laws weighing in at 6’1” and 300 pounds. As I said, a bit small, but not by much and worth it to confuse the offense.

In all, I think the linebacking corps needs a veteran guy to push all of these younger linebackers and help mentor them after getting rid of Jeremiah Trotter and Takeo Spikes. With a couple more years of experience and time together, I believe we’ll eventually be looking at one of the better NFL linebacker corps… Just not yet.
Continue Reading...