The Rest
This is where the situation gets even more unclear. The Eagles have a bunch of guys with varying levels of experience and various skill sets that all have a valid argument for why they deserve to be part of the rotation. We’ll begin with the guy who’s been in Philly since they drafted him in 2017. It seems like every year, Nate Gerry is tagged as someone who could be a surprise candidate for a solid snap share in the upcoming season. He’s a heady converted safety with a fantastic motor and a good feel for the game. He was known in college for coming downhill from his safety position and making life hard for any receiver attempting to catch passes in his zone. This is evidenced by the fact that he allowed only a 54.5 quarterback rating when targeted while at Nebraska. His hands always seem to find themselves on or around the football, causing plenty of breakups and interceptions. He’s aggressive and he’s physical, but his proverbial foot in the door of this competition is his ability in zone coverage.
As mentioned above, that is one of the areas KGH has shown some cracks in his armor and both Bradham and Brown have had their struggles in coverage altogether. Now, it’s not likely the team throws him on the field exclusively to play zone coverage in certain situations. What is more likely, and what we have already seen glimpses of, is that Gerry will instrumental against certain teams with more stationary or spacing based route concepts. He’s also got more experience in the system than any of the following names on this list; the importance of which can’t be overstated. Anyways, we already sort of knew all this — so what makes this year different?
Well, up until this offseason, Gerry has tried to make his way as a sub-package outside linebacker. He ran around at about 215 pounds doing his best Malcolm Jenkins impression and doing an admirable job of it. The issue is that he’s not the athlete Malcolm is, nor that Kamu is for that matter. This year, he’s started the transition to the middle of the field and has taken most of his offseason snaps at MIKE. His aggressiveness and downhill mindset fit his new role like a glove and he’s added 20 pounds of muscle to prepare for it. It’s not an easy transition, but Nate is a smart guy and it’s easy to see why the coaches pushed him toward that decision. For now, he’ll continue to have to prove himself on special teams waiting for his opportunity.
The other holdover from the Eagles’ season last year is veteran Paul Worrilow. Worrilow is no stranger to the spotlight after spending time starting in both Atlanta and Detroit, but he’s returning from an awful knee injury that included a lengthy recovery process. The ACL tear happened in his first practice with the team and may have done as much damage his mental state as physical. His resilience and fortitude has been well documented throughout the process and is a good segue into why he may earn himself some playing time — the guy is a true pro.
He’s played all three linebacker positions, specials, has a nose for the football and hustles his damn butt off. A leader on and off the field, the guys in the locker room have already taken a shine to him and he to them. During his rehab process he had ample time to watch film and get caught up with the system, so it was far from a lost season. Without a doubt, in a pinch, the Delaware native could step in at any of the linebacker positions and give quality reps.
There were spans of time in Atlanta that he was a true tackling machine — three straight games with digits in the high teens type of production. He’s a thumper between the tackles, shows the ability to disengage with hand techniques and is incredibly strong at a stout 6’0″, 230 lbs. The catch: his coverage. Even though he’s not in his early twenties anymore Worrilow has plenty of athleticism, but it’s his change of direction and mental processing in zone coverage that has held him back. That will mean his usage is relatively situational. Still, he’s a fantastic option to spell Zach Brown at MLB on early downs, or KGH on the weak side in short yardage situations.
The wildcard of the bunch is new acquisition L.J. Fort. Fort has bounced around the league before finding a home in Pittsburgh as a special teamer. That was before last season, where he earned himself some starting reps to some varying results. There’s a lot to like. Even in his smaller sample size, he was ranked 10th against the run according to PFF with a run stop grade of 81.3. He also allowed only a 98.2 passer rating in coverage, for a total of 21 receptions and 197 yards. For comparison, Jordan Hicks allowed a passer rating of 112.3 when targeted last season. It’s hard to hone in on an x-factor for the new addition. There are, however, two, somewhat under-the-radar factors that could spell his good graces. The first is his special teams’ experience. Even as a career special teamer LaRoy Reynolds got five defensive snaps last season. The Eagles seem to regard Fort in a much better light, but the ability to make yourself indispensable in any phases of the game bodes well.
Some would say that handing a relatively unproven LB a 3-year contract may guarantee at least some run to compete with the starters. The caveat is that cutting him would likely net the Eagles a 2020 compensatory selection. We all know how Howie Roseman has coveted those. Therefore, the special teams value is an even bigger asset than at first glance. The other, perhaps the unexpected fortunate turn of events for Fort is that with Brown and Bradham’s periodic absence from OTA’s, he has been the signal-caller with the first team.
Any opportunity to be a vocal leader for the defense will be favorably looked on by coaches. Also, a lesser known qualm with Zach Brown’s skill set is that there have been complaints that he cannot be relied upon to be the signal caller of the defense. It’s not certain how exactly that will manifest into playing time for L.J., but it has to mean something. If nothing else, it’s a good sign going forward that he has picked up on the scheme quickly. The biggest knock against Fort so far in his career has been consistency. The numbers don’t lie and he has definitely shown starting-caliber talent, but he will need to show the team he can move the needle over the span of a season.
That brings us to the young men on the roster. Rookies T.J. Edwards, Joey Alfieri, and second-year Alex Singleton will look to stick on the roster. The guy that seems most likely to remain is Wisconsin alum T.J. Edwards. He’s a player much in the mold of Zach Brown — a physical, high effort player with a nose for the football. He’s got a fantastic football IQ that alleviates some lack of explosion and overall athleticism. The truth of the matter is that many scouts would tell you he had no business going undrafted. Thirty-one team’s loss is Philadelphia’s gain. In classic Howie fashion, without a seventh-round selection, the Birds still managed to swipe a draftable talent after the process was over.
Edwards is a big guy — 6’0″, 230 lbs — and plays like it. He’s not afraid to get dirty in the trenches and packs a wallop when disengaging. The in-game intelligence also makes him a more-than-serviceable zone cover man. What stunts his ceiling is his athleticism. His ability to be a sideline-to-sideline defender is dependent on the speed in which he can diagnose a play and he won’t chase many NFL ball carriers down from behind. It will also limit him in man coverage. Nevertheless, the guy knows how to play and will likely be a functional run-stopping middle linebacker and special teams contributor early on in his career — if he can make the final 53.
The number of linebackers the Eagles take with them into the season will likely depend on how many defensive backs (particularly safeties) they keep. Therefore, Edwards doesn’t necessarily need to outplay Fort or Worrilow to make the roster. Still, he may be destined for a spot on the practice squad, so long as the Eagles are willing to risk him swirling around on the waiver wire. Time will tell.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
