Death, taxes, and poor linebacker play? These are two truths of life and the unfortunate reality for the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles put forward one of their worst defensive efforts in recent memory giving up almost 200 yards on the ground to the Rams on Sunday. While you can’t blame the linebackers entirely, they certainly didn’t help.
And it wasn’t just the running game either. Nate Gerry was directly responsible for two of Tyler Higbee’s three touchdowns in some of the poorest coverage East of the Mississippi. Meanwhile, the rest of the linebackers looked lost altogether.
The team’s struggles at linebacker should come as no surprise as the team hasn’t been shy about this belief. The Eagles have avoided this position for far too long and now it’s coming back to bite them.
The question is though, can this problem be solved this season? Would Howie Roseman make a trade for a player like Haason Reddick? Or is the team more likely to shop the clearance aisle that is the current free-agent pool?
Considering Jim Schwartz’s affinity for “his guys“, that likely trims the list even further.
Could the Eagles Consider Bradham?
While Nigel Bradham certainly didn’t do himself any favors with his comments this offseason, the Eagles may be just desperate enough to consider a reunion.
The organization itself may not have taken the comments to heart as much as the fans. In fact, Roseman may even find some sort of enjoyment out of it. Bradham coming back to the Eagles even if they aren’t a “winning organization”.
He is by no means perfect but neither is any other linebacker on the roster. Bradham would bring experience and a certain familiarity with Schwartz’s system, two things lacking by many members of this linebacker corps. It’s not much but it’s something.
Could the Eagles reunite with Bradham? Sure. The question though is should they consider him?
Should they Consider Bradham?
In short, no.
Well, it was fun while it lasted but the Eagles are better off not walking down memory lane in this case.
While Bradham may not be any worse than some of the Eagles’ current linebackers, there nothing that really makes him better either.
In his last season with the Eagles, many noticed that Bradham just wasn’t the same player he once was. The at one time sure-tackler saw his efficiency dip and he had clearly lost more than a step or two.
While the name Nate Gerry will never inspire any fans in Philadelphia, there are other linebackers who, with more reps, can continue to grow and perform better and better. Players like Duke Riley and TJ Edwards.
The Eagles are off to a disappointing start to the 2020 season and at this juncture, it’s not safe to say if they’re buyers or sellers.
For now, rolling with what they have is the smart move. When it’s all said and done, maybe it’ll just be one more sign that Jim Schwartz’s time in Philly is coming to an end.
The sad reality is that while the Eagles may possibly reap some benefit from a reunion, it’s probably better to leave well enough alone.
Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
