PHILADELPHIA, PA – OCTOBER 14: Eagles General Manager Howie Roseman is pictured prior to the game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles on October 14, 2021 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by John Jones/Icon Sportswire)
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Tale as old as time True as it can be Beat by Tightends Defense still bends Because the linebacker depth isn’t steady
Doesn’t it seem like every season there’s a question mark at linebacker for the Eagles? With the departure of T.J. Edwards, Nakobe Dean is stepping up to be Mr. Green Dot and lead the unit. However, the options to start next to him haven’t been overwhelming so far at the Eagles training camp. From Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice:
PHILADELPHIA, PA – AUGUST 02: Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean (17) enters the field during training camp on August 2, 2022 at the Novacare Complex in Philadelphia, PA (Photo by John Jones/Icon Sportswire)
In my Eagles training camp battle tracker, I would say Christian Elliss probably has a better chance of unseating Nicholas Morrow at linebacker than any of the other underdogs have of beating out the favorites. That said, I think that if it’s looking like Elliss is the best linebacker the Eagles have after Nakobe Dean, Howie Roseman will look to trade for a starting-caliber linebacker.
Ellis has had a pretty good camp after “winning” OTAs earlier in the offseason but I agree with Jimmy, if Ellis is the next best then Howie needs to do something.
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But are there any names out there worth kicking the tires on?
Let’s take a look:
Free Agents options for Eagles
Anthony Barr
Barr used to be a steady presence in the LB room for the Vikings but was allowed to be a free agent after the 2021 season. He played for the Dallas Cowboys in 2022 and started 10 games. However, he stunk. Barr only had 58 tackles in those 10 games and allowed 83.3% completion. No thanks.
Jaylon Smith
Nope.
Rashaan Evans
Evans had 159 tackles a year ago and is still a free agent. It could be because he’s really bad in coverage too, but it’s hard to ignore those tackle numbers with only three missed tackles. He’s also an Alabama alum who won a National Championship with Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith.
Deion Jones
Jones recently visited the Panthers, so he may not be an option when this article is posted, but he’s still worth a mention. Jones was a force in Atlanta and was a pretty damn good cover LB. His issue: missed tackles. Jones had 17 in 2021 and only four in 2022, but that was in less playing time. Still only 28, he has the pedigree to return to form and would be a nice, speedy addition to the LB room.
Eagles trade options
Patrick Queen
BALTIMORE, MD – OCTOBER 11:Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Patrick Queen (48) and Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Matt Judon (99) celebrate sacking Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) during the game between the Cincinnati Bengals ad the Baltimore Ravens on October 11, 2020 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland (Photo by Nicole Fridling/Icon Sportswire)
Queen has started every game of his career so far and has 321 tackles in his three seasons. He had a 70.0 PFF grade in 2022 and had 24 QB pressures to go with five sacks. If he is available, pairing him with Nakobe Dean would make the Eagles’ LB room look real formidable.
Devin White
TAMPA, FL – DECEMBER 05: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Linebacker Devin White (45) looks into the offensive backfield during the regular season game between the New Orleans Saints and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on December 05, 2022 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire)
White openly requested a trade back in March but seems to be in good spirits a training camp for the Bucs. But that doesn’t mean he wants to stay on a seemingly rebuilding team. He’s only 25 years old, yes he’ll need a big contract, but he’d be a great mentor to Dean as well as bring a winning reputation.
