Fokou Who?

There seems to be a growing sentiment among some of the Eagles beat writers that rookie seventh-round linebacker Moise Fokou is pushing for a starting spot. Although he’s never played the MIKE backer position, Fokou has assumed the nickel linebacker role with Omar Gaither sidelined with a sprained knee.

Fokou opened eyes last Thursday versus the Colts. He led the team in tackles and registered two stops in the backfield. Is he good enough to leapfrog Joe Mays on the depth chart? He certainly doesn’t appear to have the size necessary to man the middle of the Birds defense. Listed at 6’1″, 230 lbs, Fokou utilizes lateral quickness and athleticism to compensate for a lack of weight.

This whole scenario strikes me as a bit strange. One of the main reasons why Omar was not awarded the MLB spot after Stew‘s injury was that he was deemed too small (6’2″, 235). Fokou is even smaller, so what’s the deal? I think the beat boys might be reading too much into this. With Gaither out, someone had to play on passing downs. Fokou was the next guy in line.

There’s no doubt Moise has been making waves this summer, but it takes more than a couple good preseason games to be elevated to starter status. Whatever the case, the linebacker rotation is far from set. We may end up seeing five or six receive reps during the regular season. Replacing a three-down MIKE backer like Bradley won’t be easy.

Brian Seltzer from 950 ESPN wrote the following about Fokou in his daily roundup:

Fouku records his observations and questions in several notebooks that he keeps when reviewing the Birds’ defensive schemes on a nightly basis.

This is a guy worth rooting for. I’m sure he’s not the only rookie to log notebooks, but anyone willing to go the extra mile to earn a roster spot is a perfect fit for Philly. How all this shakes out is anyone’s guess. Andy Reid loves competition. Well, it looks like he’s got a good one brewing right now.

Subscribe to ITI.