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Philadelphia Eagles: Travis Long ‘Doing A Really Good Job’

By Anthony DiBona

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Philadelphia Eagles outside linebacker Travis Long may possibly have the worst timing of any player in the NFL. No, it has nothing to do with him showing up to meetings or practices on time, it’s quite the opposite. Whenever things seems to be heading in the right direction for Long during his football career, something unfortunate seems to occur.

In 2012, towards the end of his senior season at Washington State, Long tore his right ACL. In just 11 games that season, Long dominated the competition, finishing the year with 61 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 5 passes defended and an interception in 11 games. But it all meant nothing once he suffered the injury, he wouldn’t be allowed to participate in the combine or any other pre-draft workouts.

Luckily, Long was given an opportunity by the Eagles and they stashed him on their practice squad in 2013 as he recovered from the injury. The team saw potential in him but knew he wasn’t ready just yet, but they were willing to wait. Then in 2014, Long had an impressive offseason and seemed to have a strong chance at making the team’s final 53-man roster. But it happened again, in the fourth quarter of the Eagles’ final preseason game, Long tore his left ACL.

Once again, Long has overcome the injury and looks to be right back on track. Given the team’s lack of depth at outside linebacker, Long could certainly make the team’s final roster this year as well. Head coach Chip Kelly praised Long when asked about the 23-year old’s recovery and his play thus far.

“Travis is playing outside right now and is doing a really good job. We’re really excited about him. We were really excited about him last year and then he got hurt, obviously, late in the preseason, but if he wasn’t hurt he would have made our team. He’s really right back to where he was, really contributing well on special teams and he’s making a push for it at outside linebacker,” Kelly said.

Prior to this year, Long was being “cross-trained” as both an outside linebacker and inside linebacker due to his athleticism and versatility. But this year, Long will be able to focus on just one position, outside linebacker. Given his ability to rush the passer and the team’s new-found depth at inside linebacker, this makes sense for both Long and the Eagles.

At 6-4, 255 pounds, Long certainly has the size that the Eagles like at outside linebacker. Long even said that he prefers playing on the outside as well, according to Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com:

"Long tore the ligament while playing inside linebacker. He is more comfortable on the outside, where he played in college. With the Eagles’ glut of inside linebackers this year, Long is able to focus on playing outside.“Before the draft, (defensive coordinator) Billy Davis told me, ‘Yeah, you’ll probably be at inside (linebacker),'” Long said. “And then the day after the draft, he was like, ‘Yeah, you’re going to be outside now.’ I like outside. It’s way more natural.”"

There’s certainly evidence that supports Long playing full-time at outside linebacker. Although it’s low quality, look at this sack Long had against the Jacksonville Jaguars during a preseason game in 2013. He just embarrasses the left tackle, pushing him to the ground and getting the sack and forced fumble.

Besides Connor Barwin and Brandon Graham, there is a whole lot of uncertainty surrounding the outside linebacker position. Even 2014 first-round pick Marcus Smith‘s roster spot is uncertain. Kelly certainly doesn’t seem to be a fan of Smith but he does seem to believe quite strongly in Long’s ability. If he can hopefully stay healthy and on the field, there’s no reason why Long shouldn’t make Philadelphia’s final roster.

Next: Do The Philadelphia Eagles Only Have Two Elite Starters?

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