A Case For James Laurinaitis To The Eagles

The business side of the NFL becomes abhorrently clear throughout the time period between the Super Bowl and the beginning of free agency. This was on full display Friday when the St. Louis Los Angeles Rams released a trio of veterans, including linebacker James Laurinaitis. Given the struggles that occurred throughout the season at linebacker, the Philadelphia Eagles should deeply consider gauging interest in Laurinaitis’ services.

First, I know what’s going to be coming from the critics. There will be a plethora of people stating, “But Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked Laurinaitis among the worst inside linebackers last season.” And that’s good for them. But I don’t focus on a single ranking that PFF puts out. They have a lot of great accessible information, but their grading system is not universally accepted and can have its flaws. Additionally, am I to believe that James Laurinaitis went from one of the best inside linebackers to the worst in just one season?

More from Eagles News

• Eagles captains earn high praise on roster blending veteran leadership, youth
• How former Eagles star Cre’Von LeBlanc helped Renegades upstage Cowboys
• Eagles 2023 schedule: Every WR duo Darius Slay, James Bradberry will battle
• Imagining better names for Jason Kelce’s Good Guy Award
• Bold predictions for the Philadelphia Eagles offense in 2023

The next aspect to focus on is the salary cap. Laurinaitis, Chris Long, and Jared Cook accounted for nearly $23 million against the 2016 salary cap. As is the case for NFL teams and Kanye West, saving money is a big priority in the here and now. Diminished play for an underachieving defense certainly factors into any decision.

But I believe that Laurinaitis has a couple quality years left in his career. Several other teams need help at the linebacker position, including the Detroit Lions and the New York Giants. Over The Cap projects 15 teams with more money available than the Eagles, including the Lions and division rival Giants.

One favorable aspect to the Eagles or Giants would be familiarity with the coaching staff. Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was the Rams’ head coach when Laurainitis was drafted back in 2009. As for the Eagles, Jim Schwartz has ties to the Rams head coach Jeff Fisher and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. While Schwartz never coached in St. Louis, the fraternal order of NFL coaches would lead one to believe he knows all the strengths and weaknesses that Laurinaitis would provide the Eagles.

Perhaps the greatest asset of James Laurinaitis is his dependability and reliability. Laurinaitis was tied with Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins and New Orleans Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro for the highest participation percentage of team snaps in the NFL last season. At linebacker for the Eagles, only Connor Barwin played more than 71% of the defensive snaps last year. While the production might take a dip from the previous years, Laurinaitis would provide critical depth for a unit that has had it’s fair share of inconsistencies and injuries.

The Philadelphia Eagles could be content with their current stable of Jordan Hicks, Kiko Alonso, Mychal Kendricks, and DeMeco Ryans. Perhaps Brandon Graham could serve as a hybrid defensive end and outside linebacker. Maybe James Laurinaitis will be too expensive on the free agent market for general manager Howie Roseman to consider. These are reasonable hypotheticals for why the Eagles wouldn’t make this move. However, it’s my belief that Laurinaitis would be a great addition to Jim Schwartz’s defense. I also believe that too much is being made by Laurinaitis’ age. While many fans and pundits focus on the age of 30 as being the point where NFL careers begin to diminish, that’s not entirely accurate. More so than anything, the Eagles need established leadership in the locker room. Get it done Howie!