Philadelphia Eagles Build 2015 Defense On Shoestring Budget

Jul 26, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebackers

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(53) during training camp at the Eagles NovaCare Complex. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Linebackers

The Philadelphia Eagles linebacking was a weak link in 2013.  With the transition to the 3-4, to guys playing out of their comfort zone, to defensive formations being limited to simplify what players had as options, the 2013 season was not a shining example.  But in 2014, that all changed.  The team was desperate to enhance the edge pass rushing, and worked hard in the off-season to do so, even with the selection of outside linebacker Marcus Smith in round one.  But Smith was a project, and Chip Kelly believes that a player must EARN the right to play on Sunday.   Unfortunately for the Eagles, Smith seldom did.
But perhaps it was the mini-camp training that was led by All Pro linebacker Kevin Greene.   Following that, both Connor Barwin and Brandon Graham had excellent seasons.   In the middle, Mychal Kendricks played very well upon returning from and early season injury, only to watch as teammate DeMeco Ryans fall and be lost to the team for the second half of the year.   The team lost the services of both outside linebacker Trent Cole and inside linebacker Casey Matthews.   However, they did pick up the services of 2012 pro bowl linebacker Kiko Alonso from the Buffalo Bills.
2014 was a good year for the Eagles linebackers.  They also relied heavily on Emmanuel Acho and special teamer Bryan Braman.  Returning from injuries will be Travis Long and Najee Goode .  And finally, Brandon Hepburn and Brad Jones join the team.  With twelve linebackers on the roster, the team has plenty of depth to drill in training camp.   With six positions virtually locked at this point (Barwin, Graham, Ryans, Kendricks, Alonso, Braman) the team will likely put the remaining roster spots up for open competition.
Which places first round draft selection Marcus Smith in a difficult spot – trained in both inside and outside linebacking in 2014, yet mastering neither, his future with the organization will depend on exacltly how quickly he comes out of the gate.

Shoestring Budget

With so many players on the roster, it’s tough to imagine the team looking to fill the linebacking spot. BUT…. the team has five of the twelve returning from injury.   The defense was simply never the same after Ryans fell, and despite the heroics of players who stepped up, the second half slide was definitely a result of the leadership void.   While the team could look elsewhere during the draft, the depth of the linebacker position in 2015 leads me to think the team will look to amend the 2014 first round pick by working a 2015 mulligan at the same position.     Should Dante Fowler Jr, Vic Beasley, or even Randy Gregory fall to the Eagles at the 20 pick, I’ll go out on a limb and predict that the Eagles select them, and will immediately be in the market to trade Marcus Smith.
Should no top rusher fall to the team in round one, I would still expect value draft picks.   Look for the Eagles to use 25% (or 2 of the 8) draft picks on linebackers.  Should a valued player go undrafted, the Eagles will surely have a contract to offer.  With twelve on the roster today, look for 16 linebackers to show up for training camp.

Next: The Shoestring Secondary