Inside the Iggles
FanSided

Trent Cole to reunite with Philadelphia Eagles?

By Ryan Quigley

Dec 1, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Trent Cole (58) celebrates getting a sack during the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles defeated the Cardinals 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 1, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Trent Cole (58) celebrates getting a sack during the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles defeated the Cardinals 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Philadelphia Eagles need help at defensive end and Trent Cole, who is second all-time in team history with 85.5 sacks, could be a viable solution.

Much has been made about former Philadelphia Eagles wideout DeSean Jackson possibly returning to the team next season, but he may not be the only player readying a return to the City of Brotherly Love.

Trent Cole, who was released by Chip Kelly prior to the 2015 season, is set to become a free agent this March. A fan favorite in Philadelphia, Cole was the Eagles’ longest-tenured player at the time of his release. Following his release, Cole said that he wanted to be an Eagle for life. As it turns out, he now has the chance to finish his career with the team that selected him in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft.

Despite having the second-best defensive front seven in 2016, the Eagles need added depth at defensive end. Connor Barwin could be on his way out of Philadelphia and the Eagles will need to find a viable option to play behind Brandon Graham and Vinny Curry.

More from Inside the Iggles

Cole could be that guy.

In his last two seasons with the Eagles, Cole was forced to play outside linebacker in Billy Davis‘ 3-4 system. Cole is a natural 4-3 defensive end and played that position for the first eight years of his career. With the Eagles once again running a 4-3 scheme, Cole could finally return to his natural position.

The Eagles currently run a Wide 9 formation up front, meaning that the defensive end lines up a full gap away from where opposing tight ends line up prior to the snap. The Eagles largely ran the Wide 9 in 2011 as well. That season, Cole recorded 11 sacks in only 14 games.

Cole fits the scheme and enjoyed his time with the Eagles during his 10-year tenure in Philadelphia. At this point, the 34-year-old is nothing more than a rotational player, but a return to Philadelphia would give him a sensible workload for his age and an opportunity to end his career where he started it.

Home/Eagles News