Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is confident in Nate Gerry’s ability to step up this season.
One position the Philadelphia Eagles haven’t prioritized over the years is inside linebacker. Similar to running back, the Eagles like to rotate guys in and out depending on the situation to keep everybody fresh. In other words, the Eagles view linebackers as expendable. And outside of Nigel Bradham, everybody can be replaced for a play or two on game day.
Will the Eagles ever change that mindset? Well, it’s unclear. While Jordan Hicks was solid during his time in Philly, his injury concerns made it hard to keep him on the field. Then, the depth behind Hicks never seemed to take over with authority. Therefore, it doesn’t seem like the Eagles have found THAT guy yet that they can trust to play full time at the position.
However, it felt like for a moment, Kamu Grugier-Hill was heading that way. Last season, he established himself as more than a special teamer — earning his snaps on the defense as a linebacker, one year after hardly garnering playing time outside of special teams only.
This year, Grugier-Hill was taking another step in the right direction and word around ‘The Complex’ was that he looked like he could potentially become a full-time starter. Unfortunately, his body wouldn’t hold up. And with a sprained MCL, Grugier-Hill’s hard work and progress gets put on hold. Now, the Eagles are in a bit of a pickle. But Jim Schwartz isn’t exactly worried.
Jim Schwartz’s response:
Jim Schwartz: “We won some important games last year with Nate Gerry as a starting linebacker for us.” #Eagles
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) August 4, 2019
Many believe the Eagles might need to make an emergency trade for a linebacker. Others are looking at some veterans who are on the market that might need to sign with the Birds for this season. Jim Schwartz, on the other hand, is looking at his own with confidence. Don’t forget — the Eagles signed L.J. Fort this offseason, to a pretty significant deal for who he is.
Zach Brown might not be impressive thus far, but he’s here working nonetheless. Then, you’ve got Nate Gerry. The former safety turned linebacker didn’t precisely grow into a star, but Schwartz has seen some really great things in Gerry over the last couple of years. This year will be no different.
When discussing Grugier-Hill, Schwartz made sure to mention Gerry and instill confidence in the third-year veteran. Last season, Gerry appeared in 13 games (started in two) and collected 23 total tackles, knocked down two passes, and picked one off. Not the lousiest production considering Gerry only played 12-percent of the defensive snaps last season.
The Eagles likely won’t make Gerry a full-time starter, but he is more than capable of holding the fort down with the others until Grugier-Hill gets back on the field. KGH’s injury could span a few weeks into the regular season, but it won’t be significant enough to keep him out for a long time. Until then, Gerry will be on Schwartz’s radar to take up some quality snaps.