10 Philadelphia Eagles that must shine in Week 3 versus Cincinnati

The Philadelphia Eagles need to work with what they have on defense.

The Eagles don’t really value the linebacker position, and they haven’t devoted early draft picks to it in more than five years. They believe their scouting department will find good players late in the selection process and their coaching staff will polish them.

That could be a perfect approach in theory, but it hasn’t worked out for them. Nathan Gerry is a prime example of that. The Nebraska product is a grinder, nobody will argue that, but he hasn’t consistently shown that he is the solution to the Eagles linebacker woes. Pass coverage isn’t his strongest suit and the Rams knew it. They picked on him in Week 2 and didn’t let him off the hook. He needs to play better against the Bengals in Week 3.

One of the biggest training camp stories was Jalen Mills’ transition from cornerback to safety. In his new position, he would be able to maximize his skill set while making up for the leadership void caused by Malcolm Jenkins’ departure earlier this year.

So far, Mills hasn’t lived up to the billing. He’s been one of the lightning rods on a defense that has allowed 64 points in two weeks, and although he isn’t the main reason why the unit is playing so poorly, he hasn’t made enough plays. Last year, Philly’s defense generated 20 turnovers, this year, they only have registered one. Mills needs to help change that.