5 Positions where 2021’s Philadelphia Eagles must begin their rebuild

Jeremiah Trotter was the last Philadelphia Eagles linebacker to make a Pro-Bowl.

The Philadelphia Eagles’ neglect of the linebacker position has become appalling and concerning. Honestly, it’s offensive.

The Eagles treat linebackers like Nicholas Cage treats movie scripts. They just take whatever is available. Take a moment and look around the league at teams that have consistently high-ranking defenses though. The Steelers, Ravens, Patriots, and Bears are regularly top ten in overall defense every year. What pops out about them? Oh gee, could it be they usually have one or more all-pro linebackers leading their teams?

Philadelphia hasn’t drafted a true linebacker in the first round of any draft since they selected Jerry Robinson out of UCLA in 1979. Alex Singleton and T.J. Edwards have had their moments, but the Eagles desperately need an upgrade. A game-changing linebacker that calls the plays and captains the defense is foreign to this franchise.

The motivational energy and boost that guys like Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher gave their respective teams uplifted everyone that played around them. It’s just as crucial that NFL defenses have a true leader in the middle as it is for an offense to have a quality quarterback elevating the play of an offense. Outside of a few blips on the radar (Nigel Bradham and Jordan Hicks), Philly hasn’t had that for a while.