With OTAs underway and training camp much close than you would think, here is a look at where things stand with the Eagles' linebackers after free agency and the draft.
Starters: Nigel Bradham, Zach Brown
Depth: Kamu Grugier-Hill, LJ Fort, Paul Worrilow, Nate Gerry, BJ Bello, TJ Edwards
Overall: Linebacker is the running back position of the Eagles' defense. The team doesn't really value it, they don't invest a ton of resources in it, but as of now they should feel very confident about the group they have assembled.
To start, the team's depth at the position needs to be viewed through the reality that the Eagles only really need two linebackers.
Last season the Eagles had a whopping 500 different combinations of 11 players on defense during the regular season. That will happen when there are plenty of injuries in the secondary and you shuffle your defensive linemen in-and-out of the game. Of their top 10 combinations, six included two linebackers. None included three. In fact, you have to go all the way down to their 25th most common used lineup to find a group that included three linebackers. In the postseason the Eagles' defense used 63 unique combination of 11 players on the field on defense. The top three combinations had just one linebacker. Of the top 10, only two had three linebackers and five had two linebackers.
With that in mind, the Eagles should feel very confident about the starting duo of Bradham and Brown. Bradham had a big season for the Eagles, playing multiple positions and making an impact at each one. A late addition to the roster, Brown totaled 12 starts for the Washington Redskins last season, finishing with 96 tackles, one pass deflection and one sack. Brown dropped back into coverage 347 times last season, allowing 27 catches and 0 touchdowns, per Sports Info Solutions. He was also very strong against the run. The Eagles should be able to interchange Bradham and Brown pretty easily.
There is also plenty for the team to be excited about behind their starters. Grugier-Hill played very well in coverage last season, and with the addition of Fort, the Eagles have two very athletic linebackers for defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to use in different packages next season. Gerry will likely remain mostly special teams contributor, but played well in the snaps he got last season in Week 17 against the Washington Redskins.
Grade: A
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
