Eagles Defensive Projections: Linebackers
BREAKING NEWS, Eagles, Linebackers, News Friday, May 18th, 2012
Throughout the Andy Reid era, the Eagles have always seemed to not place a high priority on the linebacker positions. That mindset has changed this year with the trade for former Pro-Bowl linebacker DeMeco Ryans, and the drafting of Mychal Kendricks in the second round. The emphasis on improving the unit represents a significant shift in philosophy for the Eagles.
With the addition of DeMeco Ryans the Eagles clearly have learned the value in the middle linebacker position. DeMeco could possibly be the sleeper addition to make this one of the most feared defenses in the league.Although he has struggled in a new defensive scheme a year ago, he is now more than a year removed from his Achillies injury, and should prove to be a force that will wreak havoc in the backfield, as well as provide some leadership and personality that this defense has sorely missed.
The outside linebacker positions will both be up for grabs over the summer. Rookie Mychal Kendricks figures to be the favorite to start at the SAM position. One word describes and that is Athleteic. He ran a 4.47 40-yard dash at this year’s combine, hopefully this translates into him being a ball-hawking linebacker who can play sideline to sideline. He’ll be a force against the run, and effective in blitz packages, but it remains to be seen whether the young linebacker can cover the tight end. Jamar Chaney will be the top competition for Kendricks. The Eagles wanted Chaney to play the SAM position a year ago, but the ineffectiveness of Casey Matthews forced him to move back to the MIKE after only two games.
The weakside linebacker is also an open competition. Brian Rolle and Casey Matthews are the early favorites, with former fourth round pick Keenan Clayton also in the mix. Rolle proved a year ago that he could be a serviceable NFL linebacker, and was the lone bright spot in the linebacking corp. last season. Matthews got opportunities to start at all three positions a year ago, but failed miserably at each. To his credit, he managed to work his way into an effective role within the nickel package at the end of the year. The coaching staff seems to be high on him.
Keenan Clayton, Akeem Jordan, and Mosies Fokou will battle for the final roster spots. Clayton is the only linebacker on the roster that hasn’t received an opportunity to start, he has great speed but hasn’t been able to earn the trust of the coaching staff in two seasons. Jordan and Fokou have both received multiple starting opportunities, and have been mediocre.
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Posted by Malik Utendahl
on May 18 2012. Filed under BREAKING NEWS, Eagles, Linebackers, News.
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Schiller if you are going to correct songs, I know a dolt who makes just as many mistakes inches away.
I would say Q Demps is more talented and productive then 4 of the 5 Eagles Safeties currently on their Roster.. I would take Demps over Coleman,Jarrett,C Anderson and T Nelson as a partner with Nate Allen.any day of the week..
The Eagles gave up on him too soon in my opinion…
Back to the Eagle Rumor Mill…
Eagles trade DE D Tapp and CB J Hanson to the Cowboys for CB Michael Jenkins who is holding out and grumbling about his Contract Status..
Details at 11pm..
Paul you are ass crazy. Jenkins sucks – always did. And he’s unhealthy. The Eagles wouldn’t do that in a million years. We have 0 need for corner. So you trade away two assets for an injured, crappy when healthy player at a position where we couldn’t play him? Boykin, Hughes and Marsh are ahead of him. Get a clue you crazy old man.
**Eagle News Today**
Philadelphia Eagles released QB Jacoby Harris and work out LB Adrian Moten
The wrap on Adrian Moten…
Maryland Pro day: Linebacker Adrian Moten (6-1 3/4, 234) gave a complete workout. He posted 40 times of 4.60 and 4.55, a 32 1/2-inch vertical, 10-8 broad jump, 4.51 short shuttle, and 7.32 cone. – Gil Brandt, NFL.com
Positives: Two-year starter at OLB is an athletic and versatile prospect who makes plays all over the field. Fast, has fluid hips, can turn and run with TEs and other receivers and has good ball skills. Quick first step, can run around blocks. Good form tackler, shoulder to chest, wraps. Lined up often against the slot receiver and had a lot of corner/nickel assignments as a SAM during the past two seasons. Played some WILL earlier in college career.
Negatives: Lacks elite top end straight-line speed. Too often allows separation in coverage and is unable to close. Gets destroyed when colliding with OLs, and likely will have trouble handling the blocks of NFL TEs. Doesn’t have a lot of sand in the pants and has real trouble beating blocks, and hence tries to dance around blocks. Small, narrow frame for NFL LB. Wrist injury in 2008.
Rob Rang
CBSSports
2010: Moten, a two-year starter at linebacker, started all 13 games in 2010 and finished 4th on the team with 77 total tackles (31 solo), 6 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. He also had 4 interceptions and 10 passes defended in coverage…2009: Started all 12 games at Sam linebacker … ranked second on the team in tackles (68) … ranked 27th in the ACC in tackles per game (5.7) … led the team in sacks (6.0) and tackles for loss (9.0)
NFL Draft Scout
My Thoughts: Another LB? I guess for special team purposes or to see what he has. The more quality LBs the better. Im happy the eagles have made an asserted effort to address the LB position. There will be some serious competition starting tomorrow at OTA’s all the way into training camp
Jon Hart – you know they need to sign the kid for him to be in camp right? Hasn’t happened yet… we’ll see.
Schiller, i didnt report that they signed him, i said worked him out. Relax bro, rough day?
Just another sign the Jamar Chaney’s future health is questionable at
best..
Paulman, that’s odd, the only basis for that comment was the fecal matter that resides in your mouth….
Schill must have eaten his Mother’s Spinach tonight, all of sudden, he thinks he’s macho man and ready to take on everyone of this site… I think you need to relax, have a tall glass of Ice Tea and go lay down before before you hurt yourself… …
I agree big Navy, Demps was trash for us, I wouldn’t call him a treasure though.
Plain, and simple, is bottom line Shiller for those who know better. What’s going to be your defense when your boy is trucked by a RB, or OG? Then gets burned in coverage? He didn’t have a chance to have a good off season? He wasn’t given a chance to grow? Plain and simple, sometimes it comes down to …If you have it or not………The guy doesn’t have it. Plain, and simple
Wait, gm, who’s my boy. I didn’t say anyone will be a great player. But dismissing a player after his rookie season is a known bullshit mistake. It’s common sense that you clearly lack.
Paul, I like Moten, I wanted them to draft him when he came out. I’mnot sure about Mike Jenkins , unless he is healthy. I like the healthy Mike Jenkins, he would help with our depth, and would make Hanson expendable.
Paul, just ignore Shiller, I like him, but he does tend to reflect negativity from time to time. Sometimes you have to let people be who they are brother.
Guys, but seriously, regarding Jenkins. He’s disgruntled because he isn’t starting. And you want to bring him here to not start? Where is the sense in that?
Shill, it not unusual to cut a player the year he is drafted. The Eagles did that one year when they cut several of their draft picks in favor of undrafted free agents. Who cares that he was a rookie. He showed NOTHING in terms of talent. I see no reason to think highly of him, as a player.
If Paul is right, and Adrian Moten was worked out, that may not necessarily for insurance for Chaney, It could be for bums like Matthews.
gmcliff – or it could be for a ‘look-see’/camp body. When you’re in the process of creating a 90 man roster for training camp, you don’t think about ‘who he could push or replace’ – you just amass players you want to give a shot. You think GMs would disagree with that statement? Come on now. THINK
And “it(‘s) not unusual to cut a player the year he is drafted.”
Alright – give me an example of 3 4th round picks that are cut the year they’re drafted. Don’t just state shit if you can’t back it up. I’m not saying it hasn’t happened – but it IS unusual.
To GmCLiff,
Actually it wa JH who mentioned the Eagles working out Mouten and I do recall you talking about him in the Draft as a potential late ROund sleection..
He’s 6-1 235lbs and has a lean frame who could easily put 10-15 lbs on in 2 years time once in a NFL Conditioning Program.. He has speed, but I am not so sure about his strenth and his abililty to shed bloack at the point of attack.. A criticism for him while at Maryland is that he had issues disengaging from Blockers but that he was good in pass coverage, has lots of raw athletic talent.. When I read his College Profile, he actually reminded me a lot of
LB Moises Fokou’s Scouting Report when he alose came out of Maryland..
Athletic upside but not a lot of natural football smarts and for a LB, you have to have those natuaral intincts to make plays at the NFL ..
I’ve mentioned a few times and will stand by it again, I believe the Eagles are moving away and forward from both DT Mike Patterson and LB J Cheney and whether they use injuries as the reason, I can’t really say.. but it is fine with me for I have never thought as either player as a legitimate NFL Starting Calibe type of Players to begin with and would not be missed at all with this new and improved Front 7..
Shiller it isn’t unusual for a draft pick to be cut. I think what your trying to say is that it IS UNUSUAL for a 1-4th round pick to be cut the year he is drafted.
There have been many cut in NFL History even 1st round picks between 1996-2010 that have been cut : Here a few, you GM WANT TO BE:
1. Demetrius Underwood DL (1st) Minnesota – 1999
2. Maurice Clarett RB (2nd) Denver – 2005
3. Andre T Johnson OT (1st) Washington – 1996
4. Marcus Nash WR (1st) Denver – 1998
5. Buster Davis LB (3rd) Arizona – 2007
6. Cody Brown LB(1st) Arizona – 2010 – ( and there are more; google worst picks in NFLHistory)
Here are some of the Eagles cuts of 2nd year, and rookies drafted in the Andy Reid Era:
2010 – Trevard Lindley (4th) cut the next year
2009 – Macho Harris (5th) cut the next year
2008 – Bryan Smith (3rd) cut the next year
2007 – C.J Gaddis (5th)- Same year he was drafted
2003 – Jamal Green (4th) – Same year he was drafted
2002 – Freddie Milons (5th)- cut the next year
2001 – Quentin Caver (2nd)- cut the next year
I’ve told you before kiss my ass Shiller, now I want chap stick first.
and these don’t include all the 3rd, and 4th round picks cut the same year in NFL History.
Don’t forget DE Teo Neisham was a 3rd Pick in 2010, Released in 2011 Summer Camp, brought back onto Practice Squad and then picked-up by another team
How about RB Tony Hunt, He was a 3rd Round PIck and then released his 2nd Summer Camp after a year on Practice squad
Saw this site NFL Spin Zone – that looked at sucess rates for 3rd and 4rth round picks: from them –
To me, a 3rd or 4th round pick is successful if the player lasted at least four seasons in the NFL, and started at least one or significantly contributed as a backup. I believe that this is a good definition for a “successful” career simply because this is usually the term of their first contract, and if a player can fully play out a contract, then he is in some ways moderately successful.
agree – or disagree – wanted to get the numbers:
there were 165 3rd round picks between 2002 and 2006. Out of those picks, 76 were deemed to be successful based on the formula above (4 seasons in the NFL, 1 starting or significant contributions). That means that about 46% of the 3rd round picks in that five year period were considered to be successful.
Looking at the 4th round, there were 176 total draft choices in the five year span we’re talking about. Out of those 176, 77 were thought to be successful, which gives us a rate of about 44% of 4th rounders being successful. So, when a team trades away a 3rd round pick for an aging player, there is basically a 50/50 chance that the player they will be drafting will be an NFL starter or a significant contributor.
so basically if you are drafted in the 3rd or 4rth rounds the NFL average is about 45% that you will last 4 years in the NFL…
I have no arguement with that Big Navy. Love your post; whether I agree or disagree, they are ALWAYS reasonable. In this case I have to agree brother.
Paul, like I said I didn’t point out all of them, I just wanted to make a point to him, not only with 4th, and 5th round picks but even 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rounders being cut the same year can happen. Sometimes you have face reality. It is amazing what you see when you open your eyes. The coaches of these players had to bite the bullet, and the Eagles have done the same; it wouldn’t shock me if they kept, or cut Casey Matthews. I don’t think much of him as a productive prospect, but I respect they fact thet you , Navy and others do. Shiller is on his period today. Like it or not I have a level of talent evaluation. I graduated from the University of Common Sense. If it quacks like a duck…….it’s a duck; If he can’t tackle,……can’t cover…….he not worth putting on the field. Plain, and Simple.
@ Paulman – TeoNeishiem, and Tony Hunt, I didn’t name because they were not cut or released the same year they were drafted, or the year after. They lasted for at least two years before the Eagles gave up on them. But you do see my point brother about draft picks reality is we live in a what have you done for me lately world…….Ask the Eagles what has Matthews done for them lately.
I rest my case.