Here Are My Grades For The Eagles Defensive Players

The Eagles defense has been up and down like the football team.  Here are my individual grades for the defensive players prior to the bye week.

Trent Cole – It’s a shame that each and every player on the team doesn’t have the determination and drive of Cole .  At his size, Cole shouldn’t be able to battle offensive tackles twice he size like he does.  If he’s on the field he’s playing hard.  He leads the team with six sacks, is second in tackles with 36.  (A)

Brandon Graham – Graham has showed the spark and talent which everybody saw in training camp, but he’s got to get more consistent.  He was pathetic versus run and will need to find a way to play the run despite having short arms.  He has two sacks and won of them helped win the 49ers game.  (C)

Juqua Parker – He got off to a great start with four sacks in the Eagles first three games of the season, but he’s been missing since then.  Parker seems to wear down when he’s kept on the field for too many snaps. He’s undersized but is a power pass rusher. Hopefully the bye week will allow him to get his strength back. (B)

Darryl Tapp – He’s made a few plays on nickel to stop first down conversion and has one sack, but he’s yet to live up to billing.  (C)

Mike Patterson – He remains a solid player who does a good job of keeping the offensive linemen off of the linebackers.  He has contributed 17 tackles, but hasn’t done anything as a pass rusher and isn’t an impact player.   They need more big plays out of Patterson. (C)

Brodrick Bunkley -Bunkley has missed a few games but like Patterson he wasn’t being an impact player before that.  He has made nine tackles but no sacks.  Either Bunkley or Patterson should benched in favor of Dixon.  (C)

Antonio Dixon – This young man had a major impact on the football team, since he started playing in the Niners game.  He’s the biggest, most powerful and explosive defensive tackle on the team.  Dixon has dominated versus the run and the pass.  He has two sacks and was the major factor in improving the run defense vs. the Niners, Falcons and Titans. (A)

Trevor Laws – Laws has shown been productive as an inside pass rusher on third downs.  He has two sacks and has knocked down three passes.  Laws needs to be more consistent but I like the way he’s headed.  (B-)

Linebackers

Stewart Bradley – I think he’s still recovering from knee surgery and he’s not a pure middle linebacker.  Bradley hasn’t been a major impact player, but he’s contributed 27 tackles and one sack.  He’s got to do a better job on the tight ends in pass coverage and make some big plays in the form of interceptions or forced fumbles. (C)

Ernie Sims – He has demonstrated his amazing speed and made some big hits on ball carriers.   Sims has benefited from the dominance of Dixon. He has a total of 28 tackles but like Bradley he hasn’t made many big plays. They need him to come down with some interceptions or force some fumbles.(C)

Moise Fokou – He has made an impact with his physical play on the tight end side.  Fokou also forced a key fumble in the Niner game.  He has made 18 tackles so far this season, but could be more consistent. (B)

Akeem Jordan – He was a starter the strongside linebacker spot at the beginning of the season, but he isn’t a strongside backer.  He’s a will linebacker and did a decent job while he was starting, but like the other backers, they need more big plays out of him. (C)

Secondary

Asante Samuel – He continues reading routes better than any cornerback in the NFL.  Samuel has three interceptions but could easily have six or seven, if he caught everything that hit his hands. His tackling has improved and he’s made 20 tackles so far this season. (A)

Ellis Hobbs – He has done a decent job of beating up receivers at the line of scrimmage, but he’s been horrible downfield by getting beat for big plays and making costly pass interference penalties.  They need to bench him after that awful performance against the Titans.  (D)

Joselio Hanson – He’s done a fairly good job covering the slot receivers in nickel, but he was exposed when they put him on the corner versus the Niners.  Hanson isn’t a true outside cornerback.  He has broken up four pass plays and a number of them prevented first down conversions.  He’s come down with one interception, so far. (C)

Nate Allen – He’s done a good job for a rookie at the safety spot.  Allen has been active in the first seven games, contributing three interceptions and 31 tackles, so far.  He was torched in the Titans game and it cost them a game.  The young fella may have lost his confidence but he’s got to get it back. (B-)

Dimitri Patterson – He’s played quite a bit in nickel situations and has done a decent job.  He didn’t step up in the Niners game when he had his chance.  May get another shot at starting.  (C)

Quintin Mikell – He played his best game of the season against Tennessee a week ago.  He’s capable of being more consistent but overall he’s played good football.  He leads the team in tackles and had an interception and a sack against the Titans.  (B)

Kurt Coleman – He got the chance to play versus the Titans and didn’t look very good out there.  I don’t know if he can run with NFL wide receivers.  (C-)