The Eagles Drafted Casey Matthews Not Clay Matthews

First of all, it was a mistake for the Eagles to hand the starting middle linebacker position to rookie fourth round draft pick Casey Matthews when he reported to training camp. They had no idea whether he could do the job and he was going to be asked to do things at the middle linebacker spot that he had never shown the ability to do on the college level.

I don’t think it’s a good idea to hand rookies starting jobs like the Birds did with first round pick Danny Watkins and fourth round pick Matthews because you could be setting them up to fail. I think it’s a much better situation for them, if you let them show their ability, then you gradually promote them.

Doing it gradually also allows that player to gain his respect from his teammates by showing them that he can do the job. If a rookie is given a starting job and they get in there and start making plays, nobody questions it. But if they get in there and start struggling, everybody questions the move.

The spotlight was shown on both Watkins and Matthews because they were made starters. Neither had the benefit of OTA’s and mini-camps. It was a recipe for disaster. Now both of them must battle through these struggles in the spotlight and it’s going to be quite a challenge for them to prove that they can do the job.

Let’s get back to Matthews specifically.

I know the Eagles envisioned a Matthews in the middle of the Eagles defense with his hair flowing out of his helmet and the highlights of him dominating opponents being played every night on television, while he is running down ball carriers sideline to sideline. You couldn’t overemphasize how much media attention it would have drawn, but that’s not dealing in reality.

The Eagles drafted Casey Matthews, not Clay Matthews.

The Eagles were asking Casey to read plays instantly, attack 300-pound offensive linemen, beat their blocks, then come off and make plays on some of the best running backs in the NFL.

Casey’s older brother Clay might have been able to do the job but Clay is a “Monster on the football field”. Clay is 6’3″ 260 pounds and he can run a 4.5 forty-yard dash. He’s got tremendous explosiveness and he can overpower 300-pound offensive linemen with his combination of quickness and power.

Casey doesn’t have that Superman ability standing 6’1″ weighing 230 pounds and running a 4.7 forty-yard dash.

Do you remember Clay running over Winston Justice in last year’s playoff game? Do you remember him tracking down Kevin Kolb in the first game of the season a year ago and treating him like a child by trapping his hands and slamming him to the Lincoln Financial Field turf? Do you remember him bear hugging Michael Vick and slamming him to the ground?

Clay III reminded me of his Dad, whom I played with at USC. He was a walking muscle, who played like a maniac. Casey isn’t on that level and that’s why he was drafted in the fourth round.

The two Clays are specimen’s while Casey was a very good college player, but he isn’t a specimen like his father and his older brother.

I think Casey can be a good NFL linebacker but he needs to put in the right situation and be allowed to show what he can do before being thrown into the starting lineup.