I see linebacker instincts in TJ Edwards that I don’t see much of in the other linebackers on the Eagles roster. I will say that Davion Taylor is very young and aggressive. I like that about him but he’s he’s still very raw. Taylor will need to learn when avoiding a block is smarter than getting into a battle with somebody who outweighs him by 60 pounds. I see both of these guys are aggressive. You must have a certain aggressiveness at the linebacker position to be successful in the NFL, but you also must have football intelligence.
There is also a requirement of instincts and intelligence. You have got to be willing to attack the play and I see that in Edwards. The other thing I see in Edwards is the intelligence to avoid the block. Everybody gets blocked sometime, but when you get blocked you can’t stay blocked. Many times a good linebacker will avoid the block when they’re dealing with big offensive lineman. They use their quickness avoid the block and make the play. If they must be aggressive they will attack the blocker get rid of them and make the play.
Some of these qualities cannot be taught. Many times a player either has it or he doesn’t have it. These qualities are instinctual. You can’t sit down and tell the player what he needs to do to make the play. Things happen so quickly that the only way a linebacker can get through the blockers and make the play is through their “God Given” instincts.
Edwards is able to make plays all over the field. He makes plays behind the line of scrimmage, which is something Alex Singleton and Eric Wilson haven’t done all season long. Edwards does the things that you ask out of a linebacker. I see Edwards do things in the midst of the play that I haven’t seen all season. He will attack the play.
He will decipher what he needs to do and many times that means avoid big offensive linemen out in the open field. If you have a lot of space, then you don’t even engage with them. If you have to engage them, then you give them a move. You utilize your quickness against them and you know that if you get them moving, then you have an advantage. They can’t move as fast as you in the open field. In addition they aren’t very balanced with their body control when you get them in open field. On the other hand, if they’re in a small space then they have an advantage over you. If it’s a screenplay or a sweep and you’ve got them an open field, they’re really at the mercy of the quicker player. So you don’t even engage with them, you just go and make the tackle. You get them a moving, then you go around them and make the play. I see Edwards doing that.
Formations mean something to a good linebacker. They instinctively are able to feel what a signal caller is doing with the formation. The formation means something to a good linebacker. I see that in Edwards. He will cheat a certain way because he’s got a feel for the formation. Many times instincts will help the linebacker get a step advantage that puts them in position to make the tackle. You can’t play the linebacker position in the NFL with just athletic ability. You must have instincts and intelligence.
