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Hey Howie, let's just play defense with 9 guys

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  • Hey Howie, let's just play defense with 9 guys

    LINEBACKER

    Quarterback Jalen Hurts opens the door for some creative offensive playcalling, but with Carson Wentz on the roster, the Eagles’ selection of Hurts tends toward luxury. The team will likely feel the effects of that indulgence the most at linebacker in 2020. The Eagles addressed the position with their next pick in the third round, but in between, second-tier linebackers who could be immediate every-down players, Zack Baun and Logan Wilson, went off the board. The Eagles’ subsequent pick, Davion Taylor, has the athleticism to become a three-down player in time, but he is inexperienced. He did not play football before he turned 18 and played just two years in the FBS at Colorado. Presumed starters Nathan Gerry and T.J. Edwards have just 19 starts between them, the lion’s share by Gerry in 2019, when, according to Sports Info Solutions, he missed an alarming 29% of his attempted tackles, the highest rate among linebackers with 50 or more attempts. Should either Gerry or Edwards falter, Taylor likely will not be ready to fill in during his rookie season.

    Fans polled here at Bleeding Green Nation agree that linebacker is the Eagles’ biggest roster hole. Just look at these results from last week:


    The Eagles’ linebacker outlook isn’t uninspiring by accident. The team has clearly devalued the position. An overview of their investments (or lack thereof):

    Nathan Gerry — 2017 fifth-round pick

    T.J. Edwards — 2019 undrafted rookie free agent signing

    Duke Riley — traded Johnathan Cyprien and a 2019 seventh-round pick for Riley and a 2019 sixth-round pick
    "Hey Giants, who's your Daddy?"
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