Philadelphia Eagles: Top positional needs for 2020 offseason

Linebacker

This unit has been in disarray since they let go of Jordan Hicks last off-season. With the team releasing Nigel Bradham, the Philadelphia Eagles will have to make the linebacker position a priority this offseason.

Roseman has only drafted eight linebackers since 2010 and only one in the first six rounds since 2014. Preferring to bring in free-agent linebackers, Roseman has left the position without high-end talent the last few seasons. Hicks was an incredible player for the team, but recurrent injuries made it difficult for the team to keep him once his rookie contract was up. The same can be said for Bradham.

As of this writing, the Philadelphia Eagles have very few game-changing talents at the linebacker position. Kamu Grugier-Hill has been great when on the field, but injuries have kept him off the field during the last two seasons. He is an unrestricted free agent this offseason and it is unclear if Roseman will keep him with the team next season. Considering he was always meant to serve as a backup player, it is doubtful the team will dedicate serious resources to a new contract.

T.J. Edwards and Nathan Gerry are both decent enough linebackers. They are both under contract for 2020 and played sporadically in 2019. But they have failed to be anything more than back-up players on the team and are unlikely to be considered starters next season.

The Philadelphia Eagles have let the linebacker position languish over the past few seasons. Preferring to use team resources to beef up the defensive line and defensive backs position, the linebacker position has seen a consistent drain of talent since 2018.

Roseman will have to address this position during the offseason no matter what. The only question is whether he will do that via free agency or the 2020 NFL Draft. Likely, he will need to do both.

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Free Agency: Cory Littleton from the Los Angeles Rams would be a nice addition to this team’s defense. He is a free agent this offseason and considering the Rams will need to make some tough roster decisions to remain under the cap, Littleton could become available.

For starters, Littleton has not missed a game in four seasons. That would be a godsend for the Philadelphia Eagles defense, considering the number of injuries this unit has endured the past two seasons.

Littleton has earned six interceptions and 26 pass deflections since he joined the Rams and has become one of the best coverage linebackers in the NFL. Littleton is not the best run defending linebacker. But considering the number of secondary roster spots that need to be replaced this offseason in Philadelphia, having a coverage expert like Littleton might not be such a bad thing.

If Roseman is looking for more of a reclamation project in free agency, he could take a swing at Danny Trevathan from the Chicago Bears. Having played for the Bears and the Denver Broncos, Trevathan has a wide variety of experience and would demand respect as a veteran. Trevathan played for two of the best defenses during the last decade, in the 2018 Bears and the 2015 Broncos.

The biggest issue for Trevathan has been his injury history. He missed 18 games in the last four seasons, which is no small amount. Turning 30 years old in March will also hamper his chances in free agency, as the Philadelphia Eagles may be looking to build this position for the future.

But there is no denying Trevathan has the skills needed to be elite, as he showed in 2018 he could still be formidable. Trevathan had nearly identical stats in 2018 as he had in 2015, the year his team won the Super Bowl. In 2019, he had a missed tackle rate of just 4.1 percent, according to Pro Football Reference.

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Trevathan made an average of $7 million a year in Chicago, according to Spotrac. If he is willing to take a pay cut next season, he could end up playing linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles next season.

2020 NFL Draft: The amount of draft capital Roseman uses this offseason at the linebacker position will be proportional to what positions are addressed during free agency.

Clemson linebacker/safety Isaiah Simmons will be long gone by the time the Philadelphia Eagles pick in the first round. But if for some reason he remains unselected by the middle of the first round, Roseman could be tempted to move up to select him.

Simmons played a type of hybrid position for the Tigers, a mix of linebacker, safety and slot cornerback. He was deadly in the role, racking up 104 total tackles in 2019, along with 3 interceptions, second-best in the ACC.

Simmons thrived by playing this hybrid position. He can blitz, drop into coverage, has great instincts and is an overall fantastic prospect in this year’s draft class.

The biggest obstacle to drafting Simmons will be his universal appeal. Several teams in the first half of the 2020 NFL Draft will be itching to bring Simmons onboard. That, combined with Roseman’s tendency to disregard linebackers in the early rounds, makes it difficult to foresee a scenario where Simmons plays for Philadelphia next year.

There are other linebackers in this year’s draft that could be appealing to the Philadelphia Eagles. Troy Dye was a four-year starter for the Oregon Ducks and looks like a carbon-copy of previous Philadelphia linebacker Hicks. He plays much more of a traditional linebacker role, compared to Simmons. But he is an excellent coverage linebacker, who is rarely misdirected by play-action and can cover opposing tight ends exceptionally well.

Dye played a majority of his snaps in the box in Oregon, which should suit the Philadelphia Eagles defense just fine. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz prefers his linebackers to be in the box, using an upfield and aggressive front seven formations to focus on stopping the run.

But as the defense’s DVOA has subtly dropped over the years, from fifth place in 2017 to twelfth place in 2019 (Football Outsiders), Schwartz may consider focusing more on coverage and less on run stopping.

Considering nearly every starting defensive back (excluding Malcolm Jenkins) may be replaced this off-season, the Philadelphia Eagles can no longer afford to be apathetic about coverage players. They will likely need at least one linebacker who can specialize in coverage. Dye or Simmons could be that player for several years to come in Philadelphia.