Eagles May Have Their Answers At Linebacker and Safety
The Eagles came into Camp set at most positions. Even at positions like RB where we did not know who would take the lead role, we knew it would be 4 guys sharing the load. But there were two spots on the team, that seemed like a completely open battle for the starters. Safety and Linebacker.
At Linebacker we knew it would be Nakobe Dean. And likewise at Safety it quickly became clear Reed Blankenship would start. But at that other spot at each position, there was a starter spot available. Nicholas Morrow started camp in one of those spots at LB, but the Eagles soon brought in both Myles Jack and Zach Cunningham to compete with him. And Christian Elliss has come on at camp too, making it a 4-way race for 1 spot. Meanwhile at Safety veteran Terrell Edmunds is competing with former 4th round pick K’von Wallace and rookie Sydney Brown.
A couple of games in though, the answers are starting to become clearer. Not just because of how each of them have played, but how Nick Sirianni has deployed them in pre-season games. And to get some insight into which way Sirianni could be leaning, The Best Show Ever talked to Tim McManus.
Here were his thoughts on who the Linebacker next to Nakobe Dean will be:
“Cunningham has really come on. When he and Myles Jack got signed the same day, and then the first practice Jack got first team reps, it seemed like Jack was ahead of Cunningham in the pecking order. Now that has flipped. Cunningham has had some really good practices in a row. Being a disruptor in the pass game. Getting his hands on balls that have lead to interceptions. Then we see in the preseason game he is going into the backfield and getting a TFL, and was solid in coverage. He looks good next to Dean. It feels like the momentum is on Cunningham’s side right now to be the starter next to Dean.”
But then he had a name that may surprise Eagles fans as the other starter at Safety opposite Reed Blankenship:
“The one thing I would say, big picture, the Eagles want to limit the big play. So I think they will be more conservative when it comes to the safety spot. No plays over the top. How does Sydney Brown’s style fit in there? I think they want him to mature a little bit more, and figure out how to toe that line before they feel comfortable throwing him in there as a starter. The way I would see it is it will be Edmunds or Wallace who will begin as starter. With Brown gaining more and more time as the season goes on. Wallace throws you off a little bit, but I think he has been pretty strong so far. I wasn’t really expecting him to make a push. But right now if I had to say who I think will be the starter opposite Blankenship, I would probably go Wallace.”
You can listen to the full conversation with Tim McManus below:
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Stock Down- Kenny Gainwell
Gainwell’s spot and role on this team are likely safe. He was a force in the playoffs and was been solid overall in his first two years here. But after Swift impressed in game 1, Gainwell failed to do the same in his first chance. The safety is not all his fault, Sills let a free rusher get to him. But there was also some hesitation there that you just can’t have in a back-against-the-goal line situation. He also missed a couple of blocks and didn’t flash much when he got the ball. His role and job are safe but would have been nice to see him pop like Swift did.
(Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Stock Down- Myles Jack
Jack didn’t do anything bad per se last night. But we just did not hear his name much. He was one of the last Linebackers to get onto the field, which is not good for where he stands on the LB hierarchy for this team. They clearly have Cunningham and Elliss above him. And once he did get onto the field he did not do anything to stand out. His was the name that excited us most when the Eagles added him and Cunningham. But it is looking like Cunningham has the leg up on Jack a couple of weeks into their time here. And Elliss is outperforming him too.
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
