2012 Free Agency Report: LBs and Special Teams
This is the 6th in a series of posts taking a look at how the Eagles could address different positions in free agency, starting March 13th. Enjoy!
Finally, we come to linebacker. Casey Matthews, Brian Rolle, Jamar Chaney, Moise Fokou, and Akeem Jordan combined to form one of the worst linebacker corps in NFL history last season. The Eagles have never placed value on the linebacker position, relying on veteran castoffs and late-round rookies, but the defensive scheme had been able to mask their deficiencies in the past. However, the advent of the Wide 9 in 2011 was the Eagles’ undoing on defense. The tradeoff of pass rushing for run defense was ruined by the linebackers’ horrendous play. Eagles fans probably still have nightmares of Michael Turner, Brandon Jacobs (!), Ahmad Bradshaw, Frank Gore, and Fred Jackson (among others) sprinting through the defense. The company line at LB simply will not do this year. Ideally, the Eagles would acquire 2 new starting linebackers and hold a competition between Matthews, Chaney, and Rolle for the other starting spot, but even 1 new linebacker would be wonderful. Fortunately for the Eagles, this year’s free agent class is one of the best in recent memory at the linebacker position. Here are some of the options the Eagles could (and should) look at in free agency for an upgrade at one or more linebacker slots:
1) London Fletcher (WAS): I know Fletcher is 36, but he just keeps getting it done. Last season he had a whopping 166 tackles to go along with 1.5 sacks, 3 FF, and 2 INTs. Fletcher is a tackling machine who can rove sideline to sideline. He is above-average in both pass coverage and the run game. But Fletcher would also bring intangibles to the Eagles. He would instantly step in as the vocal leader of an Eagles defense that has been missing that sort of vocal presence since the departure of Brian Dawkins. While Fletcher will draw a lot of interest from Washington, he should consider Philadelphia. The Redskins, despite the blockbuster deal that will likely net them Robert Griffin III, are probably still a year or two away from serious contention. With an improved defense, the Eagles are Super Bowl contenders this year. That has to appeal to Fletcher, who has played for some poor Redskins teams the last few years. Acquiring Fletcher would transform the Eagles defense while simultaneously dealing an enormous blow to the defense of a division rival. The Eagles should do everything in their power to sign Fletcher, and hopefully the interest is mutual.
2) Stephen Tulloch (DET): Tulloch was one of the bargains of free agency last year, as the Lions scooped him up on a 1 year, $3.25M deal. Tulloch had 111 tackles, 3 sacks, and 2 INTs last year. Even better, Tulloch has played in a Wide 9 scheme his entire career: Tennessee (with Washburn) up until last season, then with Detroit. Tulloch knows the ins and outs of the system, and understands the pressure that the Wide 9 puts on linebackers in the run game. While he will probably command a higher salary this season than he received last year in free agency, the Eagles would be very wise to sign Tulloch. He’s only 27, is coming off another stellar season, and should be entering the prime of his career.
3) Curtis Lofton (ATL): Lofton has been the anchor of the Falcons’ defense the last few seasons. However, with the recent signing of Lofa Tatupu to a 2 year contract, Lofton is about to hit the free agent market. He is another sure tackler, racking up 147 of them last season along with 1 sack, 1 FF, and 2 INTs. He can play the run and in coverage, and would instantly transform this Eagles defense. He is only 26, and would be a great piece to build around for years to come in the center of the defense. He is a very similar player to Tulloch, but Tulloch’s experience in the Wide 9 gives him the edge over Lofton. Either one would be a great signing by the Eagles to upgrade the inside linebacker spot.
4) Dan Connor (CAR): Connor is a Penn State alum, and another great product of Linebacker U. He filled in admirably for the injured
Jon Beason last year, piling up 75 tackles for a terrible Panthers’ defense despite starting only 11 games. With Beason set to return from his torn Achilles’ tendon, Connor figures to leave the Panthers in free agency this year. He’s another talented, young linebacker (sensing a theme?), as he’s only 26, and would be a great fit for the Eagles on defense with his versatility, as he can play both inside and outside linebacker.
5) David Hawthorne (SEA): Hawthorne accumulated 115 tackles, 2 sacks, and 3 INTs for the Seahawks last year despite playing much of the year with a nagging knee injury. He’s only 27, and has performed at a very high level for the last couple years. Not to sound redundant, but he’s a young linebacker who would be an instant upgrade in the middle of the Eagles’ defense.
6) Erin Henderson (MIN): All the linebackers ahead of Henderson thus far have been inside linebackers because the ILB position is more important than OLB in a 4-3 defense. However, Henderson had another above-average year for the Vikings, totaling 70 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 2 FFs on the weakside for a bad Vikings defense. He’s only 26, and would be a massive upgrade at WLB. However, signing him would still leave a hole at MLB that would still need to be addressed.
7) Leroy Hill (SEA): Hill is a weakside linebacker who can play the run and the pass. He had 89 tackles, 4 sacks, and a FF in Seattle last year. He’s been injury-prone for much of his career, which should be a red flag for teams interested in him, but he stayed healthy for all of last season. The 30 year old would be a massive upgrade at WLB, however, as previously mentioned, the MLB spot would still need to be taken care of.
8) Larry Grant (SF): Grant is a restricted free agent. However, he was only tendered for a 7th round pick. The Eagles can sign him (if San Francisco doesn’t match) and only give up a 7th round draft choice to the 49ers. Grant had limited playing time last season, but he had 39 tackles, 2 sacks, and a FF in only 3 starts in relief of Patrick Willis. With Ahmad Brooks locked up to a long-term deal, Patrick Willis and Navorro Bowman entrenched as starting linebackers, Alex Smith a free agent, and the 49ers needing upgrades at WR, they don’t figure to match a contract offer for Grant. A 7th round pick is an extremely low price for the Eagles to pay for the 27 year old Grant, who could turn out to be a spectacular player. This would be a low-risk, high-reward signing for the Eagles, and would be a great move if paired with one of the other linebackers in this class.
9) Manny Lawson (CIN): Lawson was seen as a draft bust in San Francisco, where he was a 3-4 OLB, but he had a career renaissance in Cincinnati as a 4-3 WLB, where he had 52 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He’s an above-average run defender, but he struggles in pass coverage. If the price was right, bringing him in to shore up the run defense would be prudent, but he’s not an elite talent like many of the other linebackers in this class.
10) EJ Henderson (MIN): Henderson, the older brother of the previously mentioned Erin, bounced back from a horrific leg injury a few years ago to put up 109 tackles, 2 sacks, and 3 FFs in the middle of the Vikings defense. He’s much better in run support than in coverage, but he could be a nice signing on a 1-year as a veteran presence. He’s 32, however, and the aforementioned leg injury has to worry teams a bit before they decide to sign him.
Other options for the Eagles at LB:
Joe Mays (DEN): Former Eagle; excellent run defender but gets lost in pass coverage very easily; would be a good 2-down ILB but there are much better options on the table.
Rocky McIntosh (WAS): Struggled to adapt to the 3-4 defense in Washington; is a much better fit in a 4-3; very talented; will probably come cheap since he’s coming off a down year; would ultimately hurt a division rival by signing him.
Barrett Ruud (TEN): Was an elite LB in Tampa Bay in 2009, but had a down year in 2010; didn’t draw much interest in free agency last summer and consequently signed a one-year deal with Tennessee to replace the aforementioned Tulloch; had a subpar season last year, but would be a low-risk, high-reward signing; clearly has some talent; could be paired with another free agent linebacker to upgrade 2 LB spots at a fairly low price.
A quick note on special teams: I didn’t know where else to slot kickers and punters, so I decided to put them here. The Eagles won’t do anything at kicker this offseason, as Alex Henery had a very good year last year as a rookie despite the 2 misses against the 49ers that cost the Eagles that Week 3 matchup. Chas Henry, another rookie, had a mediocre year, however, and could be easily upgraded. Mat McBriar was injured for most of the year last year in Dallas, but he’s still a very good punter who would be an improvement for the Eagles while hurting the hated Cowboys. Other options in free agency are Donnie Jones of the Rams and Dave Zastudil of the Cardinals. Signing any of these 3 punters would be a smart move by the Eagles, but there’s no sense in overpaying a punter, unless he’s an elite punter out of the Shane Lechler-Andy Lee mold. If one of these veterans can’t be had for cheap, it makes more sense to re-sign Henry or look for a punter in the incoming draft class.