Philadelphia Eagles: Get to know linebacker Dannell Ellerbe
After losing Jordan Hicks for the season with an Achilles’ injury, the Philadelphia Eagles have found a new linebacker to man the middle. Meet Dannell Ellerbe.
The Philadelphia Eagles have finally found a replacement for the man in the middle.
After losing Jordan Hicks for the season with a torn Achilles’ tendon, the team has plodded along with their next man up mentality, but realistically it seemed virtually inevitable that a replacement player would need to be acquired, either by trade or from free agency to improve the linebacking core’s depth.
And after signing free agent Dannell Ellerbe, it looks like the team has done just that.
While far from a guarantee to start for the team in their Week 10 game against the Dallas Cowboys, Ellerbe brings a veteran presence with super bowl experience who, much like Chris Long, and LeGarrette Blount, could give the team some much needed short-term experience at a position of need.
But who is Ellerbe? Let’s get to know the newest Philadelphia Eagle, and see if he can help the team to finally take the next step towards title contention.
The Joe Douglas connection
After playing his college ball at the University of Georgia, Ellerbe was not selected in the 2009 NFL Draft, largely due to his a knee injury that limited his production in the during his senior season with the Bulldogs. He did, however, catch the eye of a young regional scout in the Baltimore Ravens‘ organization by the name of Joe Douglas, who ultimately brought him into the club shortly after the draft culminated.
While every team in the league passed on selecting the Hamlet, North Carolina prospect multiple time during the draft, Douglas saw a player with good instincts and a lot of fire and made a signing that wound up paying immediate dividends for his team.
Related Story: How will Philadelphia Eagles approach Ronald Darby’s return?
Even though Ellerbe only logged 14 starts in the purple and black, he became a key component of the team’s 2012 playoff campaign, and even lead the team in tackles with nine in their 34-31 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII.
Many in Charm City assumed that Ozzie Newsom and company had found the heir to a then-departing Ray Lewis‘ at middle linebacker, but unfortunately for the Ravens, Ellerbe’s improved play priced him out of the team’s market.
Feeling Fishy
After his breakout 2012 campaign with the Ravens, Ellerbe flew the coop to South Beach and parlayed his unique skill set into a 5-year, $35-million deal with the Miami Dolphins.
After playing weakside linebacker in the Ravens’ 3-4 base defense for four seasons, Ellerbe was handpicked to play middle linebacker for the Dolphins’ 4-3 defense, with incredibly mixed results. When he was on, Ellerbe looked like a defensive difference maker, capable of imposing his will on anyone willing to venture between the tackles, but unfortunately for everyone involved, he just couldn’t stay healthy.
Related Story: Philadelphia Eagles: Winning in the trenches is what makes team so special
After starting a career-high 15-games for the Fins in 2014, and recording his first 100-tackle season as a pro, the former Georgia Bulldog missed all but one game in 2015 due to a hip injury, a move that would signal that his time in the sunshine state was nearing an end.
After the season ended the Dolphins’ brass traded Ellerbe, and a third-round pick to the New Orleans Saints for speedy fifth-round pick Kenny Stills.
Scheme Flexibility
After missing the entire 2014 season due to a hip injury, Ellerbe was never able to establish himself as a full-time player for the Saints.
Now playing weakside linebacker for the Saints’ 4-3 defense, Ellerbe only appeared in 15 out of a possible 32 games for his new team but played fairly well when he was on the field. 2016 saw the veteran linebacker burst onto the scene as a legitimate pass rusher, recording four sacks in only nine games of action, but unfortunately, his season would again come to a premature end, finding himself on IR for the second time in three seasons.
And that would be the last time the former Bulldog would suit up for the Saints in the regular season. After failing to pass his physical before training camp, the team cut loosing the eight-year vet in their final cuts and he remained undrafted until the Eagles signed him following their bye week.
Related Story: How will Philadelphia Eagles approach Ronald Darby’s return?
In Ellerbe, Jim Schwartz is getting a versatile player who has had success at multiple positions in multiple schemes. He’s recorded three interceptions, 12 passes deflected and 10.5-sacks over his first eight seasons in the league, and has shown that he can be a difference maker when healthy.
Since the Eagles already have a pair of talented linebackers in Mychal Kendricks and Nigel Bradham, Ellerbe will likely be deployed as a part-time player in the Eagles base-defense and could serve as a major upgrade over former 7th-round pick Joe Walker. His ferocity and intensity, when mixed with extensive in-game experience, makes Ellerbe an ideal thumper who should make Schwartz’s run defense even more dangerous than it already is.
Next: Carson Wentz’s Top 10 plays of 2017 so far
While he alone may not be enough to put the Eagles over the top, his presence on the team should be a key addition down the stretch.