Philadelphia Eagles: Oregon’s Troy Dye could be the guy at linebacker

With a deceptive need for improved coverage on opposing tight ends, the Philadelphia Eagles should strongly consider drafting Oregon linebacker Troy Dye.

Trading LeSean McCoy for Kiko Alonso will surely go down as one of the most unpopular trades in Philadelphia Eagles history.

How could it not be? McCoy is one of the most popular players in franchise history, the Eagles’ all-time leading rusher, and will all but surely have his number retired when his storied career comes to an end. Trading him for anyone, even a franchise quarterback, would have been a tough sell for the fans who crowd the Linc’s parking lot week-in and week-out.

Trading McCoy for a coverage linebacker from Oregon? What was Chip Kelly thinking?

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So needless to say, the prospects of adding another big, coverage linebacker from Oregon may bring up some memories of He Who Shall Not Be Named, but it really shouldn’t. The Eagles drafted Joe Walker in the seventh round of the very next draft (2016), so clearly Howie Roseman doesn’t hold ill-will towards the House that the Chippa’ Built.

Which is good, because Troy Dye may be the best fitting linebacker in the 2020 NFL Draft for the Eagles’ scheme.

Not the best overall linebacker mind you, that honor belongs to Isaiah Simmons, but Dye comes in as a clear number two in one very specific category: Covering tight ends.

Measuring in at a, shall we say, unique 6-foot-4, 231 pounds, Dye came to Oregon as a three-star safety, but transitioned to linebacker as a freshman and went on to have a storied career as a four-year starter in Eugene. In 48 games of action, Dye amassed 391 total tackles, 41.5 tackles for a loss, 13 sacks, five interceptions, and 14 passes defensed, all the while remaining a steady presence in the middle of the Ducks’ defense.

Dye was a four-year starter, which in and of itself should be enough to peak Roseman’s interest.

Now some may say Dye is a tweener, a 23-year-old weakside linebacker too slight of build to be able to take on the run in the NFL, and in a lot of ways, that logic is sound. Even at 231 pounds, Dye would be the lightest linebacker on the Eagles’ roster – which is never a good thing when he would also be the tallest linebacker on the team – and his physicality won’t make anyone forget about Brian Urlacher anytime soon. Still, if you need a bigger ‘backer who can take on a tight end in coverage, there he is your dude outside of the top-10.

While it’s far from the team’s most pressing need, the Eagles really don’t have a player on their roster capable of bodying up on a 6-foot-7 monster of a man across the middle of the field. Check out the team’s Week 12 loss to the lowly Miami Dolphins of you need a reminder, as the Birds’ ‘backers made average-at-best former PSU pass catcher Mike Gesicki look like a star.

Nathan Gerry is a solid coverage linebacker – certainly the best left on the Eagles’ roster after their linebacker purge – but he’s pretty much maxed out his frame at 6-foot-2, 230 pounds. Gerry is also at his best when he can freestyle in zone, or matchup one-on-one against running backs, not tight ends. If paired up with a bigger backer like Dye, who can cover tight ends and mix things up as an occasional blitzer, the Eagles could create a pretty darn impressive linebacker duo, or have the perfect in-house replacement for Gerry if he fails to pan out as a full-time starter.

Despite a general lack of top-end, every-down linebackers in the NFL – especially after Luke Kuechly retirement – players who can cover sideline-to-sideline are still in high demand and are paid handsomely for their services by extension.

Need proof? Look no further than LA Rams-turned-LV Raiders linebacker Cory Littleton, a player who actually compared very well to Dye coming out of college. Like Dye, Littleton came out of a Pac-12 school (Washington) as a 6-foot-4, sub-230 pound linebacker, except with less impressive coverage skills. He went undrafted after a four-year college career, signed with the Rams, and slowly blossomed into one of the better coverage linebackers in the NFL.

Littleton is now the proud owner of a three-year, $36 million contract in large part because of his ability to fill the very role Dye projects into as a pro.

Heck, even Alonso is still gainfully employed as an NFL linebacker all of these years later, as a part-time player with the New Orleans Saints. A linebacker who can match up on tight ends is very valuable.

With the cheapest linebacking corps in the NFL, Howie Roseman would be wise to invest a Day 2 pick – practically a King’s ransom based on his track record with the position – on a linebacker who fits into Jim Schwartz‘s scheme. Troy Dye fits his scheme right away, could probably start right away, and fills a needs right away as a matchup piece against the top tight ends the NFL has to offer. What more could a team ask for from a, say, third-round pick?