Philadelphia Eagles: Keep an eye on linebacker Dante Olsen

Following Jatavis Brown’s surprise retirement, UDFA linebacker Dante Olsen could end up playing a role for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020.

Heading into the 2020 NFL season, the Philadelphia Eagles arguably have the weakest linebacker group in all of football. Former college safety Nate Gerry and 2019 undrafted rookie TJ Edwards headline the group, with free agent signing Jatavis Brown initially slotting is as the primary backup.

However, Brown just straight up retired on Sunday, completely out of nowhere. While he wasn’t necessarily being projected as a “starter” in Jim Schwartz’ defensive back heavy scheme, he was undoubtedly consider an important depth piece. Should Gerry or Edwards had gotten injured, Brown would have likely been the first one off the bench.

The Eagles could totally turn to the free agent market in search of a cheap veteran LB in an attempt to replace Brown. In fact, I don’t think it would surprise anyone if Howie Roseman swung a last second deal with someone, as he’s done many times in the past. However, if the Eagles would rather shy away from signing another aging linebacker, they could turn to an internal option.

Rookies Davion Taylor and Shaun Bradley may be the first names who come to mind when you think of LBs already on the roster. However, both are expected to need some serious developmental work before being ready to contribute on defense (Taylor will likely see plenty of special teams action in 2020).

The other main option, and the option I want to focus in on today, is that of undrafted free agent Dante Olson. A name most fans likely aren’t familiar with, the former Montana linebacker was the only UFDA linebacker that the Eagles signed this offseason, earning $10,000 in guaranteed money.

Olson was an absolute tackling machine in college. He broke Montana’s school record for tackles in a season with 151 in 2018, and then broke it again in 2019 with 179. Olson lined up primarily as Montana’s starting middle linebacker, proving most useful in the run game and laying hits across the middle of the field. He finished his collegiate career with an eye-popping 330 tackles through 25 games.

While Olson was one of the best run defenders in the country last year (top-three finalist for FCS Defensive Player of the Year), he did show a little bit to be desired in the passing game. Despite boasting one of the best verticals in NFL linebacker history, Olson’s overall lack of athleticism and specifically speed held him back in the passing game. This is a flaw that could see him struggle in Schwartz “position-less” defense.

Olson’s ceiling isn’t as high as Taylor’s or Bradley’s, but when it comes to playing the linebacker position, Olson has the most experience playing it a high level. He understand run concepts extremely well and has shown the desire to get better as a pass defender. Standing at 6-3 and 240lbs, dealing with the physicality of professional football likely won’t be an issue as well (this is a concern for Taylor, who is undersized). Olsen also has a good amount of experience playing special teams, which is something the Eagles have really valued from their linebackers in the past (see: Kamu Grugier-Hill).

The Philadelphia Eagles rarely sign an undrafted rookie without a plan, and Olson is no exception. The team knew their LB group was weak, and having the former Montana linebacker as an insurance policy was likely something they put serious stock into. While he’s not the perfect fit in the Eagles scheme, Olson very well may have seen a role carved out for himself following the retirement of Brown.