Philadelphia Eagles: Well Nathan Gerry, it’s certainly been… something
Ah Nathan Gerry, has the name of a Philadelphia Eagles player in recent memory been so… instantly provocative.
From his path to the draft as a high school track star-turned-college safety, to his initial release heading into his rookie season, to his eventual elevation to the practice squad a few months later, Gerry’s path to the starting lineup was about as improbable as they come, and his tenure in it was just as unlikely, all things considered.
Though the Eagles could have surely opted to bring back Gerry on a one-year deal if for no other reason than to maintain continuity at the linebacker spot heading into the 2021 NFL Draft, Jim Schwartz’s decision to quasi-retire effectively kiboshed that idea before it was ever realistically discussed.
No, after having been reportedly courted by a trio of AFC teams, Gerry has decided to pack up his belongings, kiss his Philly fam goodbye, and search for his next golden opportunity under the bright lights and exceptionally high rent costs of the City by the Bay.
I think I can speak for the vast majority of the Philadelphia Eagles fanbase in saying so long.
Alexa, play “See you again.”
The Nathan Gerry rollercoaster has come to an end with the Philadelphia Eagles.
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When the Philadelphia Eagles selected Nathan Gerry with the 184th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, no one really expected much out of it.
Sure, the 22-yer-old Sioux Falls, South Dakota native turned in a solid enough career as the Nebraska Cornhuskers’ in-the-box strong safety, amassing 273 total tackles, 19 passes defensed, and 13 interceptions over his 48 game tenure in Lincoln, but no one really expected that to translate to the next level, not in the modern-day NFL anyway.
But Howie Roseman saw something in Gerry’s tape when coupled with his impressive showing at the 2017 NFL Draft Combine, that he liked, and opted to select a player NFL.com projected to be a backup/special-teamer with the final pick in the fifth round – mere picks before actual safeties Chuck Clark, Xavier Woods, and eventual teammate Rudy Ford.
His plan? Convert Gerry to linebacker.
On paper, such a plan wasn’t a bad one per se. Gerry’s height and weight were in the 86th and 87th percentile according to Mockdraftables, and he’d spent the majority of his time with the Cornhuskers as an in-the-box coverage player anyway: Why not see if Gerry could bulk up to 230 pounds without losing his athleticism?
With undersized coverage linebackers like Deion Jones, Eric Kendricks, and Kwon Alexander being all the rage at the time as the league attempted to combat ever-evolving passing offenses, landing a player in that vein for the low-low price of a fifth-round pick felt like an opportunity worth pursuing, even if it ultimately didn’t work out.
Whether it ultimately did work out is up for interpretation, but with 46 games and 22 starts under his belt, the Eagles certainly got something out of a player they initially deemed too raw to make their 2017 opening day roster.
Still, Gerry persisted. He eventually cracked the 53 man roster as a practice squad call-up to replace Chris Maragos, logged 17 special teams snaps in Super Bowl LII, and earned his first NFL start the following season in Week 1 in place of suspended linebacker Nigel Bradham.
Gerry then went on to start a career-high 12 games for the Eagles in 2019 as the team’s starting strongside linebacker in place of Bradham, who had kicked inside to middle to replace departing free agent Jordan Hicks. Dubbed by many his “breakout season,” Gerry recorded two sacks, 2.5 sacks, and 78 total tackles – all of which lead the Eagles’ linebacking corps – and looked like the kind of player who could conceivably man the middle of the defense for years to come regardless of down, distance or personnel grouping.
That opportunity came the following season in a pivotal 2020 campaign that would effectively make or break Gerry’s tenure with the Eagles and his perception around the league.
Now the elder statesman of the linebacking corps following Bradham’s release, Gerry entered camp an unquestioned starter and was even given the honor of being Jim Schwartz’s ears on the field as the team’s defensive headset wearer.
What, dare I ask, could go wrong?
For better or worse, Gerry’s 2020 season was pretty indicative of the Eagles as a whole. He appeared in seven games with seven starts, was involved in some truly… memorable plays, and ultimately saw his season end prematurely with a one-way trip to IR – a trip that probably should have happened a whole lot earlier, considering he was reportedly playing on an injured Achillies all season.
Had Gerry not been injured, not been moved inside, and not been given expanded responsibilities in an offseason with limited organized team activities, maybe things would have been different. Maybe it would have been the Eagles proudly announcing Gerry’s signing on social media, and those interested teams would have instead entered into a bidding war to acquire recently released linebacker Kwon Alexander, who was similarly not retained by his home team following the 2020 season.
But instead, the Eagles allowed Gerry to test the open market and sign with San Francisco on a bargain bin one-year, $1.12 million deal, where he will likely contribute on special teams.
Next. Neville Hewitt gives the Philadelphia Eagles a new look at linebacker. dark
Ultimately, was Nathan Gerry’s tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles successful? I… I don’t know. Gerry played good in 2018, very good in 2019, and then not so great in 2020, which is why the team with the worst linebacking corps in the NFL allowed him to walk for nothing. However, if there’s one lesson the Philadelphia Eagles should take away from the “Nathan Gerry years,” it should be this: Drafting developmental linebackers is all well and good, but investing in top-tier linebacking talent is probably a good idea too.