Eagles Reveal Big Role for Rookie Following Bye Week

The Philadelphia Eagles are 2-2 on the season. They are coming off a bye week where they had to make some tweaks to the roster ahead of a crucial Week 6 contest against the Cleveland Browns.

In Week 4, the Eagles had a disappointing 33-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They need to find a way to get some juice onto both sides of the ball. It's already been revealed that Cooper DeJean will start at slot cornerback in Week 6 but another rookie defender is set to emerge following the bye week.

Eagles News: Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is Now the Backup MIKE

When head coach Nick Sirianni spoke with reporters on Wednesday, he said that rookie linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is the backup MIKE LB.

"These aren't just things we make decisions on as far as no evidence. We practice every day and come to those conclusions in that aspect."

- Nick Sirianni

Trotter Jr. is the son of former Eagles legend Jeremiah Trotter, who played eight seasons with the Birds.

Trotter Jr. is an energetic and instinctive defender at the second level. He plays with terrific anticipation, which allows him to quickly find the ball. During his three collegiate seasons, he had 113 total tackles, 30 tackles for loss, and 13 sacks.

It's not a shocker that the Clemson product has moved up the depth charts, as the Eagles have linebackers have struggled this season. Zack Baun has a 61.4 overall grade and 56.5 run defense per PFF. Meanwhile, Nakobe Dean logged a 41.9 overall grade and 52 run defense according to PFF.

In combination, these guys have also missed eight tackles. Trotter Jr. is now one play away from being thrust into the starting lineup but he's earned the trust of the coaching staff. Things haven't been consistent for Philadelphia so they had to make some changes. This was one of them.

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