The reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles will open training camp in the coming weeks, as they prepare to defend their title and make another deep playoff run.
It won’t be easy for the Eagles to pull off the feat, as they are the hunted and went through a ton of changes on the defensive side of the ball. However, Philadelphia restocked at those positions and hopes that guys are ready when their name is called.
One of the positions that the Eagles added to this offseason was linebacker. Philadelphia made it a priority to re-sign All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun, which they did to the tune of a three-year, $45 million extension.
Then, in the NFL draft, the Eagles took Jihaad Campbell in the first round and Smael Mondon in the fifth round. Philadelphia might need to depend on both rookies plus second-year linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr., with Nakobe Dean still recovering from a devastating knee injury.
Nonetheless, the Eagles’ depth at the MLB and WLB spots leaves a lot to be desired. If head coach Nick Sirianni and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio aren’t pleased with what they are seeing in training camp, they should consider giving former Eagle Kyzir White a call.
Former Eagle Kyzir White Should Be on Philly’s Radar Ahead of Training Camp
Surprisingly, the former Eagles defender is among the several veterans sitting in free agency, waiting for a call or training camp invite from a prospective team.
The 29-year-old defender spent the last two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, led by former Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. White was a starter with the Cards, playing in 11 games in 2023 and 17 in 2024.
In his lone season with the Eagles, White was a solid addition as he thrived in Gannon’s system and gave Philadelphia an adequate option at a position they usually neglect. The veteran had 110 combined tackles, seven pass deflections, three tackles for loss, three QB hits, and 1.5 sacks.
Last year, White was a tackling machine, racking up a career-high 137. He also had nine tackles for loss, eight quarterback hits, three pass deflections, 2.5 sacks, and an interception. But when you look at his PFF grades, it paints a different picture of the former Eagles’ performance.
White posted a 49.4 pass rush grade (155th among 189 eligible LBs), a 32.0 coverage grade (174th), but a 73.0 run defense grade (50th). Simply put, the vet was good at stopping the run, but wasn’t good at getting after the quarterback or defending the pass.
If you are the Eagles, that might make you a little bit hesitant, especially seeing how Dean and Baun were used in Fangio’s system. You've got to be able to cover and make plays in front of you.
White didn’t do that in Arizona, but maybe with Fangio’s tutelage, the Eagles could help the vet improve in those areas. The 29-year-old linebacker wouldn’t be a starter, but could provide solid depth on a one-year deal in a unit that’s very thin going into camp.