Eagles Add a LB

With Paul Worrilow out for the year, the Eagles needed help at LB.

Roster Move: #Eagles have signed LB Kyle Wilson. Wilson attended Rookie Minicamp on a tryout basis.#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/7iu5ut5CEn

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) May 24, 2018

On the Seth Joyner to Ernie Sims scale, he’s much closer to The Shark, unfortunately.

Wilson was the MLB for Arkansas State and led the team in tackles. He is 5-11, 229. Put on the tape and you see some things to like. He is a wrap-up tackler. He’s got some pop when he hits. Physical player. He is patient and shows good vision. He fills well.

The problem is that he’s got stiff hips. Wilson can go hit what’s in front of him, but he can’t open his hips and go flying out wide. Check out his agility drills and you see that confirmed. His shuttle time of 4.75 and 3-cone time of 7.72 wouldn’t be good for an O-lineman that was 300 pounds. They’re absolutely horrible for a LB. Levon Kirkland from 2002 would have posted better numbers.

I wish him all the luck in the world and hope he proves me dead wrong, but he sure looks like a camp body.

*****

I wrote a piece for PE.com on the Eagles size.

Chip Kelly built big teams and then focused on playing fast. There is something of a logical gap in that thinking.

Doug Pederson built big teams and then focused on that size. He mixed in tempo at times, but used that as a tool rather than making it the foundation of his team. That is some pretty smart thinking.

Building a big, physical team isn’t enough.

I recently watched the All of Nothing series on Dallas. Very good. Time and again Jason Garrett talks about being physical up front. Dallas has a terrific O-line and run game, but that’s not enough in today’s NFL. You must be a good passing team. Not just play-action, but you must be able to throw the ball vertically and efficiently.

Andy Reid loved having a giant O-line. He then had them pass block 40 times a game. He wouldn’t commit to running the ball on a regular basis.

Pederson is somewhere between Garrett and Reid. Pederson has built a team that can physically overwhelm you, but also can sling the ball around. The highlight of the All or Nothing series for me came when LB Anthony Hitchens was doing prep work on the Eagles and said “Their receivers are always wide open.”

That’s not an accident, my man.

Pederson and his staff did a brilliant job of scheming and gameplanning. Pederson then did a great job of calling plays on gameday. Combine that with a huge O-line and physical RBs and you have an offense that was dominant for most of the year.

It also helps you bring home the Lombardi Trophy.

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