More Pieces

Posted: May 3rd, 2019 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | Comments Off on More Pieces

There are different ways to look at building a good roster. You could think of it like cooking. A good dish needs a sprinkle of this and a dash of that. I have compared team building to a chemistry experiment, where you are looking for just the right combination to get just the right results.

You could also think of it as solving a puzzle.

On Friday, Howie Roseman added a couple of more pieces to the puzzle.

That is a pair of strong moves for early May.

I’m not telling you the Eagles just added Byron Evans and Wes Hopkins, but they got a pair of talented, experienced players at positions where the team needed some depth. These are the kind of signings you want to make in May.

Zach Brown is here to compete for the MLB job. He’s 29-years old and has started 74 games in his 7-year career. Brown has played for the Titans, Bills and Skins. He has played in the 3-4 and the 4-3. The Skins released him in March to save money. He may have also been let go for speaking his mind and not embracing every move and decision by the coaching staff and front office.

Brown has solid size. They list him at 6-1, 250, but I’m not sure he’s that heavy. Brown is a good athlete. He is a good tackler. There are times when he does a good job of taking on blockers and getting to the ball. Brown has some playmaking ability. In the last three seasons, he has 33 TFLs, 7.5 sacks, 4 FFs and an INT.

There are issues. Brown is up and down in coverage. There are times when he is all over a TE or runs right with a RB. There are other times when he gets a bit lost. Brown isn’t as good at diagnosing plays as you would expect a veteran to be. He also could do a better job of taking on blockers. He catches blocks more than you would like. Ideally a LB will use his hands to strike a blocker. He doesn’t want the blocker getting into his body. Brown lets that happen too much.

Here he is playing in the 4-3 in BUF back in 2016.

It will be interesting to see how the MLB battle shakes out. Brown is the front runner. Paul Worrilow can play MLB or OLB. L.J. Fort can play inside or outside. And there is UDFA T.J. Edwards (don’t call me TJ Adams!).

By claiming Countess, the Eagles are going back to the future. He was a sixth round pick back in 2016. Countess was disappointing as a rookie and got cut before the season. He found a home with the Rams, as a backup DB and key STer. Why was he cut?

Countess was going to be the #4 safety for the Rams and they wanted a cheaper player for that role.

Countess is a forceful hitter and solid tackler. I don’t have a feel for how good he is in coverage yet.

In Philly, Countess will be a backup as well. We know Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod will be the starters. Andrew Sendejo was signed to be the #3 safety. Countess would probably be the #4 guy as of now. There will be competition.

Tre Sullivan returns for another season and is a player on the rise. How much? We’ll find out. Deiondre’ Hall is back for Year 2, but did virtually nothing last year. The Eagles also claimed Godwin Igwebuike recently. None of these guys are anything special, but it is crucial to have competition.

Howie Roseman said after the draft that the team wasn’t done adding talent. You can bet that is true after Friday’s moves as well.

*****

Want to appreciate Roseman?

The Eagles aren’t going to sink a lot of money into LB. You are better off investing in the DL and secondary.

The team did pay big bucks to Nigel Bradham, but he’s surrounded by young players and cheap veterans. That is a smart use of resources.

_

Comments are closed.