Could This Be The Year?

Jerry Robinson is the answer to a common Eagles trivia question. Who was the last off-the-ball linebacker the team drafted in the first round? That seems hard to believe when you remember special players like Seth Joyner and William Thomas were Eagles draft picks. You have to go all the way back to 1979 and Mr. Robinson.

Crazy.

The Eagles were not going to spend the sixth pick in the draft on a LB. There was zero chance of that happening. It probably won’t happen at 12, but it is at least a discussion worth having.

We don’t know a lot about Jonathan Gannon and the scheme he’s going to run. We can look at the Colts and Vikings for some hints since those were the places where he did most of his NFL learning. One thing each team had was playmaking LBs.

The Vikings spent the 9th pick in 2014 on Anthony Barr to give them a big, athletic LB who could rush the passer, cover TEs and make plays. Barr has stayed with the team since being picked and he’s been a good player. He helped the team to have the #1 defense in the league in 2017 and reach the NFC title game (no word on what happened that night).

The Colts spent the 37th pick in the 2018 draft on Darius Leonard to give them a playmaker in the middle of their defense. Leonard has been to a pair of Pro Bowls. He’s got 7 INTs and 15 sacks. He has been a major playmaker. The Colts had the #1 defense for part of 2020, but struggled down the stretch and finished 8th in yards allowed.

The Eagles do not have any player remotely close to Barr or Leonard.

Alex Singleton is the best LB on the roster. He plays hard and he’s fun to watch, but Singleton isn’t anything close to a difference-maker.

There is one elite LB in the draft, Micah Parsons from Penn State.

I don’t think the Eagles will take Parsons, but if there was ever a time to go for a LB early, this just might be it. Parsons is big, fast and athletic. Check out these numbers from his Pro Day.

https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1375112879268114435

He has the size to be a SAM. He can stack and shed like a MLB. He is athletic enough to be a WLB. Parsons can do it all.

One of the hallmarks of the Vikings defense is the double A-gap mug look. This is where you put two LBs right over the center. Jim Johnson did this a lot when he ran the Eagles defense. This gives you the option to blitz both LBs, blitz only one or have them drop back. Offenses aren’t sure what will happen and it can slow them down. It helps to have LBs that are good blitzers and/or pass rushers.

Catching up on Pro Day results…#PennState LB Micah Parsons (6-foot-3, 246) —

Testing numbers confirm what we see on tape.

Explosive traits. Second-level range. Pursuit speed. And the short-area burst to close. @NFLMatchup pic.twitter.com/ttP9yLVDt8

— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) March 25, 2021

Parsons had five sacks in 2019 (he sat out 2020). He is a force when he blitzes up the middle. He’s got the athleticism to shoot gaps and wreak havoc. In the clip you can see that he’s got the size, strength and skill to beat blockers when someone is in his way.

Parsons can fly around the field and make plays all over. He has the potential to be really good in coverage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pALaLOjXZ1U

I’m sure a few of you will say “Tommy this is all great, but LB just isn’t worth that pick. Why even waste time with this discussion?”

There is some truth to that, but I wonder if the playoffs will have people re-thinking things a bit. Devin White was a monster in the postseason.

White had 12 tackles, an INT and a couple of TFLs in the Super Bowl. He looked like the best player on the field at times. White had 15 tackles and a fumble return in the NFC title game. He had 11 tackles, a FR and an INT in the divisional win over the Saints. He was taken 5th overall in 2019.

Parsons is a better prospect than White.

The big issue is possible character concerns. We don’t know everything that is being talked about behind the scenes. NFL teams each employee former law enforcement officers and have them research certain draft prospects. NFL teams don’t what to know about rumors. They want facts. They want to know what a kid did or didn’t do and the circumstances around those events.

Parsons talked about making mistakes in his past, but says he hopes teams judge him on who he’s become. I hope he is changed. We’ve all done dumb things and you don’t want that to follow you forever. At the same time, I’ve also sat across from a draft prospect and had him sell me on how great a kid he is, only to find out later that he was full of shit. This is just like any job interview. People want to get hired. They will lie to you with a huge smile on their face, trying to convince you that you’re bringing in the next Saint Francis of Assisi.

NFL teams will do a lot of research on Parsons to find out who he was and who they think he is. Parsons is saying the right things. He got his degree from Penn State. He’s got some notable people vouching for him. Maybe he has grown up.

If the character stuff checks out, Parsons would be great value at 12. He would immediately give the Eagles a playmaker in the middle of their defense. He and Singleton would give the Eagles a good pair of LBs. And you would have young players like Davion Taylor, T.J. Edwards and Shaun Bradley behind them. That would be a pretty interesting group.

*****

One player won’t be coming back.

As @JClarkNBCS reported earlier, former #Eagles LB Nate Gerry has agreed to a deal w/ the 49ers. I was told a pair of AFC teams were also interested but Gerry chose SF because of the opportunity for more playing time, and the potential to start.

1-year, $1.12 million, per source

— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) March 27, 2021

There were a lot of jokes about Gerry’s departure on Twitter yesterday. He was terrible in 2020. SF has done a good job of developing LBs in recent years. Maybe they can get Gerry back on track. At the very least, he could be a good STer for them.

*****

Matt Alkire posted his thoughts on players the Eagles could target at 12.

Matt didn’t list Parsons, likely due to character and the Eagles avoiding LBs early.

He did talk a lot about CB and DE. Good stuff, so be sure to check it out.

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