Should the Eagles trade for a linebacker? | Early Birds

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The Birds have completed more than a week of training camp and have only a few more days of practice before they play their first preseason game. Monday’s practice starts at noon -- a later start than normal because of Sunday night’s open practice at Lincoln Financial Field -- and is scheduled to last just an hour and a half. Tuesday’s two-hour and ten-minute workout begins at 9:15 a.m. And Wednesday is just a walkthrough in preparation for Thursday night’s game against the Tennessee Titans at 7:30 p.m. at the Linc.

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— Jeff McLane (earlybirds@inquirer.com)

Howie Roseman is never afraid to pull the trigger on a trade. The Eagles general manager has pulled off more deals than other NFL executive over the last decade. And Roseman isn’t afraid to make a move during the preseason. He’s conducted 26 trades during the last ten years. The most notable one was shuffling Sam Bradford off to Minnesota for a first round draft pick three years ago.

Roseman won’t likely come close to anything quite as NFL-shattering. But he does have depth at certain positions and now lacks enough talent at linebacker following Kamu Grugier-Hill’s knee injury Saturday. Grugier-Hill will be back at some point during the season. If he’s out for a maximum of eight weeks, he may miss only three games. It could even be less. But there a lot of question marks at linebacker, especially with Nigel Bradham still not completely back following foot surgery.

Nate Gerry has been consistently running with the first team. He’s a capable guy, but he’s still unproven. Zach Brown took Grugier-Hill’s spot Sunday at practice, but it’s not like he’s done anything yet to earn it. Signed to a one-year contract this offseason, Brown has a lot of playing time on his resume. But there was a reason he was still on the market as of May.

L.J. Fort was acquired early in the offseason, but it’s unlikely he’ll make anyone forget the departure of Jordan Hicks. The rest of the linebacker group hasn’t stood out, although preseason games will give us a better indication of who may contribute this season. Roseman is likely waiting for a game or two before seriously making calls.

I bet other teams are reaching out about the Eagles’ cornerbacks, receivers and offensive linemen. The Eagles have five or six starting-caliber corners, but three are currently injured: Ronald Darby, Jalen Mills and Cre’Von LeBlanc. Who would trade for an injured player? I could see Mills being available, especially if Sidney Jones, Rasul Douglas and Avonte Maddox take the next leap. But he could be the furthest from a return.

Some have speculated that receiver Nelson Agholor could be dealt for the right return. He’s in the last year of his contract, and the Eagles drafted J.J. Arcega-Whiteside to seemingly be his replacement. But I haven’t seen enough from the rookie to say that he can come in right away and play anywhere near Agholor’s level.

The Eagles have historically devalued the linebacker position. Many fans don’t like it, but it’s just not one of the more important positions on defense, especially with Schwartz using more nickel and dime personnel. Roseman may just roll with what he has. But if he does make a move, I can’t imagine it will involve parting with a big name. There will be a lot of movement around the league in a month. He could possibly find a linebacker on the waiver wire.

Bobby, thanks for the question. There was a lot of hype about Jordan Mailata last year. And it’s easy to see why. He’s huge. He’s athletic. And who doesn’t want to see an Australian rugby player become the next Anthony Munoz? But the reality is that Mailata always had a long road to playing in the NFL, let alone starting at left tackle. The Eagles’ drafting of Andre Dillard in the first round in April wasn’t exactly a slight to Mailata, but it put his chances in context.

I think the Eagles still like Mailata. It’s hard not to. He’s a great guy. And he tries hard. But as this summer’s training camp has showed, he’s still very much a work in progress. So to answer your question, no, I don’t think he’ll be ready to take over at left tackle next year. That will be Dillard. He may even take over for Jason Peters this year. And Lane Johnson isn’t going anywhere at right tackle.

But if Mailata can develop into a competent reserve, I think the Eagles will take that. If he becomes more, all the better. It’s still too early to say how it’ll all turn out.