Eagles middle linebacker Stewart Bradley is out for the season after tearing his ACL in the “Eagles Flight Night” scrimmage.
Obviously this is devastating news for the Birds. Bradley is an up and coming star and a leader on the defense. He looked excellent in camp up to this point as well.
Even worse, the Eagles now have no depth at inside linebacker. Joe Mays is next on the depth chart and while he is a physical specimen he has no real starting experience. Omar Gaither started 15 games in the middle in 2007 after Jeremiah Trotter was released, but it is hard to know what to expect out of him after he played his way out of a starting job last season.
Either way the Eagles will probably have to add someone to the roster for depth purposes. It’s slim pickings out on the free agent linebacker market but there are a few options the Birds could look into.
Derrick Brooks is still avalaible, and while he is clearly past his prime he would help make up for the lack of leadership in Bradley’s absence. You have to wonder though why he hasn’t been picked up yet and if that is a sign he is near the end.
Napoleon Harris is another name with plenty of starting experience, but he’s more well known for being part of the Randy Moss trade to Oakland than for being a good linebacker. Also, like Brooks, there are questions as to how much he has left in the tank.
The Eagles will inevitably be looking at their options over the next few days, but at this point their only hope is that Joe Mays steps up and becomes something more than just a guy with potential. He certainly has some big shoes to fill.
