Don't underestimate how valuable Trotter's experience in a JJ defense will be to this young unit.
Jeremiah Trotter is back with the Eagles once again, as the team signed the 32-year old to a one-year deal. Jeff Garcia was released to make room on the 53-man roster.
This signing was really a necessity in my mind. Yes, Omar Gaither played a strong game against the Chiefs, but beyond him the Birds depth at middle linebacker is close to nil. Trotter may not be capable of playing at a Pro Bowl level regardless of how good his knee feels, but he should be able to make a positive impact on running downs and in the locker room.
This situation really is a win-win-win scenario for the Eagles, Trotter and Jeff Garcia. Several teams around the league are having QB issues (Josh Johnson is now the starter in Tampa…how long do you think that’ll last?!?) so Jeff should be able to find a job soon. Hell maybe even the Raiders would consider signing him; he HAS to be better than JaMarcus Russell!
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@GregDietz has a few concerns about bringing Trotter back…
“Can someone tell me why PHI signed Trotter? If they like Mays and Fokou so much why bring back Trot?Runyan would be a much more logical sign”
First of all, Moise Fokou is seen as a good prospect but he’s not ready for major playing time in the NFL. I believe the team is high on him long-term but not for an immediate heavy workload. As for Mays, he had every opportunity to seize the starting MLB job in camp and in the preseason but the team eventually handed the job over to Gaither. Joe just wasn’t getting the job done, plain and simple.
Trotter will help take some of the load off of Gaither, and he can be a valuable Jamie Moyer-like presence to help tutor some of the younger guys on the team (Jordan, Fokou, and Gocong immediately come to mind.)
As for Runyan, he isn’t here right now for two reasons. 1.) Winston Justice is really stepping up at right tackle and is playing like a solid starter. He appears to be finally living up to the pre-draft hype that followed him coming out of the University of Southern California. That makes brining Runyan back less of a necessity. 2.) I don’t think Jon is all the way back from the injury he suffered last season. If he was the Eagles may have brought him on to at least be a backup by now.
