The biggest criticism of the Eagles front office stems from Howie Roseman not making the linebacker position a yearly priority for the roster.
When you have Roseman’s ability to land undrafted free agent talent on the cheap, big free agent signings or high profile draft picks sometimes aren’t that necessary. Roseman landed former Wisconsin star T.J. Edwards as an undrafted free agent last spring and it paid big dividends on special teams and late in the season.
Now according to Tim McManus of ESPN.com, Edwards could be preparing to take the next step as a player, thus forcing himself into Jim Schwartz’s starting lineup.
A 2019 undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin, Edwards fought his way onto the team and ended up starting four games his rookie season, finishing with 30 tackles.
The Eagles came away impressed with his instincts, his thump and his awareness in coverage. They believe he’s ready for an increased role and think he can be an impact player for them. They better be right. Philadelphia let Nigel Bradham and Kamu Grugier-Hill walk in free agency, and while they signed Jatavis Brown and spent a third-round draft pick on Davion Taylor, the amount of proven talent in this group is scarce. The opportunity is there for Edwards to grab.
Nate Gerry has been a consistent player for the Birds and should definitely find significant reps on the outside, but Edwards has the prowess and work ethic to definitely separate himself at middle linebacker.
Edwards will face competition from Jataivs Brown and Davion Taylor inside.
