The Men In The Middle

Before the preseason, the Eagles had one of the best young linebackers in the game. Going into the preseason, the Eagles are stuck with having to find a replacement for Stewart Bradley, who tore his ACL during training camp. The Eagles, who go up against the New England Patriots tonight, have a lot of positional battles going on. Whether it is the battle for the 3rd Running Back spot between Eldra Buckley and Lorenzo Booker, or the battle for Defensive End where a slew of players are contending, the Eagles’ coaching staff and management will be focusing on the Middle Linebacker spot. With Bradley out for the season, the Eagles will begin the process of finding a replacement tonight, in their first live game of the season.  

The Middle Linebacker battle has a bunch of players fighting it out to take over the spot, but there are two legit players who can take over the role. First, we will look at Joe Mays, and then Omar Gaither.  

Joe Mays

Coming into his second season, Mays (pictured) feels he is already capable of taking over the Middle Linebacker job. Last year, Mays had a phenomenal preseason, finishing with 30 tackles, putting him at the top of the charts for defenders. Mays never got a chance to prove himself during the regular season, but if he can put up another terrific preseason, Mays can secure his spot as the #1 Middle Linebacker on the team. 

The North Dakota State product will be the starter going into tonight’s game against the Patriots. Mays will get to show his talent against a high-powered offense, and if he can put up a solid effort tonight, expect Mays to continue getting the start at MLB throughout preseason.  

Omar Gaither

Unlike Mays, Gaitherhas had a chance to prove himself in the NFL. The 6’2", 25 year old linebacker has put up pretty good stats in his young career. Back in 2007, Gaither finished the season with 135 tackles, but last season Gaither had a sub-par performance in the beginning of the year, and lost his job to Akeem Jordan.  

 In the first preseason game tonight, Gaither will be behind Mays on the depth chart, but he will get a good amount of time to prove himself worthy to the coaching staff. He has a good shot tonight to put up monster numbers, especially since he will go up against the second team offense of the Patriots, but Gaither will need to show he can play with the starters next week.  

The Rest

 Besides Mays and Gaither, the rest of the middle linebackers are going to try to fill in the rest of the depth chart, and find a spot on special teams. Charleston Hughes, who was signed this off season, is one of these guys who is contending for a backup role and a spot on special teams. Hughes is a rookie to the NFL, but has past experience in the Canadian Football League.  

Another rookie who is looking for a job on the Eagles is Moise Fokou. Selected in the 7thround, Fokou has been a surprise at training camp this year. He has looked brilliant thus far, and he will be a player to watch in tonight’s game.  

Other than Hughes and Fokou, the Eagles’ other significant MLB contender comes in the form of recent signing and former Charger Matt Wilhelm. A veteran in the league, Wilhelm was unexpectedly cut by the Chargers this off season, and has totaled 171 career tackles in his 6 year career.  

With the Eagles’ opening preseason game just hours away, we are all excited to get our first look at the team in a live game. As fans, we tend to just watch the game as it comes, and follow the action. But if you can get a chance, try to keep an eye on the Middle Linebackers and the other positional battles during the game, so you can make your own conclusion of who you think will secure a spot on the team.   Go Eagles!!