I put a poll yesterday asking how people felt about the release of Jeremiah Trotter. Overwhelmingly, most people responded that they didn't like the move presumably because they like Trotter as a person, but understood the move based on his play on the field and unfortunate physical decline. Honestly those are my own feelings. I'm sad to see #54 leave, but at the same time I saw how he played last year. I know it had to happen sooner or later.
It appears that this sentiment was echoed throughout the media this morning.
Mark Eckel says it's A sad day, a correct decision
When the Eagles re leased Jeremiah Trotter before the 2002 season, it was a mistake. One they corrected two years later, and went to the Super Bowl because of it. Yesterday, as Trotter got his release again, it was the right thing to do.
The sad truth in this move is that Trotter not only isn't the Pro Bowl middle linebacker who at one point in his career was the second- best to Ray Lewis at his position in the game, he isn't even the best middle linebacker on the Eagles anymore.
Bob Ford reminds us of the truth that no pro athlete wants to hear, Even stars can't put up a defense against age
In the end, it flew better than Trotter, whose ancient knees left him unable to play middle linebacker any longer in the National Football League. That was how head coach Andy Reid and defensive coordinator Jim Johnson saw it, anyway, and the Eagles released one of their most popular players, inside and outside the locker room.
Rich Hoffman makes it sounds as if the guy died. Trotter's passage isn't that shocking
the honest, unvarnished personality . . .
it all endeared Trotter to a football city. It makes this hard. But, to repeat, this is surprising but not shocking. It was there in the numbers, at least the hint of the issue.
The Morning Call says, Decision hurts, but it may help
Trotter is, quite simply, not the middle linebacker he once was. Playing on knees so bad that he claims to have never passed a physical, he was never much in pass coverage. And the team obviously wasn't in love with the way he was playing the run, once his forte.
So the Birds showed him the door. In the process they sacrificed leadership and whatnot, but that's the way it goes. The NFL is an unforgiving place, where lifetime achievement awards are not usually given out.
As Dawkins said, ''Everybody's time card is going to be punched out at some time.''