Philadelphia Eagles Acquire Linebacker Ernie Sims from Detroit Lions

In the Eagles' fifth offseason trade, they acquired linebacker Ernie Sims from the Detroit Lions in a three-team trade that also included sending a fifth-round pick to the Denver Broncos. The Broncos, in turn, sent tight end Tony Scheffler and a seventh-round pick to the Lions.

"I'm just real excited, looking for a new beginning...I'm ready to jump in," Sims said in a conference call with reporters. "I'm like a sponge right now."

Sims' role with the Eagles has yet to be determined, but it's possible he could play either WILL or SAM linebacker. Sims told reporters that he didn't have a set position in Detroit, as the Lions mainly played left or right outside linebackers as opposed to weak or strong side.

Sims also said that he has and can cover tight ends, an obvious weak spot amongst the Eagles current linebacking corps.

"Ernie Sims is an impact player at the linebacker position," said head coach Andy Reid. "He brings a lot of energy to our already energized defense. We are looking forward to adding him to our team."

My immediate reaction is that the Eagles got a great bargain in this deal. They get a guy who was a first-round pick in 2006 because of his incredible athleticism, but who was probably misused and lost in the shuffle in Detroit, for only a fifth-round pick.

A pick, by the way, that the Birds acquired from Cleveland in the Sheldon Brown and Chris Gocong trade (137th overall).

The Lions' new regime has been looking to move Sims for a little while now, so it's not a surprise that they decided to pull the trigger now when given the chance. Their move to acquire Scheffler, however, is a bit more perplexing considering they drafted Brandon Pettigrew in last year's draft.

But we'll leave that to the Lions' faithful to debate while we in Philadelphia get to feel good about pulling off a great trade for a guy with unlimited potential.

Sims is only 6'0'' and 230 pounds, so it's likely that he challenges Akeem Jordan at WILL. However, it wouldn't be surprising to see them throw him in at SAM and hope for the best. It will definitely be a training camp scramble to keep an eye on.