Trent Cole Injury: The Eagles Defensive Line a Real Concern

According to ESPN, Trent Cole would miss the next two weeks with a right calf injury. Cole suffered the injury in Sunday's loss versus the San Francisco 49ers. This latest injury puts the already-struggling defense in a real tough situation.

The Eagles have already seen Juqua Parker, Darryl Tapp, Victor Abiamiri and Brandon Graham miss time. All these players are defensive ends, leaving the position with only Jason Babin completely healthy. Abiamiri and Graham are on injured reserve and will miss the entire season, while both Parker and Tapp missed the game versus the 49ers.

Trent Cole is an important part of the Eagles defensive game plan. Philadelphia runs a wide-nine formation, where the defensive ends are split wider than normal. The defensive ends are expected to create the pass rush, as this scheme rarely involves blitzing.

Losing Cole, means that more pressure will fall on the shoulders of Jason Babin. He is the only remaining defensive end with really good pass rushing skills. Babin can expect to see increased attention. Darryl Tapp doesn't have the quickness to effectively replace Cole, while Parker is a better fit as part of the rotation.

This Eagles defense has really struggled to stop opposing offenses. They have had major problems stopping the run, allowing around 140 rushing yards per game. A lot of this falls on the shoulders of the linebacking corps. However, the defensive line needs to do a better job at the point of attack. Cole isn't a great run defender, but he is able to penetrate and disrupt.

Cole's absence is going to impact the freshness of the defensive line. Having one less player in the rotation will impact their play in the 4th quarter. The Eagles may be looking at adjusting their game plan, as the defense will only decline without Cole.