2012 NFL Free Agents: Why the Philadelphia Eagles Will Sign a Big-Name MLB

There were a number of reasons why a 2011 season that began with the Philadelphia Eagles being picked as a Super Bowl favorite by many ended with the Eagles watching the playoffs on television. One of those reasons was a run defense that was consistently gashed up the gut due to the Eagles' lack of any sort of reliable middle linebacker.

The Eagles quizzically began the year with rookie Casey Matthews starting in the middle, but it took about eight seconds to realize that the youngster was in over his head.

After that, the MIKE position in the Philadelphia 4-3 was a revolving door, with Matthews, fellow rookie Brian Rolle, journeyman Jamar Chaney and a guy named Milo from row six (okay—I may have made the last one up) all seeing time on the field with results that were mediocre at best.

That makes finding a middle linebacker a priority for the Eagles in the offseason, and luckily for them, the free agent class at that spot is Lake Superior-deep.

First, there's Curtis Lofton of the Atlanta Falcons, who tallied a career-high 147 tackles in 2011 and is just entering the prime of his career at 25. Lofton is a candidate for the franchise tag in Atlanta, but so is cornerback Brent Grimes. Furthermore, it's entirely possible that the Falcons will use the tag on the latter player, if only because cornerback can be a harder spot to fill and this season's free agent class there is thin.

However, Lofton will almost certainly command a fat long-term contract, and Philadelphia may just not have the wiggle room to make the numbers work.

If that's the case, the Eagles could make a run at 27-year-old Detroit Lions middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch. The former Titan has amassed over 270 tackles over the past two seasons and will likely be allowed to at least test the free agent waters given the large number of pending free agents the Lions have looming.

Tulloch will also likely be in the market for a multi-year deal after playing on a one-year contract in Motown last season. However, his price tag is expected to be significantly lower than Lofton's, both in monetary terms and the length of the contract.

D'Qwell Jackson of the Cleveland Browns is another option. Jackson returned after missing most of the past two seasons to post the second-most stops in the National Football League in 2011. However, reports seem to indicate that Jackson may be franchise-tagged, which makes him a less likely candidate than the others listed here.

The best fit for the Eagles, from both a football and financial standpoint, may well be the least known name on this list. Seattle Seahawks middle linebacker David Hawthorne managed to post 115 tackles last season, despite battling through a nagging knee injury. What's more, he is only 26 and the Seahawks seem to be in no big rush to re-sign him.

There are other names available, including Barrett Ruud of the Tennessee Titans, who could be had on the cheap after getting hurt and losing his starting job to Colin McCarthy a year ago. However, these players are the cream of the middle linebacker crop that are available in free agency in 2012, and it would absolutely be in the Eagles' best interest to acquire one if they want to contend for the NFC East title next year.

Their best bet, given the Eagles' relatively slim cap space, is likely to target Tulloch with Hawthorne as a fallback plan. However, regardless of which direction they go in, Eagles fans had best hope there's a new name in the middle of Philadelphia's 4-3 next year or their struggles against the run will almost certainly continue.