Breaking Down the Philadelphia Eagles' Options at Outside Linebacker

With all the discussion surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles’ huge needs in the secondary and possibly under center, one potential hole has gone largely overlooked so far this offseason. Who’s starting opposite Connor Barwin at outside linebacker in 2015?

Is that person even on the roster?

Well, let’s see. Trent Cole is still under contract, but with a cap figure set to balloon to $11.6 million, according to Spotrac, the soon-to-be 33-year-old’s future in Philadelphia is far from certain.

Brandon Graham’s deal is up, and while the team opened negotiations as far back as December, the two sides were not particularly close on money. And the Eagles did use their first-round draft pick on Marcus Smith in 2014, but seeing as he barely saw the field as a rookie, it’s difficult to imagine he’ll be ready to take on a full-time role.

So, maybe?

Maybe not.

PLAYER	GMS	TKL	SK	FF
C. Barwin	16	64	14.5	2
T. Cole	15	52	6.5	3
B. Graham	16	47	5.5	4
M. Smith	8	0	0.0	0

Cole has expressed a desire to retire an Eagle, which means he’s willing to renegotiate his contract. However, the organization stands to save over $8 million with the two-time Pro Bowler’s departure, so unless Cole is willing to accept a massive pay cut, that may not come to pass.

Plus, the fact of the matter is it’s about time the Eagles seriously consider replacing Cole in the starting lineup. Sure, he’s an excellent run defender, is rarely out of position and is a leader on and off the field. Unfortunately, his 17.5 sacks over the past three seasons leave something to be desired from a pass-rusher.

Graham would seem a natural replacement, only keeping him in Philly could prove challenging. The former 13th overall pick had a career year of sorts in ’14, registering 5.5 sacks and four forced fumbles, which are strong numbers considering he played just 43.1 percent of the club’s defensive snaps, according to Football Outsiders.

Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

But as Derrick Gunn for CSNPhilly.com reported back in December, Graham is in search of a big payday. The Eagles were said to offer a four-year extension worth $6.2 million per year with $11 million guaranteed. Graham is looking for $30 million total over four years, $20 million guaranteed.

Obviously, both parties are playing the game right now. That being said, you can’t blame the Eagles if they don’t cave—who knows how Graham would fare as a full-time player. Likewise, you can’t blame a 27-year-old for taking the best offer that’s out there, as it’s almost certainly his one opportunity to do so.

Where problems really start to arise is if neither Cole nor Graham is retained. What then?

Ideally, Smith would take over, but there’s just no way the Eagles can count on that. The Louisville product was a healthy scratch for half of ’14. In the eight games he did dress out, he failed to register a single official NFL statistic. It’s almost as if his rookie season never happened.

Obviously, a full offseason in an NFL conditioning program should help Smith bulk up from his list weight of 251 pounds, and he’ll be functionally stronger in year two. Then again, the idea that he’s suddenly going to be able to go toe-to-toe with left tackles is a little far-fetched.

One possibility is Barwin could switch sides and take over the “predator” position that’s been manned by the Cole/Graham platoon the past two seasons, and Smith could slide into the “jack” role. In 2013, Barwin was utilized a lot more in coverage than as a pass-rusher, a situation that might help Smith ease into a job.

That’s asking a lot of both Barwin and Smith, isn’t it?

PLAYER	GMS	TKL	SK	FF
C. Barwin	16	64	14.5	2
T. Cole	15	52	6.5	3
B. Graham	16	47	5.5	4
M. Smith	8	0	0.0	0

Honestly, the Eagles may need to look to free agency to solve this crisis. Fortunately, there should be some options there. Washington’s Brian Orakpo, Jason Worilds from the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pernell McPhee from the Baltimore Ravens are just a few of the names that could be available when the marketplace opens on March 11. Stay tuned.

Regardless of who re-signs or which free agents walk through that door, the Birds may want to consider using an early draft pick on an outside linebacker as well. As the old saying goes, you can never have too many pass-rushers, and at least sitting here in February, Philadelphia may not have any beyond Barwin.

The best-case scenario likely involves the Eagles coming to terms with Graham, renegotiating with Cole AND either signing some mid-level free agent or adding a draft prospect. Of course, all of that is probably easier said than done.

The reality is the Eagles are facing some difficult decisions at outside linebacker. And while they have plenty of options, not one of them appears to be a sure thing at this point in time.