Making Sense of Philadelphia Eagles' Logjam at Inside Linebacker

When word came down that the Philadelphia Eagles acquired Kiko Alonso in a trade with the Buffalo Bills, it appeared DeMeco Ryans’ days in midnight green were numbered. Apparently, that might not be the case after all.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Ryans is expected back with Philadelphia in 2015, albeit possibly on a restructured contract. That’s interesting news, because in addition to Alonso’s impending arrival, the Eagles also have the talented Mychal Kendricks penciled in at interior linebacker.

Surely there isn’t room for three prominent players at a position that starts only two. What exactly is the plan here?

Good question, but plenty of speculation already exists that there is in fact an odd man out. How could there not be?

Obviously, conventional wisdom holds that Alonso is in the mix. After all, the Eagles are sending two-time All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy to acquire the 24-year-old linebacker. Chip Kelly is proving aggressive in his first offseason officially heading the personnel department, but it seems unlikely the head coach would acquire a player—out of Oregon, no less—only to package him in another deal.

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Alonso—6’3”, 238 pounds—has the potential to become a foundational piece of Philadelphia’s defense for years to come. His rookie line of 159 tackles, two sacks, four pass breakups, four interceptions and a forced fumble would’ve been an impressive season for a veteran at the position. The only downside at all is the ACL injury that erased his 2014 campaign.

Health questions aside, it isn’t hard to see the thinking behind the trade. In all likelihood, Alonso is here to stay for a long, long time.

Despite reports, Ryans’ future is far less certain. Even if he renegotiates a contract worth a whopping $6.9 million entering its final year, there’s no denying the wear on the tires. Ryans will be 31 and is recovering from his second ruptured Achilles, one of the more serious injuries in the business. Plus, and just being honest here, Ryans has never quite been an ideal fit as an every-down linebacker in a 3-4 defense.

That being said, Kelly made it perfectly clear way back in December that he wanted Ryans back. And what Coach wants, Coach gets these days. According Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com, Kelly said, "We need DeMeco, I'm a big DeMeco fan. As a group, he really sets the tone for everybody on the defense side of the ball.  So it's just a matter of getting DeMeco healthy again.”

Taken in conjunction with Rapoport’s report, it seems evident Ryans will in fact return. Granted, his days as an Eagle are still numbered based on simply being realistic about the plight of an aging veteran in his 30s, but the apparent plan for 2015 at least involves Ryans.

That leaves Kendricks, and don’t shoot the messenger in this case, but the situation does not look very promising for the impressive young linebacker entering his fourth season.

PLAYER	GMS	TKL	SK/FF	PD/INT
E. Acho	14	31	0.0/0	0/0
K. Alonso ('13, BUF)	16	159	2.0/1	4/4
B. Jones (GB)	13	18	0.0/0	1/0
M. Kendricks	12	83	4.0/3	3/0
D. Ryans	8	45	0.0/0	4/1

The basis for that cryptic line of thinking is the simple fact that the Eagles have yet to engage in contract talks with Kendricks, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract, per Jeff McLane for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Kendricks certainly seems worthy of an extension in my book with eight sacks, seven pass breakups, three interceptions and five forced fumbles in 27 games over the past two seasons, but what do I know?

McLane suggests the lack of negotiations as evidence Kendricks isn’t in the club’s plans, and as bizarre as that may sound, the information surrounding Alonso and Ryans seems a subtle clarification.

That’s not all. The Eagles have already signed Brad Jones from the Green Bay Packers, largely for his special teams contributions, no doubt, but also as depth at the position. Jones joins Emmanuel Acho, as well as Najee Goode and Travis Long coming off of injured reserve, as potential low-cost backup interior linebackers already on the roster.

And as if all of that weren’t enough, NFL draft insider Tony Pauline reported the Eagles had dinner with Clemson interior linebacker Stephone Anthony this week, indicating more fresh blood is on the way. How many bodies could the team possibly need?

Kelly’s issue with Kendricks is unclear. While there are no official reports, murmurs on Eagles Twitter suggest he could be a major piece in a trade up in the draft for Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota. The lack of progress toward a new contract in addition to other circumstances certainly suggests something is up with such a promising young player.

If that were the case, it would certainly explain a lot, but at this point it’s nothing but pure, unbridled speculation. One thing seems definite: There isn’t room for all three.

Either the Eagles part with Ryans over age and contract concerns, or they move Kendricks, it seems. The best bet in this case would be to dump the aging veteran, if you ask me, but don’t be surprised if Kendricks ultimately winds up on the move as part of some elaborate trade.