For several seasons, the Eagles have been in dire need of an upgrade at linebacker.

It’s been over a decade since the Eagles have had a star-caliber LB on their defense, and with Howie Roseman’s mindset, it likely will be a while until it happens again.

Alex Singleton has helped to fix some of the Eagles’ issues over the middle over the last two seasons but is heading to free agency this off-season. Luckily for Philadelphia, the 28-year-old is a restricted free agent, so it’s likely he will be back in 2022.

Singleton struggled heavily to start the season but found his groove after regaining his starting job over injured Davion Taylor. The Eagles’ captain is the definition of a streaky player. In the same season that he broke the franchise record for tackles in a season with 137, he also allowed the 4th most receiving yards by a linebacker with 684 yards.

However, these issues in pass protection forced the Eagles to use Singleton in other ways that proved to be effective. Jonathan Gannon implemented more blitzes over the second half of the season, and Singleton was often the 5th rusher. He proved to be great in the role, forcing seven pressures alongside three QB hits.

Alongside his blitzing efforts, Singleton is a great special teams player and has made several big tackles for this team.

Despite the praise, Alex Singleton isn’t built to be an effective starting MLB in the NFL. Unless he drastically improves his coverage skills, it will hinder this defense. But with his tackling skill and ability to cause pressure, he’s a great special teamer and depth piece for this team.

It’s likely his price won’t be too high this off-season, so I’d expect the Eagles to bring back Singleton for cheap in free agency to help them next season.

Mandatory Credit: National Football Post