Eagles Outlook: ESPN thinks Roseman will target veteran linebacker to close-out the offseason

With OTAs around the NFL underway, the Philadelphia Eagles 2023 roster is all but set in stone. But as we know, Howie Roseman is always looking to add talent – regardless of the date on the calendar.

Looking at the roster as is, there aren’t many glaring holes at all. The only position that could use some extra love is linebacker, where the Eagles lost both of their starters from last season during free agency. Second-year backer Nakobe Dean is essentially guaranteed to snag one of those vacancies. As for the second starting spot, your guess is as good as mine as to who steps up and snatches it.

The leading candidate right now is 27-year-old Nicholas Morrow, whom Howie signed to a one-year deal during the free agency period. He had a career-year in 2022, starting all 17 games for Chicago while tallying a career-best 116 combined tackles. By Pro Football Focus’ standards, Morrow was still below average last season. He earned a 54.0 defensive grade, good for 64th among 81 qualifying linebackers.

In order to avoid any major let downs at the position, it would behoove Howie to add some more veteran assurance to his linebacker room. And that’s exactly what ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes he’ll do.

In a recent article of his, Barnwell went through all 32 teams and named one player each team should consider signing ahead of training camp. For the Eagles, he pointed to former second-round linebacker Myles Jack.

Why ESPN believes the Eagles should sign Jack:

We know general manager Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles aren’t going to spend much at inside linebacker. Philly lost both of its starters in Kyzir White and TJ Edwards, but the only replacement it has added to the roster is former Bears and Raiders linebacker Nicholas Morrow, who is on a one-year deal for just over $1 million. Nakobe Dean, one of the many former Georgia defenders on Philadelphia’s roster, is expected to move into a starting role after playing 34 defensive snaps as a rookie, but the Eagles could stand to add at least one veteran contributor to the position group.

Jack seems like an obvious fit. The 27-year-old was originally drafted by the Jaguars in 2016, and their general manager at the time was David Caldwell, who now works for the Eagles. Jack’s calling card has typically been his range in coverage, but his numbers haven’t been impressive over the past couple of years. He allowed passer rating marks north of 100 in his final season with the Jaguars and his lone year with the Steelers. Those teams paid Jack a combined $17.8 million over the past two seasons, but a big-money deal is not going to happen in Philadelphia or anywhere else in 2023.

If Jack wants to continue playing, though, the Eagles would be an ideal landing spot in terms of national attention. Philly’s deep defensive line should also help keep blockers off of Jack, giving him the best possible chance to make plays. Many Jaguars fans would argue that Jack was unfairly denied a chance to go to the Super Bowl, and going to the Eagles would give the linebacker his best opportunity to make one this season.

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Jack has never truly lived up to expectations as a former second-round selection. His best season came in 2017 with Jacksonville, where Jack posted a PFF grade of 71.7 while racking up 90 combined tackles and two sacks. Since then, he’s been pretty inconsistent. In his final year with the Jaguars in 2021, Jack posted the worst PFF marks of his career, finishing the year with an abysmal 37.7 defensive grade.

After signing with Pittsburgh last season, Jack managed to have himself a bit of a bounce back year, but his 53.6 PFF grade on the season still leaves a lot to be desired.

Nevertheless, he’s still an athletic backer and at 27 years old is still very much in his prime. He shouldn’t cost much either, as ESPN points out. The Eagles don’t prioritize the linebacker position at all, but whenever there’s an undersized, athletic backer who’s going to cost essentially nothing sitting there for the taking, Howie typically jumps at the opportunity.

It would be a low-risk, high-reward signing for both parties. If Jack doesn’t show much during camp, the Eagles can just cut ties and move on. If he showcases his athleticism and proves himself to be an asset for Sean Desai, Philly will keep him around and start him. Then, if Jack puts forth a solid 2023 campaign, he’ll be able to cash in next offseason.

I wouldn’t be shocked if this ESPN prediction actually comes to fruition before camp gets underway.

>> Read More: Eagles Outlook: PFF points to S Reed Blankenship as team’s biggest X-factor in 2023

Mandatory Credit: ESPN