A Word About Stewart Bradley

There seems to be a sense among Eagles fans that Chris Gocong and Stewart Bradley are two very different styles of linebacker.  A number of training camp reports remarked that Gocong looked a bit mechanical dropping back while Bradley looked far more natural playing space.  On the flip side, Gocong was good at taking on blocks and attacking the line of scrimmage, meaning he would do well in the run game right away.

Now obviously, this idea makes some sense, since Bradley's been playing the position for years while Gocong is a converted defensive end.  But this may be a case where our preconceived storylines are coloring our perceptions.  Check out one of the pre-draft scouting reports on Bradley (I'm cherry-picking a few points):

Positives: Has a developing frame that could add another 20 pounds for a possible move to rush end, with no loss in quickness … Plays the run with good stoutness at the point of attack, using his hands and upper body strength to stack and control … Has enough upper body strength to split double teams and clog the inside rush lanes … Holds his ground firmly at the point of attack and is active with his hands in attempts to shed … While he won't hesitate to take on blockers, his instincts let him make plays when unblocked due to his quick read-and-react ability, compensating for a lack of blazing speed …

Negatives: Lacks natural hands and fails to extend for the ball outside his frame (several pass deflections could have been interceptions, but he bobbled and double-caught the ball) … Can keep relationship with the tight ends and backs in the short area, but loses sight of the ball in flight and doesn't have the timed speed to mirror receivers past the second level … Eyeballs the quarterback too long working in the deep secondary, allowing the receiver to get behind him (struggles to recover when beaten) …

The whole report isn't quite that cut-and-dried, but it certainly makes it sound like Gocong and Bradley are more similar than they are different.