Speaking of Predictions

Remember this one:

Igglesblog -- 6/21/07
You heard it here first, next year's starters at linebacker will be Gocong (SAM), Bradley (MIKE) and Gaither (WIL). 

You can click the link if you want to read the rest of the post that started me down the Chris Gocong path, but for now that's the important part, because Bob Brookover has an amazingly candid interview with Jim Johnson in the Inquirer today during which Jim says:

"I'm optimistic," he said. "I felt good at the end of the year. I felt good about our linebackers coming around. Stewart Bradley showed he could play at middle linebacker. Omar can play the middle or outside backer. Chris Gocong, Akeem Jordan, I really like the way they played. Takeo Spikes, coming off that [shoulder] injury, I think he'll be fine..."

"I think it's going to sort itself out," Johnson said. "The biggest thing is how fast Bradley can handle the middle linebacker. We'll still probably use Omar [at middle linebacker] in certain nickel situations. I just feel like it's a situation we haven't had before. I feel like I've got some guys I can move around. I can move Omar from strong-side to weakside or middle linebacker. He's an experienced linebacker," Johnson said.

"Jordan showed me he's a good football player, and he can help us in nickel situations if he doesn't start. Takeo . . . I think he'll know the system better and feel more confident, too. I'm not worried about who's going to start or where they're going to start. I just like the depth in the rotation."

Wait, what?  Johnson will "probably" still use Gaither in the middle sometimes?  That's quite a change for a guy Eagles coaches have been praising for his work in the middle since he first took over for Jeremiah Trotter before the beginning of last season. 

None of this is that surprising, of course.  It's just how the Eagles do business.  Old guys move out, young guys move up. 

The interesting question though is how you divvy up snaps for four (or more) linebackers across three positions.  Especially because one guy is about to see his role get expanded:

"I think Gocong is going to play more in nickel situations like he did at the end of the year," Johnson said. "We'll probably do more things like that. When you have good athletes on the field like Chris, you have a guy who can spy the quarterback because he's got that kind of speed. He can be a rush guy or a guy who can drop into coverage."

Even the Gocong doubters had to realize that by the end of the year he had a much more significant role in the Eagles' defense.  However, I think Jim's blowing a little smoke here.  Yes, the Eagles will probably play some of that 3-4 / 3-3 look they gave to the Pats last year, but Gocong is a linebacker, he's not a defensive end.  The folks who think he's going to be playing a lot with his hand on the ground next year are going to be disappointed.  Especially when you consider that's the one phase of his game Johnson cited for improvement:

"I think he can get better at rushing the passer. We're going to work with him a lot in the off-season on just rushing the passer."

Which is really good because for a guy who led the country in sacks when he was in college, Gocong didn't look like much of a polished pass rusher last year.

But what about Spikes?  If Bradley is the starter in the middle and Gocong remains the starter at the strongside, then you've got two guys at one position over on the weakside.  It's certainly not bad to have that kind of depth ... but if you're Spikes, you have to feel a little nervous right now that Johnson is talking up all the young guys and almost offhandedly mentions that you'll be "fine." 

It would be great for Johnson to have the flexibility that all those players would provide, but I'm not sure Joe Banner and Andy Reid are going to be willing to pay $5 million to a part-time guy.  In some ways, I think TKO's situation is dependent upon what the Eagles manage to pull off in free agency.  If they're out there spending some big bucks, his cap room could come in handy.  If they lose out across the board and things stay status quo, then maybe he's got a better chance of hanging around.

Kind of like how things are working out with Jevon Kearse:

Eagles sources say that the team's most disappointing megabucks free-agent signing won't be cut loose until the Eagles are sure they have a replacement.