In the absence of Najobe Dean, the Philadelphia Eagles know that they need to have a strong succession plan in place if they want to keep their defense among the elite in the playoffs.
For defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, that means potentially choosing between a veteran like Oren Burks and a fifth-round rookie in Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
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While Burks will remain the expected starter moving forward for Philadelphia in their divisional round matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, the Eagles today made it clear that the rookie could see the field as well.
“We’re not afraid to put him (Trotter) in there,” Fangio said. “I think Trott’s got a good future, and that future may be now. He’s got good instincts and really likes the game. He’s smart, he’s got a lot of good qualities.”
The Clemson product tallied 25 tackles this season in a special teams role but did record 11 tackles in the team's Week 18 win over the New York Giants.
During that win, Trotter graded out highly in pass defense which could lead Philadelphia to throwing the rookie out there in a playoff matchup.
While it would be something of a gamble, the Birds know they need someone to step up in Dean's absence.
Eagles fans are all wondering the same things here ... like ... Could the son of an Eagles legend be that answer?
Two decades ago, Jeremiah Trotter Sr. stood up to lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl. The organization is now hoping his son could do the same in his very first year with the club.
