LB Moise Fokou was a guest on Eagles Live today. Dave Spadaro asked him to describe what position he plays and what his role is. Fokou said he is the WLB. He said that in the new scheme his primary function is to be a run defender. He’s inside the DE and is almost like another ILB.

Jamar Chaney will also line up inside the DE. The difference is that he’ll be to the side of the TE. Chaney was put there to use his speed to help cover TEs. That’s been a weak spot over the last couple of years. The Eagles think that Chaney runs well enough to stick with athletic TEs. Obviously he’s not as tall as you’d prefer, but rarely do you have big LBs that run really well.

Fokou said that he is up to about 242 pounds. He’s got a big upper body. He should be a good run defender this year. He’s our most physical LB and sheds blocks the best as well. My only concern is if he’s enough of a playmaker.

I can’t remember if I’ve made mention of this before, but I wonder if the Vikings defense is something we’re borrowing from. They drafted Chad Greenway, who most considered a WLB, and put him at SLB so that he could cover TEs. They took Ben Leber, a traditional SAM, and put him on the weakside. That alignment has worked well for the LBs and the Vikings.

As for depth and evaluating the LBs overall, practice only tells you so much. We really need to see them in games. I’ve not been overly impressed with Keenan Clayton so far, but I’ve seen him show up in real games. He did some good things in the win over Indy and in the playoff loss to Green Bay. I know Keenan can play in the NFL. I still have hopes that he will be a good situational LB, if not a starter. I talked yesterday about Akeem Jordan playing well. I’ve got hope for him.

Beyond those two is where things get iffy. Greg Lloyd is the backup MLB. I’m not overly comfortable with this. Rashad Jeanty could help with that role, but he’s not been a standout so far at SAM. He’s now running with the #3 defense at that spot. Rookie Brandon Peguese is the #3 MLB. He’s had some good moments in camp. I’m curious about him.

My hero Brian Rolle is the #3 WLB. I haven’t seen enough of him to have an opinion so far. I hope he shines in the PS games and pushes for a roster spot, but he might have to settle for the Practice Squad this year.

Thursday night is going to be huge for the young LB corps.

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The Eagles released their first official depth chart today. Here is the link for anyone who missed it. This was put together by the coaching staff. This isn’t just some piece of PR work.

That said, don’t make too much of this. Jason Babin is the #2 LDE. He’s been in practice for 4 days (including today). Juqua Parker has been here for years. Babin will almost certainly be the starting LDE.

I wonder how much of this is done to help with potential trades. The Eagles could decide they want to deal Parker. If he’s listed as the starting LDE, that could help you in negotiations. The same might be true for Trevard Lindley. He’s listed ahead of some players that I’m not sure he’s truly ahead of.

Obviously, the real key to a lot of this is that the coaches have yet to see the players in a game. The team has now had 8 or 9 live practices. That’s it. Some young guys and new guys are still getting worked into the lineup. The depth chart to pay attention to is the one heading into the 3rd preseason game, and then of course the one heading into the opener. Those DCs will give you a more accurate idea of what the coaches are definitely thinking/feeling.

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DeSean is at afternoon practice. It’s just a walk-through so he’s basically standing around like everyone else. It will be great to see him in action on Tuesday morning. The CBs have looked good so far, but now they’ll have a real test. DeSean is faster than any CB and knows how to get open. *** OOPS. The Eagles won’t practice on Tuesday. Day off. Wednesday is game prep. Thursday is the game. Friday is recovery. Saturday then becomes the next practice day.

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Danny Watkins seems to be improving each day. He held his own today in 1-on-1 drills. Watkins is adjusting to quick DTs. He’s tenacious. He gets his hands on a defender and isn’t going to let go until he’s forced to.

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There was some discussion about whether Colt Anderson has a roster spot locked up, mainly due to his STs ability. Nothing is guaranteed, but I’ll be very surprised if he’s not on the final roster. Colt was the best STs player last year. Kickoffs are being moved up and that should lead to more touchbacks. There still will be some KOs that get returned. Punts are still an issue. Colt has definite value. The only way I’m not keeping him is if some Safety greatly outplays him or Colt fails to show up in games.

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Is Trevard Lindley in danger of being cut? I think so. This is partly on Lindley and partly due to circumstances. We added 2 elite CB talents in NA and DRC. We added Curtis Marsh in the 3rd round. Those 3 are definites. Asante Samuel, barring a great trade offer, is a lock. That’s 4 CB spots locked up.

Joselio Hanson is a good slot corner. He’s got limited upside, but can contribute now. Brandon Hughes is a player the Eagles seem high on. Then you have Lindley. The coaches listed him high on the depth chart, but he’ll need a strong preseason to keep his job. Yes, the Eagles did just spend a 4th round pick on him, but that doesn’t guarantee anything. We’ve got a new DC and CBs coach since then.

I’m not writing Lindley off or calling him a bum. With an injury or two he could be a key player for the 2011 Eagles. Part of the point in putting together a strong roster is cutting good players, guys you don’t want to get rid of. Back in 1999 we had a hard time finding 50 guys to keep. I couldn’t wait to see other teams cuts so we could maybe find some talent.

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Surprise cuts? Mike McGlynn on offense. Lindley on defense. I’m not hearing enough good things about either player and neither one has caught my eye.

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WR DeAndre Brown was cut today. We’ve talked about him a bit. Huge guy with potential. Looked good in 1-on-1’s, but I wonder how well he did in team drills. You must run crisp routes and make sharp cuts to get open in the NFL. Just being big isn’t enough in the NFL.