Jordan Hicks had a great rookie year. Until he got hurt. Hicks suffered a pectoral injury and missed the final 8 games of the season. The Eagles went 3-5 in that stretch and allowed 38 or more points in half of those games. The team hadn’t given up more than 27 points in a game with Hicks in the lineup. That’s not all on losing Hicks, but he was a factor in the early success of the defense.

Hicks is healthy now and ready to be the Eagles starting MLB. Expectations are high, as long as he stays healthy.

“I’ve been encouraged by Jordan,” linebackers coach Ken Flajole said. “He’s a sharp young man. I think he likes the leadership role that he has to assume as the middle linebacker in this defense. His big deal is just staying healthy. I think he’s worked hard to do that. Hopefully he’ll have a great season and stay healthy. If he can stay healthy, I think he’s going to be ready to have a great year for us.”

What happens if Hicks can’t stay healthy?

The backup MLB for now is Joe Walker, who the team took in the 7th round this year. He’s been up and down this spring, basically looking like most rookies. You can see his talent, but also his issues. The Eagles will be taking a risk if they go into the season with Walker as the backup MLB. He’s new to the NFL. He’s new to the 4-3. And this isn’t exactly the easiest scheme on MLBs. The DL attacks rather than eating up blockers to protect the LBs.

Najee Goode is a veteran backup. He played ILB in the 3-4, but is more of a natural WLB in the 4-3. The Eagles could try him in the middle. Goode isn’t at his best when taking on blockers and playing in traffic. He is more effective when allowed to operate in space.

One option for the Eagles could be going after Stephen Tulloch.

Stephen Tulloch is officially on the Lions' roster, but he's done in Detroit. It's just a matter of when. https://t.co/1v6VynDAUS — ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) June 13, 2016

Tulloch will be hitting the market soon.

Should he be a target?

That’s a bit of a complicated question. The simple answer is yes, the Eagles should talk to Tulloch. The problem is that they need him as a backup and Tulloch sees himself as a starting LB. After looking at some depth charts, there are teams out there who could offer Tulloch a chance to start.

The Eagles could tell Tulloch he would be competing for a starting job here (and mean it), but it doesn’t take a genius to know the team wants Hicks on the field. Finding MLBs who can make plays isn’t easy and Hicks showed that ability as a rookie, coming up with a FF, 3 FR and 2 INTs. Hicks is also young and cheap so the team wants him to be the MLB.

Tulloch is 31 and about to play his 11th NFL season. He suffered a knee injury in 2014 and that affected his play into last year. The Lions took him out on passing downs and had Tulloch focus on run defense. That (and time to fully recover) helped bring out the best in him in the second half of the season. Tulloch is still a good 2-down LB. He diagnoses plays well. He can shed blocks. He is disciplined. Tulloch still tackles well and has some pop when he hits runners. Between the tackles, Tulloch is just fine.

Tulloch isn’t as effective when the ball goes outside or he has to play in space. He’s just not as athletic as he once was. Think of him as DeMeco Ryans by another name.

It is possible that the teams with “holes” at LB are trying to go the young/cheap route and wouldn’t have interest in Tulloch. If that is the case, the Eagles could be an interesting option for him. Tulloch was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in 2006. Their DC was some guy named Jim Schwartz. When Schwartz went to Detroit as head coach, he signed Tulloch as a free agent. Obviously those two have a good relationship.

Tulloch could also see Hicks durability as a reason to come to Philly. Hicks only played half of last season. He only played in 7 games combined in 2012 and 2013.

I could see Tulloch sitting tight for a while and waiting for some preseason injuries. That might give him better options that what he currently has. Tulloch is a smart, veteran MLB. He can learn a scheme pretty quickly. There is no need for him to run sign a deal with someone the minute he officially hits the market. He would be smart to take his time.

As far as the Eagles and the backup MLB spot, this is not a situation to worry about right now. The team needs to see how Joe Walker looks at Training Camp. If he struggles mightily, they need to make a move. If he’s better, they can roll the dice and stick with him as the backup. One thing you have to remember is that there are going to be weak spots on every team. Having a rookie as your backup MLB is very different than not having a LT or QB or CB.

I’ll be interested to see where Tulloch ends up and also who is the backup MLB for the Eagles. If I had to guess right now, I’d say Tulloch won’t be an Eagle and the backup MLB won’t be Walker. He feels more like a practice squad player right now, but we’ll see. The Eagles are going to give him a chance to show what he can do.

_