Is there room in crowded Eagles' linebacker room for Taylor?

[time2rock]

Is there room in crowded Eagles' linebacker room for Taylor?

 

 

 

Reuben Frank

EAGLES INSIDER

Davion Taylor isn’t thinking about playing time, roster spots or the depth chart. 

Not yet. 

For now, he's working together with the linebackers he'll be competing with this summer trying to help raise the level of the entire group.

"Right now, we’ve been trying to just get better as a group,” Taylor said as OTAs wrapped up last week.

"I haven’t really thought about my role, what my role’s going to be when the season starts. I feel like that’s going to play out. 

"So right now we’re all just really helping each other as individuals. I feel like if we help each other get better as individuals, we’ll get better as a group. You never know how the season may go, so we all need to just be ready to go at any time."

Taylor was limited to just nine games last year after suffering a knee injury in the first quarter of the Week 11 win over the Saints at the Linc.

He had played fairly well in six starts after replacing starting linebacker Eric Wilson, who was released. But even though the injury wasn’t expected to be season-ending, we never saw Taylor again.

"It was frustrating not being able to come back on the field because my biggest thing was trying to come back at least for the playoffs or something like that,” Taylor said.

"But as I was rehabbing I saw I wasn’t going to be ready so it was really just a decision by the trainers and myself to try to just make sure I’ll be back for OTAs and be ready to go then.

"It was very disappointing because I realized I was starting to get better, my processing was getting better, my movement was getting better, so the biggest thing coming off that injury was making sure I started off where I left off. 

"It was a setback but it let me hone in on my fundamentals during the offseason when I started healing back up.”

Since he got hurt, Taylor’s off-ball linebacker position has gotten much more crowded.

The Eagles signed Kyzir White, who is mainly a weak-side linebacker, and drafted Nakobe Dean, who is working at both weak and middle.

Taylor said he’s been working at both spots as well as he goes into Year 3.

"Whatever I have to focus on just to make sure I know the playbook,” he said. "Because I feel like last year I was able to master it for the most part. So now it’s being able to learn multiple positions. Because I don’t want to be focused on just one position because you never know how the game may go. I may have to move to a position at the last minute and I want to be able to know what I’m doing.”

Taylor said he’s learned a lot watching White, who’s going into his fifth year, and said he’ll worry about competition when the time comes.

"We all know we’re going to compete, but he’s a vet, he’s been in the league longer, so I ask him questions about things he’s seen that I probably haven’t seen,” Taylor said. "It’s helped me a lot.”

That really goes for all the Eagles linebackers. 

Taylor said they’re a close-knit group, focused on helping one another learn and grow and develop.

"We’re helping each other out,” he said. "When the time comes I know we’re going to have to compete, but right now it’s about getting better as a team and getting better as a group.”

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/davion-taylor-not-concerned-where-he-fits-eagles-crowded-linebacker-room

[UK_EaglesFan89]

I'm not sure he's going to make the roster due to his injuries and I think lack of real development... I could be wrong though as he was a third round pick only a couple of years ago. 

[Outlaw]

23 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

I'm not sure he's going to make the roster due to his injuries and I think lack of real development... I could be wrong though as he was a third round pick only a couple of years ago. 

A couple of those LB spots come down to ST play. I think they keep:

Reddick (duh)

White (duh)

Dean (duh)

Edwards (solid backup at MLB)

K Johnson (Reddick backup)

for sure.

If they keep 6 LBers, that means the competition for the last spot is P Johnson, Taylor, Elliss, Fayad, Bradley, Stevens. I have to think Taylor has the best potential out of that group.

[weko]

Such a terrible 3rd round pick.  A developmental LB whatever that is supposed to be other than a guy who can't play LB.  I wonder if this was another bad Jeff Lurie pick.  Good thing Jeff removed himself from player selection.

[time2rock]

On 6/16/2022 at 3:20 PM, Outlaw said:

A couple of those LB spots come down to ST play. I think they keep:

Reddick (duh)

White (duh)

Dean (duh)

Edwards (solid backup at MLB)

K Johnson (Reddick backup)

for sure.

If they keep 6 LBers, that means the competition for the last spot is P Johnson, Taylor, Elliss, Fayad, Bradley, Stevens. I have to think Taylor has the best potential out of that group.

They went with 7 to start the 2021 season.  I'd be surprised if they went with less this year.  

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/eagles-roster-initial-53-man-roster-2021-nfl-season

[mr_irie1]

I think they keep him around as long as he doesn't get hurt before final cuts. If he does he would be one of the annual phantom IR guys for sure.

Personally, I like how he played when he was on the field last year. He was obviously faster than all of the other linebackers and was coming along nicely the more snaps he got before getting hurt again. I'm not so sure he gets the chances he did last year this time around with the offseason additions this year. Unless he plays out of his mind and makes the coaches give him snaps. I'm rooting for the guy to do well. 

[Rob331]

I don't get the negativity. He played well when on the field last year. Training camp will tell the tale. Even if he doesn't start he can (and will) be good depth. 

As far as making the team goes it sure looks like he'll make it. Let's take a look at the roster as it is today:

• TJ Edwards = sure thing
• Kyzir White = sure thing
• Nakobe Dean = sure thing
• Davion Taylor = somewhere in the middle
• Shawn Bradley, Patrick Johnson, Kyron Johnson, Jacoby Stevens = fightng for 1 or 2 roster spots. 

[weko]

On 6/21/2022 at 12:11 PM, Rob331 said:

I don't get the negativity. He played well when on the field last year. Training camp will tell the tale. Even if he doesn't start he can (and will) be good depth. 

As far as making the team goes it sure looks like he'll make it. Let's take a look at the roster as it is today:

• TJ Edwards = sure thing
• Kyzir White = sure thing
• Nakobe Dean = sure thing
• Davion Taylor = somewhere in the middle
• Shawn Bradley, Patrick Johnson, Kyron Johnson, Jacoby Stevens = fightng for 1 or 2 roster spots. 

K Johnson is a lock.  They won't cut the rookie they traded up for

[Rob331]

15 hours ago, weko said:

K Johnson is a lock.  They won't cut the rookie they traded up for

I don't disagree. So now it's down to Shawn Bradley, Patrick Johnson, or Jacoby Stevens  - what do you think?

[time2rock]

1 hour ago, Rob331 said:

I don't disagree. So now it's down to Shawn Bradley, Patrick Johnson, or Jacoby Stevens  - what do you think?

Top 5 leaders in STs tackles in 2021 were Epps, Bradley, Ford, Clement, and Riley ... only the first 2 are back, so have to think Bradley stands a good chance at making the roster again this year.  

[weko]

8 hours ago, Rob331 said:

I don't disagree. So now it's down to Shawn Bradley, Patrick Johnson, or Jacoby Stevens  - what do you think?

Barring injury it probably comes down to special teams