Brian

Rolle

Rolle has impressed since the lockout ended in late July, but he’s an undersized sixth-round pick at 5'11/229. Fokou was the Week 1 culprit on Steven Jackson’s game-opening 49-yard touchdown run. Rolle was previously only a nickel ‘backer, so the suspect Eagles linebacker corps is experiencing more turnover. The Falcons should be able to gash them with the run in Week 2.

After drafting Mychal Kendricks in the second round, another option would be kicking the loser of the Kendricks-Jamar Chaney strong-side competition over to weak side. Rolle is pint-sized at 5-foot-10, 227, and the Eagles’ run defense was among the league’s poorest with Rolle as a 13-game starter last season.

Brian Rolle will stay on the weak side, leaving Akeem Jordan as the odd man out. Chaney will likely give way to Casey Matthews or Keenan Clayton on passing downs, limiting his production in IDP formats. Chaney expects to be recovered from neck surgery by training camp.

Although the Eagles filled their hole at middle linebacker with the trade for DeMeco Ryans, they’re still a bit weak on the outside. Brian Rolle is currently penciled in as the starter on the weak side, but, as Didinger notes, his 5'10" frame limits him in pass coverage. Didinger suggests Texas’ Keenan Robinson and San Diego State’s Miles Burris as potential day-two targets.

A safety at Oklahoma, Clayton’s speed and athleticism should help prevent the kind of fourth-quarter comebacks that have plagued the Eagles. He’ll slot in next to three-down backer Jamar Chaney in pass-heavy situations. Rolle will remain in the “Buffalo” package used for short-yardage and goal-line situations.

Chaney wasn’t limited in practice, so he should be fine going forward. With rookie Mychal Kendricks on the strong side, Chaney is working at weak-side linebacker. He expects to compete with Brian Rolle for the starting job.

Rolle is also playing in nickel packages as an every-down linebacker. Rookie Mychal Kendricks, the starter at SAM, left the field on obvious passing downs. Rolle and MLB DeMeco Ryans practiced as the Eagles’ two nickel linebackers.

Chaney is heading to his third linebacker position in three years, but he’s a better early-down choice due to his size advantage. At under 5'10", Rolle is ideally suited to a nickel role. Casey Matthews, up 15 pounds from last year, is working as the backup to middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans while Mychal Kendricks is penciled in as the strong-side starter.

Rookie Mychal Kendricks will start on the strong side and DeMeco Ryans will work the middle. Rolle struggled throughout the preseason and will join Jamar Chaney as the team’s primary backup linebackers. On the roster bubble earlier this offseason, 28-year-old Jordan is not a long-term solution.

Rolle was a 13-game starter as a sixth-round rookie last season, but struggled mightily as a tackler, and is under-sized at 5-foot-10, 227 pounds. He’ll compete with Jamar Chaney for the Eagles’ starting weak-side job in camp.