PALM BEACH, Fla. — When Chargers head coach Brandon Staley was asked about Kyzir White, he thought about two things first:
Instincts and toughness.
Staley thinks White is a pretty good player and the Eagles hope he’s right. Because they signed the veteran linebacker to a one-year deal this past weekend.
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SIGN UP HERE “A favorite of mine. I really enjoyed coaching him,” Staley said. “He’s a really good, instinctive guy. When I think of Kyzir, I think of instincts and toughness.
“And he can really see the game. Was a college safety so he can run. An outstanding tackler and a guy that can really show up every day at practice and give you everything he has. And he was really productive for us.”
White, 26, spent the first four years of his career with the Chargers but the former fourth-round pick finally had a breakout season in 2021, his first year in Staley’s defense. In 2021, White started all 17 games and finished the year with 144 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 4 quarterback hits, 2 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles.
While the one-year deal is reportedly worth up to just $5 million, the Eagles are hoping White will be the guy to snap a disappointing string of veteran linebacker signings in recent years that includes Corey Nelson, Jatavis Brown and Eric Wilson. He will presumably be an upgrade over Alex Singleton, who left for Denver as a free agent this offseason.
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Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon and Staley are long-time friends dating back to their days playing AAU basketball against each other in the Cleveland area. And Gannon has previously admired Staley’s defensive scheme. So perhaps Staley has given Gannon the blueprint for how to get the most out of White.
With the Eagles, White joins an off-ball linebacker group that includes T.J. Edwards, Davion Taylor and Shaun Bradley. The Eagles also signed Haason Reddick this offseason but Reddick is more of a pass rusher from the SAM position.
The addition of White, while it might not fix things long-term at the position, could help in the interim. And since White just turned 26 a few days ago, it’s possible the Eagles could try to lock him up to an extension during the season if things are going well.