Trevor

Laws

The Eagles wanted to extend Laws’ contract last offseason, but he had a down year in 2011, failing to excel in Jim Washburn’s new Wide-9 scheme. Free agent Derek Landri now seems more likely to return. Laws, 27, is an athletic and active if undersized defensive tackle. He won’t struggle to generate interest.

Laws recorded 20 tackles and one sack in 14 games as a reserve last season. The Pats, who also hosted former Chargers DT Luis Castillo over the weekend, appear to be on the lookout for a rotational pass rusher on the interior.

A rotational lineman in Philly last season, Laws averaged about 25 snaps per game and recorded 20 tackles with one sack. A 4-3 nose, Laws goes 6-foot-1 and a tick over 300 pounds. He’ll compete for playing time next to Kendall Langford. Pro Football Focus has graded Laws as a solid run defender over the past four years. He seemed to plateau after a four-sack 2010 season, though.

Laws’ lone reported previous visit was to the Patriots two weeks ago. An athletic rotational defensive tackle, the 27-year-old has a Jeff Fisher connection after playing under former Titans DL coach Jim Washburn last season.

Laws was downgraded from probable to questionable on Saturday. It’s just another reason for the Jets to try to pound the ball up the gut with Shonn Greene. The rest of the Eagles’ inactives: T Winston Justice, G Julian Vandervelde, DE Darryl Tapp, DT Trevor Laws, DT Cedric Thornton, LB Greg Lloyd and CB Brandon Hughes.

They may be glad no deal was consummated now, because Laws’ big plays dropped off significantly from 2010 to 2011. Laws, who turns 27 before next season, now figures to test the open market. He’s strictly a 4-3 defensive tackle.

Laws missed much of camp with the injury, the severity of which was never disclosed. The Rams will move forward with Darrell Scott and undrafted rookie Matt Conrath behind starters Michael Brockers and Kendall Langford.

Philly struggles against the run so any loss up front is going to hurt, but they have decent depth at DT and their problems are at LB, anyway. Look for Mike Patterson and Trevor Laws to pick up snaps if Dixon misses any time.

A Kelly Gregg type, Laws was an extremely active member of a Notre Dame defense that had to play often in 2007. He led the team with 112 tackles, an insane amount for a tackle. Laws will be a rotational piece as a rookie.