Eagles sign Tulloch to bolster LB corps
Must pass physical first
PHILADELPHIA >> Desperate for veteran linebacker help, the Eagles handed 31-year-old Stephen Tulloch a one-year contract and the opportunity to compete for a starting job.
Tulloch is coming off ankle surgery. If he passes the physical, Philly will be his third stop with Jim Schwartz, the defensive coordinator of the Eagles. Tulloch played for Schwartz in Tennessee and Detroit.
“Obviously he’s familiar with Coach Schwartz and that defense,” Pederson said Monday. “At the same time he’s coming in to compete for that linebacker spot. We’ve just got to see where he’s at, his health when he gets there, all that stuff. He’s competing for a spot.”
Jordan Hicks is the Eagles’ starting middle linebacker. Pederson conceded it’s not out of the question for Hicks to be moved to another position.
“I think he’s athletic enough as far as possibly,” Pederson said. “But right now that’s not the plan.”
Hicks said the Eagles let him know he was the starter in the middle but would be challenged by Tulloch, who has 111 starts in 10 NFL seasons.
Oh, and Hicks cannot wait for the battle to begin. In eight games last season he amassed five takeaways, or one more than Tulloch totaled over the past four seasons.
Tulloch was tied to the Eagles in rumors throughout the offseason. Hicks was getting tired of hearing about it.
“I knew something was coming,” Hicks said. “You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand what was about to happen. I’m excited. I want this team to be as good as we possibly can. And I think adding another veteran presence and another linebacker to our corps, and having that type of depth and being able to move around and have another aspect to it will help a lot … It’s going to be good to have somebody like that, a little pressure. And I’m excited to learn from him.”
Tulloch (5-11, 230) is a solid run stopper. He had 107 tackles last season with the Lions. He missed all but three games of the 2014 season after tearing an ACL celebrating a sack of Aaron Rodgers.
The Eagles’ top run-stuffing
linebacker right now is Najee Goode.
“I’ve heard of his game but I don’t know how he plays,” Goode said. “I heard he is a run stopper and you’ve got to put the run out, first. We’ve just got to see what happens. We need guys.”
At this point Hicks is more playmaker than run defender. Then again, looking at the Eagles’ schedule, the only serious run threat in the NFC East is the Dallas Cowboys. Among all Birds opponents this season, only the Pittsburgh Steelers with Le’Veon Bell have a proven ground attack.
With Tulloch and Hicks vying for the starting job, the backup middle linebacker is Goode. Don Cherry, the undrafted rookie out of Villanova, would follow him on the depth chart.
The Eagles hoped seventh-round draft pick Joe Walker would prove capable of backing up Hicks. Walker was having a solid preseason.
The Eagles turned to Tulloch, who had an offer to sign with Miami, after Walker suffered a seasonending torn ACL in the last preseason game.
“We wanted to give an opportunity to the young guys we have,” Pederson said. “Joe was actually playing well and doing some nice things for us. So we just didn’t feel the need to do it at that time.”
If Tulloch is healthy and wins a starting job the linebacker corps could be juggled. Hicks can play any of the positions, including the strong side where Nigel Bradham is. Weak side linebacker Mychal Kendricks hasn’t played a complete NFL season due to injuries. He started 13 games last year. Kendricks has been nursing a hamstring strain but said the plan is for him to play in the third preseason game this Saturday at Indy.
“There could be some changes, for sure,” Kendricks said. “But I’m not too sure. I don’t even know the guy. But it’s a good thing. I mean a guy who can come in and add to the team only adds value.”
Ideally the Eagles would want Tulloch to play special teams, an area where he hasn’t exactly excelled. He played just two snaps there over the second half of the 2015 season.
“I know his past and he hasn’t played a lot of areas,” Pederson said. “But if he can come in and at least give us one special teams unit right now to begin with … then we’ll see where it goes from there. Linebackers in general and tight ends, definitely play the bulk of your special teams. So it’s something that we have to consider and get him on at least one core team.”
Tulloch, scheduled to arrive later Monday, signed a one-year, $3 million pact with $1.75 million guaranteed per Spotrac.com.