This upcoming season, the Philadelphia Eagles could have one of the strongest linebacking corps in the NFL. This offseason, they added inside linebacker Kiko Alonso via trade and re-signed outside linebacker Brandon Graham. Today, they made another move to solidify their linebacking corp, by extending one of their own.
According to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Eagles have signed veteran inside linebacker DeMeco Ryans to a one-year contract extension through the 2016 season. McLane also reports that with Ryans’ signing the contract extension, it will lower his salary from this upcoming season which was $6.9 million.
Eagles head coach Chip Kelly made it clear that he wanted Ryans back since suffering a torn Achilles in 2014 against the Houston Texans. Kelly called Ryans their Mufasa, when referring to how the defense must step up in his absence.
In eight games played last season, Ryans had 45 tackles, four pass deflections and an interception. The question now is how will he look coming back from his torn Achilles? If he looks good, then the Eagles now have him, Alonso, Mychal Kendricks, Emmanuel Acho, Najee Goode and Brad Jones all at inside linebacker. If that situation happens, then there will not be a lot of snaps to go around, which possibly makes Kendricks the odd man out.
This offseason, rumors and the idea of trading Kendricks have swirled around, but I highly doubt the Eagles would trade him without knowing the status of how their two injured linebackers’ rehabs are progressing.
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