The 2007 Offseason Thread

[Diomedes]

knee looks good to me, suit him up

[BigEd76]

CSN.com

Trotter Expecting to Remain a Starter
by Andy Schwartz
ComcastSportsNet.com


Donovan McNabb isn't concerned about losing his job.

Neither is Jeremiah Trotter.

After the Eagles drafted Kevin Kolb, head coach Andy Reid told McNabb not to worry. McNabb was still their guy. But that same weekend, defensive coordinator Jim Johnson said that Trotter will be challenged by second-year pro Omar Gaither.

Trotter has been the Eagles' starting middle linebacker for 5½ of the last eight seasons (he played two seasons in Washington). The nine-year veteran admitted that last season wasn't one of his best.

"You can't expect to go out every year and be at the top of your game. You're going to have some down years," Trotter told Comcast SportsNet's Derrick Gunn on Wednesday. "This is the NFL, and if you play long enough, you're not going to go out and dominate every year, every play. I had a down year."

A day earlier, McNabb said he expects to "be in my spot" once the season starts. When training camp opens in July, Trotter will be one of a litany of linebackers competing for a job. The Eagles signed veteran Takeo Spikes in March and drafted Stewart Bradley last month. Spikes and Chris Gocong are penciled in on the weak and strong side, respectively. But head coach Andy Reid has said he plans to start the three best players.

Does Trotter worry about his job security?

"No," he said.

Why not?

"Because I don't," Trotter said. "I know the player I am. When I step on that field this year, all of those questions will be answered. Two years ago, there were no questions about job security, weight, play-making ability, knees. It's easy when you have bad year to point the finger at a certain issue. Those small problems become bigger when you're losing games. I understand that, that's the way the business goes. So I made up my mind this off-season to go out and work as hard as possible, get myself in the best possible shape, and go out there and crack some heads this year."

Last season, for the first time since 2002 with the taterskins, Trotter failed to record a sack. He had only one interception, one quarterback hurry and one forced fumble. The proverbial icing on the cake came in the playoffs against the Saints, when he was badly fooled on a TD run by running back Deuce McAllister.

One reason for Trotter's subpar season was his weight.

"I wasn't fat, but I was overweight," said Trotter, who is listed at 262 pounds in the team's media guide. "As you get further along in your career – I've had four knee surgeries – I can't play at the same weight I played at when I was 21 or 22. Now I've got to drop my weight down to about 250."

Why was Trotter overweight? After the Eagles went 6-10 in 2005, he relaxed.

"I focused on just resting my body," Trotter said. "I took a beating – that was one of the hardest years of my career – and I wanted to rest during the off-season, but I rested a little too much. But I've been working hard since day one this off-season, in there everyday getting my body into shape mentally and physically, and I'm ready to go."

Even if Trotter holds on to his starting spot, the Eagles likely will limit his reps; he should be replaced by Gaither in the nickel defense. But Trotter, who turned 30 in January, doesn't talk like someone whose career is winding down.

"I still think the sky's the limit for me. I said last year that my best years are ahead of me, and I still believe that," he said. "I look at a guy like Brian Dawkins – two years ago, when I was the only guy voted to the Pro Bowl – there was all criticism about [how] he lost a step, this and that, and he came back this year like a madman. To me, he should have been up for Defensive Player of the Year. He had a great, awesome year. He came back and proved everybody wrong. I'm in the same situation."

As is the team itself.

"I'm excited for this team, this organization and this city because I believe we're going to surprise a lot of people," Trotter said. "A lot of people talk about Donovan's health and where our defense was ranked last year – we couldn't stop the run – but we're going to answer a lot of questions this year. I really believe that."

==========================

The Point After
   
What does Jeremiah Trotter think of the Eagles' decision to draft quarterback Kevin Kolb?

"I've never been in the war room on draft day. I don't sit in the meetings and watch film and break down film, but obviously those guys saw something in this quarterback," Trotter said. "Obviously everyone knows Donovan is the man. He's the team leader. They bring in a young guy for the future – whether it's eight years, nine years – who knows?

"Right now Donovan is coming off an injury. He's doing great. He's working hard. His spirits are up, which is the most important thing. They're just bringing in a young guy to groom – the same way Green Bay brought in a young guy (Aaron Rodgers in 2005) for Brett Favre. Brett Favre could play six or seven more years, but they still have a young guy there just in case he decides to do otherwise. I think it was just one of those situations."

Video clip (bad season)

Video clip (not worried about losing starting job)

Video clip (McNabb/Kolb)

[PhillyPhreak54]

Ax-Man!

Bow to Five Fo, bitches.

[Diomedes]

"Eight years, nine years...who knows?"

ha ha ha

[Geowhizzer]

"Eight years, nine years...who knows?"

ha ha ha

Well, remember, Jeremiah can't count too well.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

It'll be nice to have a veteran presence like Trotter on special teams this season.

[mussa]

Anyone notice Bunkley is now wearing #97

Victor is wearing his #78

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Anyone notice Bunkley is now wearing #97

Yeah, someone (Feva or SD, I think) mentioned all the new jersey numbers.

Bunkley doing as well as Darwin Walker this year would, sadly, exceed my expectations.

[mussa]

i expect great things from him this year. nobody just looks like the thing and doesn't perform like him. the guy is an animal. time to kill.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

He sure played like an animal last year:

[mussa]

  that he did, but this year he's gonna be like:



I guarantee

[Rome]

[mussa]

nm

[The BIGSTUD]

Me Mutombo.

[BigEd76]

Andrews with the mohawk