Packers at Eagles: Getting To Know The Eagles Defense

The Philadelphia Eagles are not a team I'm that familiar with anymore. So I asked JasonB over at Bleeding Green Nation a few questions about them.

Acme Packing Company: Looking at the Eagles depth chart, it says your top two draft choices DE Brandon Graham and FS Nate Allen are in the starting lineup. How have they looked this preseason?

Bleeding Green Nation: Really good, especially Graham. He's an extremely high effort guy that can get to the QB and "plays on the other side of the line" as they say. He really earned the starting spot as well. Juqua Parker, who he unseated, had 8 sacks last year and has been a solid starter for the past few years. Plus, from a Packers perspective, what he did to Bryan Bulaga in college is probably a big reason why he went top 15 and Bulaga did not. 

APC: It's seemed like their starting linebackers have been a revolving door for a number of years. Are Ernie Sims, Stewart Bradley, and Akeem Jordan the answer? Or just another stopgap?

BGN: I can say that Stewart Bradley is legit. He had a great year in 2008, then was injured in camp last season and missed the whole year. His presence was sorely missed. He's had a great camp and a really good preseason and his presence in the middle will be a big boost to the defense. Ernie Sims is a guy with a lot of talent and athletic ability but needs to play more disciplined. Akeem Jordan has been a decent starter at WILL, but he'll be playing the SAM position this year. Of all the LBs, he's the guy I'd be most likely to put in the "stopgap" category. 

APC: Is Ellis Hobbs really starting at cornerback? Any Sheldon Brown trade remorse?

BGN: Ellis Hobbs has had a hell of a preseason. He's surprised a lot of us. People forget that the Patriots went undefeated with a starting corner duo of Asante Samuel and Ellis Hobbs. His strong summer has probably helped allay a lot of our fears about the corner position. 

With the pick they got for Brown, who was always one of my favorite Eagles BTW, the Eagles took CB Trevard Lindley who has been a pleasant surprise so far. The Eagles have developed this affinity for taking college players that were once highly rated but who suffered injuries as seniors which hurt their draft stock. Lindley might be the first player of that kind to actually work out.

Personally, I think the corners will go as the defensive line goes.