Local Prospect Could Be A Fit For The Eagles

Clemson LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr. understands Philadelphia's passion with football.

PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Eagles need a linebacker and it's easy to get caught up in nostalgia when you see that Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is one of the top available options in the draft.

Trotter's father was a four-time Pro Bowl LB for the Eagles over three stints with the team, the popular "Axe Man," who ruled the middle of the field in an intimidating fashion at 6-foot-1 and 260 pounds from the late 1990s to 2009.

It's only 15 years later but the game of football has changed drastically with the proliferation of spread offenses and a persistent safety dogma changing the way the sport is played. The need for a 260-pound thumper doesn't exist any longer so Jeremiah Jr. was sure to take a different path, focusing on speed and athleticism while developing into a 6-foor, 230-pound NFL hopeful at Clemson.

Trotter's dad grew up in Northeast Texas but Jeremiah Jr. spent much of his youth in the Delaware Valley, living in South Jersey and attending the well-regarded St. Joe's Prep in Philadelphia before arriving at Clemson.

The younger Trotter is expected to be a late Day 2 or early Day 3 pick in this week's draft, perhaps a third-rounder just like his father back in 1998 out of the much lesser-known Stephen F. Austin.

The Eagles start the process with three picks in the top 53 (Nos. 22, 50, and 53) before picking up again on Day 3 (at 120). Seemingly Trotter Jr. is in no man's land for Philadelphia, not expected to go in that top 53 but long gone at No. 120.

That hasn't stopped many fans from rooting for the bloodline to stay in Eagles colors.

GM Howie Roseman was asked specifically about Trotter Jr. during his pre-draft availability and fanned those flames somewhat.

“I’m biased towards our hometown players,” Roseman admitted. “I’m biased towards the people who have a legacy with this franchise.”

Roseman also noted that he has to guard against any kind of personal bias and sentimentality when it comes to prospects, be it a family connection like Trotter or local products from the areas or schools surrounding Philadelphia.

“[I'm] Just trying to make the best decision for the Philadelphia Eagles and not make it an emotional decision,” Roseman said. “... It’s hard not to want to keep guys who have Philly ties, who understand what it’s like to play here or to bring those guys in."

Playing in a passionate sports city can be difficult, something the recently retired Fletcher Cox mentioned multiple times in his retirement speech. Those who've lived the city's obsession with the Eagles may be better equipped to deal with the microscope it creates.

“I do think it’s a plus," Roseman said. "It’s a plus to bring someone into this atmosphere who understands what it’s like."

Perhaps Roseman even talks himself into a second-generation Trotter.

"This is the best atmosphere in the National Football League and I think that [local prospects] know that when you win, it’s like nothing else that you experience that," said Roseman. "But it’s different for people who haven’t experienced that before.”

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