T.J. Edwards Continues to Carry Chip on Shoulder

T.J. Edwards wasn’t around when Lane Johnson was handing out dog masks in 2017. He came two years after the Eagles won the Super Bowl but brought with him from the University of Wisconsin a similar mentality as an undrafted free agent.

“I like that underdog feeling,” said the Eagles’ linebacker on Monday.

Like just about every other undrafted free agent, Edwards believes he should have been drafted in 2019, despite the lack of straight-line speed and standing just a shade above 6-1. Arriving in the NFL through the backdoor, however, has helped shape his game.

“I think it’s something that’s always with me, always carry with me, that 32 teams passed on me,” he said. “Now I get to go out there every single day in practice, every day in the weight room, and prove to them why they made the wrong decision, so it’s exciting to me.”

Edwards played his best game as an Eagle in the team’s last outing, a 23-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys heading into the bye week.

VIDEO: T.J. Edwards talks about being undrafted and more:

In his first game since coming off Injured Reserve, he made a game-high 13 tackles and notched the strip-sack fumble that sealed the win after Rodney McLeod scooped it up and raced 53 yards for a touchdown with 5:18 to play.

“He's probably our best linebacker when it comes to being physical at the line of scrimmage and taking on guards and tackles and taking offensive linemen off of double teams and things like that and he's a reliable tackler,” said defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. “Made a big play when it counted the way we run that blitz is we generally have three guys and they should have two blockers for him.

"They chose not to block him, and they blocked Rodney instead, and he was able to not just get the sack but get the strip and we were able to get the score off of it. That game was in the balance right there.”

Edwards has a chance to prove he can be a three-down linebacker with Nate Gerry on IR for at least two more games, including Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.

Gerry’s contract is up after this season, so this is really a good opportunity for Edwards to seize control of the middle linebacking position not just in the short term, but in the long term as well.

Edwards was a three-down linebacker at Wisconsin, and, he said, the schemes under Schwartz are somewhat similar to his days as a Badger.

“I think I can definitely do it,” said Edwards, referring to being a three-down linebacker. “I have all the confidence in the world in that. The NFL is all about when you get your number called you have to be ready to make ap lay and on your game at all times. Whenever that time is, I’ll be ready.”

Schwartz compared Edwards to current Bengals linebacker Preston Brown, who was a third-round pick of the Buffalo Bills in 2014, playing our years in Buffalo – his rookie year with Schwartz as the DC.

Brown, Schwartz said, didn’t run fast, either.

“He led the NFL in tackles a couple years and he went out there as a rookie, and you didn't even call the game as if you were trying to cover him up and that's the way I feel about T.J.,” said Schwartz. “Everything we've asked him to do, he's been able to do, and there's a difference between a guy that tests well and a guy that plays football well.

“I think that T.J. is a guy that plays football well. Our scouts really did a great job with him getting him as a free agent. A lot of our scouts had him marked as one of their red star players which means that's one of their favorite players in the draft and we made a strong effort to get him after the draft. I'm very thankful for that, being able to get a guy like that without having to spend a draft pick was a great addition for us.”

An addition that required a backdoor entry.

“I just think it put a chip on my shoulder, something that I use, and I think I’ll always use, to be honest with you,” said Edwards about being undrafted. “It’s one of those things where I want to be the best player I can be at all times.”

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