Eagles release Witherspoon
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Eagles
Eagles release Witherspoon
Jeff McLane, Inquirer Staff Writer
The Eagles released linebacker Will Witherspoon, the team announced today.
The 29-year-old Witherspoon was acquired in the middle of last season when the Eagles dealt rookie wide receiver Brandon Gibson and a fifth-round draft pick to the Rams in exchange for the linebacker.
Witherspoon, in a text message to The Inquirer, said that he understood the move and enjoyed his short stay in Philadelphia.
"I'm cool either way," Witherspoon said. "But plans are to move forward like always. I can't say Philly wasn't a great place to be. Loved the fans and team. Who knows what the future holds."
Witherspoon is now an unrestricted free agent. A message left with Witherspoon's agent, Tom Condon, was not immediately returned.
Witherspoon played weak-side linebacker for St. Louis but was originally brought to Philly to play middle linebacker after Omar Gaither was lost for the season. Witherspoon eventually made it back to weak-side when Akeem Jordan got hurt. Jordan, a restricted free agent, received a second-round tender yesterday. It looks as if Jordan, who played some middle linebacker after he returned from his knee injury, will get his weak-side position back.
Witherspoon was also slated to earn $5 million in base pay this season. The Eagles said they released the 8-year veteran today, the first day of free agency, so that he would have the opportunity to catch on somewhere else.
Comments (68)
OOOOOh, we want to make the team WORSE! I get it now. Better be a Dansby on the horizon soon.— tpizza
wow so now our best linebacker is stewart bradley who is coming off an acl tear. just great.- Easy Jeff, articles like this with such tremendous insight will spoil the fan base.— The Reddgie
- what reason do they have for that??— flyers0100
- This is a weird move considering how weak at LB we are. I wonder what they got up thier sleeves.— ChrisM
- But he was one of our better LBs... Make NO SENSE!— ChrisM
- I hope it is a couple of good LBs— will69
- That's weird.— dansdigs
- He must have been making good money.— ChrisM
- Wow! Im real glad we gave up Brandon Gibson for him...— BammBamm
Can we get Brandon Gibson and that 5th round pick back?— tornadoh
Comment removed.- crazy!— palmyra21
- I am seriously concerned over the direction this team is heading. They BETTER have a WOW factor hiding up their sleeves for us dedicated fans.— crohnkiller
- Yes, they keep McNabb who is well past his prime. Get rid of him— Bonzy22
- mightyonk.......you are unequivocally the biggest mor*n of the day. The Eagles aren't a cheap team. Get a clue. Aside from dealing with the mor*n.......this move makes no sense to me.— tfarnath
- Comment removed.
- I'm scratching my head over this move...Spoon was our best LB last year.— PhillyTru
- and the eagles don't even have the cap as an excuse this year.— sasquatches
- Why is the anti-semitic comment allowed?....tasteless.— lgeagles
- whoever made this decision is a real moron,,,,,,— bow
- keep unloading players, but still holding on to the dog killer.— sackvicknow
- The "gold standard" just got better yes! Maybe we can cut DeSean Jackson next so that we can see what Avant can do on the outside.— Nothing but the truth
- Reddgie, prelude to something else? We know AR thinks LBs are worthless but are we coming back with the same set of non-players? Talk about a bubble burster.— tpizza
- Guys, if you don't like the remark, use the abuse button.— tpizza
- LB isn't a key position for Andy. Let's see if we can play the entire season without one. Probably won't affect our ability to cover the TE anyways.
Are they insane? How could they release Witherspoon?! The Birds really pulled a mightyonk with that one.— Richard Saunders- Comment removed.
- Np, that comment is just typical of mightyonk.— mike l
- Great move team "fools" gold standard.— DW4
- mightyonk = Shabba Rommel?— fizzbin
- Comments on here lead me to believe that there a significant minority of loud, vocal, and utterly foolish Eagles' fans. 'Spoon at $5M next year is a poor use of dollars and the Eagles can just resign Jordan to start at weakside LB with Fokou as his backup. Rather have them use this money to bring in a replacement for Gocong and get a starter— MG77
- I've posted repeatedly that one of the teams biggest needs are good quality linebackers. Jim Johnson did a great job overcoming the deficiencies at that position. Andy can't draft them, so he has to pick up some veterans, and Witherspoon was pretty good. They will never win the Super Bowl, because all the good teams have them, and Andy chooses to downplay that position. Idiot.— watsonmr
- oh just let me have my knee jerk negative reaction anything the FO does. 95 percent of the personnel dropped by the Eagles are really done. Shepperd...folks were upset, bobbie taylor, troy vincent, trotter the first time. the only guy I got upset about in all these years was Reggie White. The Eagles just didn't understand the cost of doing business yet. He was worth a cyber ulcer. Course, I understand folks just need to get rid of some stomach acid and sports just happens to be a convenient dumping ground. After the first game with the Eagles I didn't see him do anything special...didn't shorten first down running plays, didn't cover that well in the field. There's a reason two teams have let him go.— retzlaff
- Idiot? Is wiff here? MG77, that's all well and good if they ultimately do that. If this cut is to have more money to use on a better player, then OK. As off now we lost Gibson a pick and the guy we traded them for. Not an encouraging start— tpizza
- Comment removed.
- Well, that was a great piece of general management...no player, no Gibson, no 5th round pick. OUCH.— psuwelsh
- Dansby is coming here. This solidified it. Why else would they release a good pure linebacker like him?— Philadelphia Guy
- this is going to be happening all over the league with the CBA setup. decent veteran players with high price tags are going to be released since there is no salary cap 'hit' to worry about.
- I certainly hope its not typical of eagle fans.— Zeek333
- Great move. I hate line backers that tackle and cover effectively.
- Can you say Fujita.....— PhillyPhilly
- ?— Jon Titor
- Comment removed.
- The Eagles have made it clear so far who they don't want; my question is who DO they want to play LB, and to provide leadership on the defensive side of the ball?— 76erfn
- 'I wonder what they got up their sleeves?' Hmm...cut payroll, sellout all their games, make tons of money!!
- If he doesn't get picked up I'll bet they'll re-sign him for less money.— JohnnyH
- Retzlaff has it on the money. He had a first game splash and didn't do much after that to warrant that salary. And he's no kid. "Our best linebacker?" We had no linebackers. Bradley got hurt out of the gate. He'll be fine. Jordan will be back and they're not done. Their track record on letting people go is pretty damn good.— steelydad
- He was our best linebacker - the Defense just got worse if that was possible.— Pheagles Fan
- I'd like a Fajita please!— brickhead
- Great, lets go sign another undersized linebacker that gets caught behind everyone and then makes a tackle 7 yards down field. I'm starting to hate Fat Andy.— t_bones8
- Yea!!!! We are on our way to making some real financial; oh; I mean FOOTBALL moves....JOKE ARSES!!!!— RoastedBird
- The Eagles said they released the 8-year veteran today, the first day of free agency, so that he would have the opportunity to catch on somewhere else. . . . ie so Joe Banner wouldn't have to unmake the pile of money he sleeps on— shane-56
- lets keep mcnabb bc he will help us make a run at the super bowl but lets not upgrade in free agency anywhere, interesting. TRADE MCNABB while we can get something. Reid u better draft a lb!— fman727
- Not saying Witherspoon is the best linebacker of all time, but this move is just stupid. I just don't get this team and I don't get why year after year I get my hopes up. I know this free agent market is slim, but why make more holes on the team?— billyd34
- wait 'til you see the young WR become a STAR in the NFL. We gave him to the Rams for a LB we used 13x? Makes no sense to the KING. KING~out— the~KING
- He's going to be 30 soon and would have made $5mil this coming season. That doesn't fit into the Eagles' formula.— rob611
- I read comments here and most fans blast the writers. The Eagles have released a few guys, signed one current player and the front office gives no information. What do you want writers to write? Opinions? They do that and Eagle fans rip them to. This is why I love and hate being an Eagles fan. Our fans are clueless but entertaining.— hawk18
- I'm really not sure what this was about. I just dont have a clue what the plan is. Im a Mcnabb supporter but if the youth movement is a foot there must be something big coming either good or bad for the birds.— Phillyphan26
- This is such a stupid, stupid, stupid move. I guess we didn't need him since we were so stacked at linebacker.— Cadiz215
- This team is really for the BIRDS now, your only LB that can play and a head coach who can't see his dirt ball throwing QB for what he is, Jeffery is worth a billion dollars, and getting richer.— Eaglefreak
- The coaches watch the tape while you watch American Idol...they know what to do...Witherspoon may have a spot at less money, but apparently not at $5 million. The Birds have a plan...they always do. As fans (and writers) we get to wait until the injuries are done and the games have been played to act like experts— ziggy
- I don't understand this move at all - witherspoon was easily their best LB last season and he is healthy. I know the eagles don't value LBs but they do need some production out of the position
- A complete waste of a trade if they don't bring him back somehow. And yet Reggie Brown is still here? I just don't get it anymore.— beegal99
- this is a really bad move... I dont know why they are looking to save money in a season that has no salery cap...get ready for a miserable season... The Eagles have yet to do anything on the free agent market to shore up the defense.. ...lol... idoits!!— nixman101
- No worry. We have the VETS coming back off IR.They legs are just bad. We r n trouble.— sizaleo
- All of the do-nothing moves the Eagles are making makes me believe that the re-tooling of the Birds is in process. How can you explain that no FA are coming here and no talk of any coming soon. Wouldn't be surprised if Vick is traded and McNabb, despite what Reid said. The Birds will move up the Draft Board to get their men through trades and I can't see Vick and McPuke staying here through 2010 season.— walt1
- Reid failed to replace Bradley when he got injured in camp. That is when that problem should have been addressed. Mr. Enstein thought his hand picked LB's would do the job. Of course, that never happened like so many other of Reid's selections. So when faced with a critical problem he trades for Witherspoon giving up Gibson and a 5th rounder. Now he is telling us Witherspoon was another mistake by cutting him. So what do we have from another of Ensteins moves. Nothing once again. How the guy holds his job is beyond comprehension. Lurie loves him because he teases the fans just enough to hold their interest while Lurie runs to the bank every season.— The Marco Islander
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Birds' Eye View is the Inquirer's blog covering all things Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL.
Jeff McLane
Inquirer Staff Writer
Zach Berman
Inquirer Staff Writer
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