Rolle, Allen to start
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Eagles
Rolle, Allen to start
Jonathan Tamari and Jeff McLane
Changes have arrived on defense.
Brian Rolle said he has been elevated to first team weak side linebacker and Nate Allen will be starting at safety in place of Kurt Coleman. Linebacker and safety have been glaring weaknesses early in the season.
Rolle, a sixth round pick, has looked more instinctive and aggressive than Casey Matthews, the fourth round selection he'll replace in the starting line up. He is short, however, generously five-foot-10.
Rolle said he will continue to play in some nickel packages as well. Coming in as a sixth round pick who began with limited playing time, Rolle said his goal was to make sure that when he did get on the field, his name was called out.
"Every time you see me on the field you hear my name," Rolle said he told his father this week. "My coaches must have seen that light and felt that I need to be on the field more."
Rolle, a speedy but short linebacker, said he believes he is actually better against the run than he is against the pass. But he said he hopes he gets a chance to take on tight end Vernon Davis this weekend.
"It’s going to be a lot of fun get out there, play in space and hopefully get matched up with Vernon Davis," Rolle said. "Everybody has their weakness. You can be fast, but being fast isn’t everything, it’s all about technique in this league as well."
Rolle has worked at weakside linbacker since training camp, unlike Matthews, who was in the middle until last Wednesday, and showed Sunday he still has learning to do.
Rolle said he wasn't concerned about being a sixth round pick or starting low on the Eagles depth chart.
"I just thought about working hard and letting that pay off and it has," he said.
Allen replaced Coleman Sunday after Coleman missed a tackle, leading to a 74-yard touchdown. He entered training camp as a starter, but was hampered in his recovery from a torn patellar tendon and lost his job to Jarrad Page.
More soon.
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" Hi Casey my names Danny. Want to play checkers with me on the bench?"
Comment removed.- Look at the bright side, we can compete with Indy and Cincy for Andrew Luck.— NC Eagle Fan
- The player personnel gaffes won't end until the accounting firm of Banner, Roseman and Reid is shown the door in favor of a real GM with, you know, actual experience selecting NFL talent. Give the Tonner a break.— hunglikeaton
- Let's face it, as good as we are at the CB position we are equally inept at LB and Safety. The LB position has been neglected, year after year and Nate Allen appears ineffective and another wasted pick by Fat Andy. When will Lurie see the light and realize Fat Andy is awful at evaluating talent....look at his drafts!— Tar Heel 1
- We went throught the linbacker merry go round last year because fo injuriesand made it to the playoffs. The lack of OTA's and full press training camp is now affecting the regular season. Look at the undefeated teams, they don't have any real talent, they just don't have to worry about proving anything. 3 week into the season people, we knew it was going to be a rocky start.— unbelieveable!
- Fan 13. That is the other thing I do not understand. Prince Akeem was starting for this team two years ago. Did pretty well. They just signed him to an extension and yet he does not play.— oharabri
- Pretty soon we will run out of options and be left to face the facts. We are out coached and managed and our personel is weak is many areas.— RealizticFan
- We have not utilized Steve Smith, how about we use him as a trade for a decent Middle Linebacker? Or are we holding to him for when Jackson finally gets tired of waiting for a new contract and pulls up lame.— unbelieveable!
- How can a professionsal football team implement a defensive line scheme in which the linemen line up with huge gaps in between them and not realize that you would need good LBs and safeties to help stop the run? 13 years in this league has meant nothing to the fat redhead. They pull a Daniel Snyder bringing in veterans for backup positions and then ignore the LB group. Chaney plays great in the middle at the end of last season and they ignore that and replace him with a 4th rd rookie. Our last 2 drafts have been awful in the early rounds and reid is the worst gameday coach I've ever seen. Pop warner has better coaches. Any of you that still want reid here need to look at the facts and realize he will never win a championship here.
- Andy, you could have had a starting RT and some linebackers, instead you drafted a frigging kicker and a fireman...LOL!— BirdinParadise
- Trying to polish a turd as usual. It's not saying much when you get benched for Nate Allen. Allen stinks. At least the announcers called him out for taking his usual atrocious angle to the ball carrier. You can't blame his lack of instincts on his injury. He just stinks.— jlcharles
I read this in Les Bowen Column before yours... you lazy young PUNK— Kevinmac- So Does Brandon Graham still have a bad Case of Verbal Diahearea?????????????????????????????— Kevinmac
- Before seasons end the Eagles starting safeties will be Andre Waters and Reno Made.— Bob from SW
