Linebacker shuffle looks like Castillo move

When the Eagles selected Casey Matthews in the fourth round of the NFL draft, there was little doubt what the team intended for him.

"I know he can step in and be your Mike [middle] linebacker," Andy Reid said.

It wasn't just wishful thinking - the coaching staff and player personnel department liked Matthews very much - but if he fulfilled Reid's assertion, that would grant one of the organization's fondest wishes: finding a long-term middle linebacker.

Sure enough, Matthews was the first-team man in the middle from the very start of training camp at Lehigh and, just as Reid predicted, he stepped in and held the job when the regular season began.

Two weeks later, however, after the Eagles defense struggled twice to stop the run, Matthews was asked to step aside to weak-side linebacker in a position shuffle to move Jamar Chaney to the middle and Moise Fokou to the strong side. That is the alignment that will take the field against the New York Giants on Sunday, although defensive coordinator Juan Castillo softened the blow by saying it might only be a one-game experiment.

"They said that, and I guess we'll see how that turns out," Matthews said. "But if we have success with it, I'm sure it will stay. I'm going like it's a permanent move."

Permanent being a relative term when talking about the Eagles linebackers, of course. Matthews was the ninth player to start at middle linebacker since the beginning of the 2009 season. Chaney started two regular-season games there last season, and he returns to the position he prefers.

"It's a position I'm comfortable with. I played the Mike in college and I like it because you can see everything," Chaney said.

Because middle linebacker is something of a glamor position on defense, with responsibility for relaying the coverages and acting as a de facto captain on the field, it is hard to view the moves last week as anything but a demotion for Matthews.

But this isn't the era of power running games up the gut, and it's likely that if Ray Nitschke, Jack Lambert, Mike Singletary, Willie Lanier, and all the other legendary names at the position were still around, they'd have their issues, too. The position doesn't mean as much as it once did.

The Eagles want fast linebackers who can cover tight ends and backfield receivers and still stop the run well enough to force the opposition to throw into a talented secondary and in the face of a strong rush. So far, that hasn't been the case. St. Louis and Atlanta hurt the Eagles on the ground, and that led to the new alignment.

It is hardly Matthews' fault if he wasn't able to immediately acclimate himself to the duties and demands of the position. If there was a failing, it was the organization's, for throwing him into the deep end of the pool so quickly.

"This feels more natural to me. I played some Mike at Oregon, but played a little more on the outside," Matthews said. "Chaney played some Mike last year and he's used to it. This just allows me to not think as much and just play."

What the moves might also signal is the real start of the Juan Castillo era on defense. Castillo was handed Matthews and essentially told that was his middle linebacker. Castillo is a solid organization man, a no-nonsense believer that hard work conquers all, and if the Eagles had drafted a marmot, he would have tried to make that work, too.

But when the run defense didn't improve against Atlanta - lowlighted by a 61-yard run by Michael Turner with Matthews and Chaney on the field in a nickel package - he called for the change.

"You know that everything goes through Coach Reid," Castillo said. "We sit down and discuss things and talk about the defense on a daily basis."

Which is probably true, and certainly a politically sound answer, but Reid has not been known to suggest defensive alignments in the past. This is Juan Castillo's move and it is a clear signal to the entire defense that jobs are not guaranteed.

It goes without saying that if Matthews is not successful at the weak side, this could be just the first step of a two-part progression to the bench. Keenan Clayton and Brian Rolle, either of whom could be weak-side starters, have been getting time in some nickel formations.

"It's all about seeing where guys fit and where they are more comfortable," said Fokou, who returns to the strong side, where he started 17 games the last two seasons. "For me, this change is no big deal. Outside linebackers are basically interchangeable. As soon as the tight end goes in motion, I go from being the Sam [stong side] to the Will [weak side]. So, you've got to know both."

New York, which usually has a strong running game with Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs, could provide a quick test of the new lineup, although the Giants are off to a slow start on the ground. Their 3.3-yards-per- rush average is 24th in the league.

Still, the Giants figure to try the Eagles there, and specifically try the ability of the linebackers to plug the gaps. The new defensive coordinator will be watching closely, and the shuffle that took place last week might not be over yet. All the players recognize that now, regardless of what hopes the organization might have had for them.