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Casey Matthews a survivor with the Eagles

Casey Matthews arrived at Lehigh University for the Eagles' 2011 training camp atop the depth chart at middle linebacker. A rookie fourth-round pick who entered the league during the NFL's work stoppage, Matthews did not yet know the defense, his teammates, or his coaches. Amid a frenzied free-agent signing period that produced the ill-fated "Dream Team," the Eagles chose the untested rookie to man the middle of their defense.

Eagles linebacker Casey Matthews. (David Maialetti/Staff Photographer)
Eagles linebacker Casey Matthews. (David Maialetti/Staff Photographer)Read more

Casey Matthews arrived at Lehigh University for the Eagles' 2011 training camp atop the depth chart at middle linebacker. A rookie fourth-round pick who entered the league during the NFL's work stoppage, Matthews did not yet know the defense, his teammates, or his coaches. Amid a frenzied free-agent signing period that produced the ill-fated "Dream Team," the Eagles chose the untested rookie to man the middle of their defense.

The experiment lasted three games before Matthews was demoted.

"I started too soon," Matthews admitted last week.

Yet Matthews found a way to survive on the Eagles. The coaching staff and scheme changed. He went from starter to special- teams player, bouncing between positions. He started at all three linebacker spots in Juan Castillo's 4-3 system. He has shuffled between inside linebacker and outside linebacker since defensive coordinator Bill Davis arrived. His employment has been tenuous but has never been lost.

"As soon as I got taken out [of the lineup], you learn a lot about yourself and how you're going to bounce back from it," Matthews said. "As the years started stacking up, you know you can play. But in my case, I didn't have that many actual game reps."

Matthews now has a chance to show he can play. After DeMeco Ryans ruptured his Achilles tendon on Nov. 2, Matthews became a starter. He splits duties with Emmanuel Acho in trying to replace the Eagles' defensive leader. It is similar to the role Matthews held for four games when Mychal Kendricks was injured earlier this season.

In the Eagles' first game without Ryans, Matthews made the first tackle and forced a fumble on the second play. He was second on the team with six tackles, playing 37 percent of the defensive snaps.

Matthews won't be confused with his Pro Bowl brother, Clay Matthews, who will be on the opposing sideline when the Eagles visit the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. But he seems better able to handle the role he's in than when he endured criticism as a rookie in 2011.

"His whole physical growth as well as his mental development, he's just continued to progress each and every year," Clay Matthews said in a telephone interview Saturday. "His rookie year was a tough start in the NFL, being thrown in the fire and having the lack of success they did, they needed a scapegoat.

"It was very easy to put the fault and the blame on him, especially being the middle linebacker who's looked at as the leader on the defense. It was hard on him. That's not to say there wasn't room for improvement or he couldn't have gotten better, but it was difficult."

Still around

When Casey Matthews looks at the photo of the linebackers from his rookie season, he sees that he is the only player who still wears the uniform. That would have seemed unlikely three years ago.

He might not have made the 53-man roster out of the preseason this year if not for Travis Long's injury. He would not have entered the lineup if not for Najee Goode's Week 1 injury.

Of the Eagles' 11 draft picks from 2011, only three remain with the team, and only Matthews and Jason Kelce have stayed all four seasons. Only nine Eagles have been with the team longer than Matthews.

The biggest change for Matthews came when the Eagles changed the coaching staff after 2012 and moved to a 3-4 defense. But the change was not as dramatic for Matthews, who was a defensive leader at Oregon for Chip Kelly.

"I think he's got a great demeanor about himself because he's never too high, he's never too low," Kelly said. "I think he's really a calming influence out there, much like DeMeco was in terms of how they're not going to lose their mind in any situation out there. They're going to analyze what it is and put us in the right call."

Clay Matthews said that of all his siblings, Casey is the one who is the "most even-keeled, mild-mannered." That has allowed him to deal with failure and criticism, and it has also endeared him to his coaches throughout his career.

"He's not a quitter," said Matthews' mother, Leslie Matthews, a spokeswoman for helmet maker Riddell. "It speaks to his character. He has a skill set and a knack for football, but he's also a great kid. . . . And he'll do whatever it takes - he'll switch positions, he'll answer the bell."

When the Eagles were light on outside linebackers last season, Kelly thought he could trust Matthews to switch spots. Matthews said that helped him become a better player because he learned the coverage assignments for the other players, allowing him to understand the "why" of the defense.

The Eagles coaches try defining specific roles for their players. The Eagles like Matthews as a between-the-tackles linebacker. Kelly said Matthews is a "really good tackler in the box," and they do not overextend him.

The risk comes when defenses try to exploit Matthews in the areas where he's not as good, such as deep pass coverage. Matthews was beaten for a 38-yard pass down the middle of the field Monday in the win over Carolina. The Eagles believe that Matthews is playing at a high level, though, especially against the run.

"He just continues to gain confidence in the system, in himself, and in those around him," Davis said. "I think that makes any player play better."

Others on the team and in Matthews' family made the same observation.

"Now it's about taking the next step," Clay Matthews said. "Not only being in a position where he needs to be, but making those plays continually and being a playmaker. So hopefully he's trending in the right direction. It's good to see."

Changing perceptions

The better Matthews plays, the more he can erase the memories of his first season. The image of Brandon Jacobs beating Matthews for a 40-yard catch on a wheel route could be replaced by Matthews' forcing the first of five turnovers in last week's win. The idea that the Eagles are in trouble with Ryans out of the lineup could be replaced by the notion that Matthews has developed into a reliable reserve.

"A lot of people outside the locker room, like fans and stuff, talking a lot of crap, and they really don't know how good he is," Kendricks said. "I think he's compared to his brother a lot. But he and his brother play totally different positions, different body types, different minds. Totally different people."

Those comparisons come with the territory when you're the brother and son of Pro Bowlers. Matthews understands it, and said he's learned to "deal with it." Clay Matthews admitted it's difficult, and it's what he experienced when he entered the league with the same name as his father, who played 19 years in the NFL.

"I think everybody just assumes when you plug in a Matthews, it's going to be an automatic success," Clay Matthews said. "That's really not the case. . . . Despite being the brothers and sharing the last name and sharing a lot of similarities, there's also a lot of differences, too."

The Eagles don't need Matthews to be like his brother or father. They just need him to be solid enough to help make up for the loss of Ryans. The coaches are pleased with how he's played, and he has two more months to change the reputation forged during his rookie year.

"Just looking to build on the success of these past few games," Matthews said. "I'm not playing to change the fans' minds. That's up to them."

@ZBerm