Stewart Bradley out for the season

When the Eagles let Brian Dawkins leave to the Denver Broncos, many thought the mantle of defensive leader was going to be passed on to middle linebacker Stewart Bradley. Bradley only just became the starter last season, but he quickly became a steadying presence and showed promising leadership skills. Unfortunately, it looks like the Eagles are going to have to come up with another plan for a defensive leader.

According to WIP 610, Bradley may be out for the season after suffering a torn ACL during the Eagles Flight Night, the Sunday night scrimmage open to fans. Brian Seltzer also confirms it via his Twitter, so it looks like Bradley is indeed lost for the year.

Now the question is who steps in at the middle linebacker position? On the Eagles unofficial depth chart on their website, Joe Mays is the backup at middle linebacker, so he could be an option. The best three LB's on the roster are Akeem Jordan, Chris Gocong and Omar Gaither, so the Eagles could also move them around to fill the three spots. No matter how they shake it up, however, losing Bradley is going to be a big blow. The Eagles should still have one of the better defenses in the league, but they are going to see a bit of a dropoff without their man in the middle.

First, Brian Dawkins leaves via free agency. Then, sadly, Jim Johnson passed away. Now, Stewart Bradley is out. This could be a rough year for the Eagles defense.