Eagles cut LB Will Witherspoon

The Eagles haven't managed to sign any free agents as of yet but they have made another move today, cutting linebacker Will Witherspoon. Witherspoon was acquired from the Rams back in October for Brandon Gibson and a 5th round draft pick and was an immediate contributor on defense, especially in his first game against the Redskins (1 sack, 1 pick, 1 TD). Witherspoon was due to make 5 million dollars next year.

The move comes as a surprise, especially when you consider how thin the Eagles are at linebacker. Sure, Stewart Bradley will be returning to the middle next year, which will push Akeem Jordan back to weakside linebacker, but it's not like the Eagles are brimming with talent after those two. It's likely a question of money and age; the Eagles probably don't want to pay Witherspoon to be a 29 year old, multi-million dollar backup linebacker. Even in an uncapped year, the Eagles are showing that they won't be throwing money around.