Eagles acquire LB Ernie Sims in 3 team trade

The Eagles have added another linebacker to the mix, acquiring Lions LB Ernie Sims in a trade that saw the Birds send a 5th round pick to the Broncos while the Broncos shipped TE Tony Scheffler and a 7th round pick to the Lions.

A former captain with the Lions, Sims has played 4 years in the NFL, starting 56 games for the Lions at outside linebacker. While he isn't big (6 feet, 230 pounds), Sims does have a lot of energy and hits everything that moves. He is expected to compete for a starting job in an Eagles linebacker corps that is in flux, with only MLB Stewart Bradley guaranteed to be a starter. Sims has the potential to make a strong contribution and could easily earn the starting strongside LB spot or even the weakside spot that was vacated when the Eagles cut Will Witherspoon.

For the price of a 5th round draft pick, the Eagles got a pretty good deal for a guy that could potentially be a starter for them. Adding Sims to a group of linebackers that features Bradley, Akeem Jordan, Moise Fokou, Omar Gaither, Joe Mays and Alex Hall makes for a pretty crowded linebacker position. Expect there to be some serious battles in training camp for the 3 starting linebacker spots and don't be surprised if Omar Gaither gets traded at the draft. This trade also likely means the Eagles won't be pursuing linebackers with their 10 remaining draft picks.