Jeremiah Trotter

What can you say about a guy who makes 101 solo stops in 15 games? Hopefully something nice to keep on his good side. Back as a full-time starter in 2005, Trotter showed Philly he deserved the chance by doing what he does best: making lots of tackles and tossing in at least one pick and one sack for good measure, which he does just about every year. At 262, he’s a load to handle and excels at stuffing runs. Yet with his motor and mean “tude,” he’s still able to register a few point-earning plays in coverage. He had his knee cleaned out at season’s end, and at 29 is entering the far side of his prime. He’s also inconsistent from game to game, but all other signs point to another prolific season.

The Eagles inserted Trotter into their starting lineup for a Monday night game on Nov. 15 to shore up their shoddy run defense, and it sure worked. Trotter went on a six-game tear during which he racked up 39 solo tackles and a sack. And the truth about this comeback was that he really had never gone anywhere. After two strong fantasy years in Philly in 2000 and 2001, he played just 12 games in 2002 for Washington but at a fairly good per-game clip. It was back to the top 25 among linebackers in 2003 and then back to Philly for 2004 where he was just coming off the bench in the first half. The ability has never gone anywhere – all he needs is the sort of chance he’ll be given from Week 1 in 2005. He’s a physical player who excels at adding a sack and a pick to his high tackle numbers.

Trotter missed much of 2002 with a torn ACL, but after undergoing successful surgery last December, should be fully recovered in time for training camp. Trotter had 93 solo tackles, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions and 10 passes defensed in 2001, so if he looks 100 percent in training camp, he's worth a spot on your squad.