With Zack Baun injured, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. preparing for 1st career start for Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles rookie linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. has been biding his time learning from veteran teammates Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean. His time may be coming sooner than expected.
With Baun sidelined from Wednesday's practice with a shoulder injury suffered in the Week 7 win over the New York Giants, Trotter appears to be next in line to take over Baun's role in the defense.
This isn't unexpected for Trotter, who has been preparing for the opportunity.
"I definitely try to make sure that every single week, I'm preparing like I'm starting," Trotter said Wednesday. "I'm getting a lot of reps. So if that situation comes up, I'm confident in my preparation."
Trotter isn't guaranteed to start in Cincinnati against the Bengals on Sunday (1 p.m./CBS), yet it could be trending that way.
Oren Burks was the replacement for Baun when he left Sunday's game, but the defensive starters were immediately pulled following the injury. Trotter replaced Dean and played nine snaps.
What about Ben VanSumeren? The linebacker didn't play any defensive snaps Sunday but played five snaps at fullback and 26 on special teams.
If the Eagles continue the youth movement on defense — they have one of the youngest defenses in the NFL — Trotter would be the ideal candidate next to Dean.
"When I saw him come off, I was at first thinking that I hope he's OK," Trotter said of Baun's injury. "When stuff like that happens — and he's fine — but when it happens, it makes you think. I felt like I was ready if I had to step in. At that point in the game, it was pretty much under control."
Trotter has been learning from veterans like Baun and Dean over the last few months. He's been asking questions and picking their brains. The two have even pulled Trotter aside to show him what they're seeing on certain plays.
There's a reason why Trotter thinks he's ready for his first start, should that come to fruition.
"I try to learn from them, making sure I'm soaking up everything they're telling me," Trotter said. "They're very good at pulling me aside if they see something. They'll give me a critique of my technique and try to help me out as much as possible. I really appreciate that."