Trotter gets Axed

Today, the Philadelphia Eagles released nine year veteran, Jeremiah Trotter, the Axe-Man. During an emotional press conference, Trotter, along with the organization, announced the move with a sense of remorse. Trotter, in his second stint with the Birds, was a fan favorite. And it seems clear that he had become an organizational favorite; making this decision a tough one for the team. However, Trotter and his creaky knees no longer fit into the Eagles' plans at linebacker.

Ever since returning to the Eagles in 2004, after his two year experiment in Washington failed, Trotter has been a team leader on and off the field. He came back humbled and was willing to start the season as a backup. But by midseason, the Axe-Man was back, starting in the middle of the defense, on his way to his third Pro Bowl. He was the run-stopping anchor on that Super Bowl team, and even though the run defense worsened the following year, that didn't stop him from earing another Pro Bowl trip.

It is clear that the team feels that Trotter can simply no longer provide the range that their middle linebacker needs to, as they make way for younger, quicker, Omar Gaither. Trotter came into training camp after a vigorous offseason where he lost weight in an attempt be become quicker and put less stress on his aging knees. However it wasn't enough to hold off the youth movement in the Eagles' linebacking corps. Trotter's age has simply caught up with him.

Of course, this is not the first time the Eagles' have parted way with a popular veteran. And for the most part, the Eagles have been correct in their unpopular assessments. Trotter himself was a victim of this way of business when he left the team the first time. And after two unsuccessful seasons with the Redskins, he was back in Eagles green - under their terms, not his.

Bobby Taylor, Troy Vincent, Hugh Douglas, Duce Staley, Corey Simon, and the list goes on. They were all popular veterans that the fans and media felt were critical parts to the team. We were wrong and the Eagles' front office was right. So it seems fair that the organization has earned the benefit of the doubt in this situation. And seeing how tough it was for them to make this particular move, it shows that they really wanted to keep Trotter on. However, in the best interest of the team, it was just time for Trotter and the Eagles to go their separate ways.