With rookie Casey Matthews, second-year player Jamar Chaney and third-year player Moise Fokou starting at linebacker, the Eagles are inexperienced at the position. But Eagles defensive coordinator Juan Castillo isn’t ready.
In fact, Castillo believes that by the time the Super Bowl rolls around, no one will be saying the Eagles’ linebackers are inexperienced.
“The linebackers will be ready to win the Super Bowl,” Castillo said, via Andy Schwartz of CSNPhilly.com. “Remember, it takes 16 weeks, and then really whoever is playing their best during the playoffs. So when you look at it, there’s time to develop. You can say that there’s not, but the key is, who’s playing or fundamentally who’s the best come Week 8, 9, 10 – and during that crunch time. And over the years we’ve been pretty good during that time, and we’ll continue to do that. The young kids will get better just because they’re working the proper fundamentals.”
So Castillo doesn’t necessarily think the linebackers are ready to win the Super Bowl now. He just thinks they will be five months from now.
“It takes time to develop kids,” Castillo said. “It’s a process, and it’s our job to develop the kids and make them better.”
Of course, if it takes too much time to develop, the Eagles won’t be in the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl. But the Eagles seem to think the rest of their team is good enough that getting to the Super Bowl shouldn’t be a problem.