Joe Mays Could See Action At MLB This Week

After a pretty underwhelming preseason in which he failed to capture a spot in the starting lineup, Joe Mays finally could get another opportunity on Sunday night. With Akeem Jordan expected to be out for the second consecutive week, the Eagles are once again considering a shift in their linebacker unit, and after taking the majority of snaps in practice, Mays could become the fifth player to start in the middle this season.

Mays has only been active in four games so far this year, but actually had a strong afternoon in kick coverage against San Diego, coming up with three tackles of shifty Darren Sproles. That's been about the only good news though. Mays was so uninspiring this summer, he's had to watch as the defense paraded one stopgap after another into a position where some thought he was an obvious fit.

It helps that he could hardly do any worse than Chris Gocong last week. Gocong was generally ineffective at middle linebacker, rarely getting any penetration into the backfield, and out of position several times in coverage. It's not entirely his fault. He's taken very limited snaps in practice from the middle, and it's really not for everyone.

Putting Mays there at least utilizes a player with some sort of experience in that role. It also moves Gocong back to his usual spot, where he's at least adequate, and it gets Moise Fokou off the field. Fokou has looked solid at times and should still see some action, but the dumb rookie penalties have really hurt the team. Will Witherspoon will continue to start at weakside for Jordan.

I was a big supporter of Mays coming into the season following an excellent showing in the 2008 preseason, but he doesn't currently instill much confidence. He seemed to have a natural ability to wreak havoc at the point of attack, but this year looked hesitant and out of position. With Spoon forced outside and Trotter the only other viable option though, it couldn't hurt to give Mays another try.