Eagles outside linebackers had a pretty good season in 2014.
Connor Barwin had a career-high 14½ sacks, Brandon Graham tied his career high with 5½ and Trent Cole had 6½.
But one linebacker didn't do much of anything. That was rookie Marcus Smith, the Eagles' first-round pick, who played just eight games and recorded zero tackles.
Former Eagles assistant coach Tra Thomas, who worked with the outside linebackers on their pass rush, noted one glaring problem with Smith.
"He's definitely going to have to get a little stronger out there because when you look at even his body type, he has the build of like a high school athlete still — a young college athlete," Thomas said on Comcast SportsNet's Friday edition of Philly Sports Talk. "He needs to put on probably about a good 15 to 20 more pounds so he can really execute and be a effective out there.
"He has the same movement pattern as Connor [Barwin], where you can teach him how to work and throw his different moves in and how to help him with his timing."
Thomas is no longer an assistant with the team, as the Eagles relieved him of his duties on Tuesday.
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The former Eagles offensive lineman worked with the team as an intern in the 2013 offseason before being brought on as an offensive assistant prior to that season.
"Coach [Chip Kelly] was just saying that my position isn't going to exist next year because they kind of made up a position for me so I can get some experience in the game on the [defensive] side of the ball and start coaching," Thomas said. "On my first year, I started on the offensive line, then the next year, I started working with the outside linebackers, teaching pass rush, working with the defensive linemen. That's when they just brought me in and told me that's it.
"I didn't have any idea that it was coming, but I just kept rolling, went down to the Senior Bowl and started interviewing with some other coaches. And then you just start putting other things into perspective. Now, I get to spend more time with my kids and hang out with my family, so I'm enjoying this time right now."
Thomas, who spent 11 seasons as the Eagles' starting left tackle, said he would like to continue coaching, especially considering the results his assistance produced. The Eagles' outside linebackers had 26½ sacks last season, 10½ more than in 2013.
"I really enjoyed it," Thomas said, "just because when you can see what you're teaching is actually working — that's what was the fun part about it. ... It was just good to see to start seeing the things that I was teaching were actually working. I was looking at film, looking at offensive linemen, and just coming up with different ways on how to attack them because I know their weaknesses."
Any new coaching gigs on the horizon?
"I've been talking to some other teams," he said. "I've been talking with Leslie Frazier (Buccaneers defensive coordinator) down in Tampa, I've been talking with [Steve Spagnuolo] (Giants defensive coordinator) up in New York, and then you have Todd Bowles (Jets head coach) that's up there, I could possibly do another internship with another team, but I don't know, right now I'm just really enjoying my family and just seeing if anything comes."