Trotter stays with Eagles

[faba]

Updated: Mar. 3, 2005

Trotter chooses Eagles over more money

By Len Pasquarelli, ESPN.com

There is no denying that middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter plays with great heart. Apparently, he negotiates with his heart, as well.

The three-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker, whose insertion into the starting lineup midway through the 2004 season galvanized a previously shoddy Philadelphia Eagles run defense, has reached a contract agreement to return the team, ESPN.com has learned.

Jeremiah Trotter

Linebacker

Philadelphia Eagles

Profile

2004 SEASON STATISTICS

Tot Ast Solo FF Sack Int

61 57 4 0 1 0

Trotter tested the unrestricted free agent market for three days, visited with the Kansas City Chiefs and drew interest from at least two other teams, and then Friday afternoon rejected a more lucrative proposal to go back to the Eagles, a team for which he has a strong passion.

Sources close to Trotter acknowledged that it would have taken a tremendous offer to pry him away from the Eagles. On Thursday night, Trotter spoke by phone with Eagles coach Andy Reid, and that all but sealed his return.

The seven-year veteran will sign a five-year contract worth $15 million that includes a signing bonus of $4 million.

Trotter, 28, is coming off an '04 season in which he resurrected a flagging career. Cut by the Washington Redskins in the spring, he essentially had to talk Reid into re-signing him, and he agreed to a one-year deal at a minimum salary of $535,000.

With the Eagles struggling to stop the run, defensive coordinator Jim Johnson elevated Trotter to the starting lineup in November, and he responded by posting 61 tackles in just nine starts. He also provided a passion that had been lacking in the Philadelphia defense. For his efforts, Trotter was named to the Pro Bowl for a third time.

The former Stephen F. Austin star began his career in Philadelphia in 1998, moved into the lineup a year later, and established himself as one of the NFL's best defenders versus the run. But in the spring of 2002, he engaged in a nasty contract dispute when the Eagles designated him a "franchise" player.

Philadelphia subsequently rescinded the "franchise" marker and Trotter signed a seven-year, $35.6 million contract with Washington.

The Redskins released him after two seasons for salary cap reasons and because they believed that past knee problems were eroding his productivity. Trotter demonstrated in 2004, both during the regular season and particularly in the playoffs, that he remained a stout defender and that his knees were plenty sound enough.

The Eagles, who divine a player's contract value in a kind of actuarial style that takes into account position and age, do not necessarily place a high premium on the middle linebacker position, but club officials certainly wanted Trotter back. Their options at the middle linebacker spot, one Philadelphia coach allowed, were not strong.

A priority for the Chiefs was middle linebacker, where the underrated Mike Maslowski missed most of the year with a knee injury and youngster Kawika Mitchell struggled to fill the starting spot. The Chiefs also coveted Trotter's leadership skills and locker room presence and negotiated for two days with agent Jimmy Sexton before the talks ended on Thursday night.

He left originally the first time to go to Redskins on bad terms and then came back to Eagles and had a real good year last year when he replaced Simoneau in the lineup.

[R44]

Thanks faba...the Chiefs definitely need a mlb, but Trotter was never leaving after faring so poorly in Washington...

Too bad on Maslowski--his career was over at 28, as he was emerging at LB.

Great story--From Wisconsin White-River and allocated to NFLe in 1999 as a longsnapper only...Won a starting LB job for Barcelona and won that league's defensive MVP, then went on to be a million dollar NFL player for a while.

[TomShane]

Is Maslowski really done, Rigs? That would be awful, awful stuff. I always liked the player.