Take a Chance on Trent Cole?

Trent Cole was released by the Philadelphia Eagles this week and the aging defensive end/rush linebacker will be looking to prove he’s still got enough left in the tank even at age 32.

The defensive end registered 6.5 sacks in 15 games in 2014. That’s near his average of eight per season, having amassed 85.5 sacks over 10 years with the Eagles (only behind Reggie White in team history). That’s some pretty scary production that the Eagles are going to be doing without moving forward.

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At this point in his career, I doubt that Cole will be a three-down player for any team he plays with. He is more likely going to be a situation pass rusher for teams, especially those that need a little extra ‘oomph’ on passing down. In 2014

he was still Pro Football Focus’s ninth most efficient pass rusher

, for those who have played over 50% of snaps. That’s a dependable pass rush anytime he’s on the field.

The question here is whether he could transition to be a more standard 4-3 defensive end with the Jaguars or be a leader at the Leo pass rushing position with the team. The Jags took a chance on Jason Babin (also out of Philadelphia) for a season and a half and also got good production out of him (7.5 sacks in 2013). Taking a chance on another proven pass rusher with some experience wouldn’t be a bad move for the Jags, especially since they didn’t have a pass rusher capable of terrorizing defenses in 2014.

That could all change if they go with a terrific pass rushing prospect in the NFL draft, but bringing in some insurance can never hurt. At this point he wouldn’t be anywhere near a priority in my mind, but I do think that with his experience and track record, Trent Cole is certainly somebody to think about. Other teams, like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, are already lining up visits, so don’t be shocked if Cole is gone before the Jacksonville Jaguars even think about reaching out.

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