Trent

Cole

Cole lost his starting gig when Darren Howard was signed, but Howard could play tackle in pass situations. As a 2005 rookie, Cole notched five sacks and 46 tackles.

He did not come out of the game, however. It was a game Cole was dominating, as he notched five tackles and one sack while seemingly pressuring Matt Ryan at will. With two quarterback takedowns in his first two games, Cole is a great bet to post his third straight double-digit sack total this season.

Coach Andy Reid conceded Monday that both Cole and LT Jason Peters (hamstring) would be “a stretch” to return. Darryl Tapp started for Cole against the Bills and had three tackles, without a sack. Cole’s absence was particularly apparent in run defense, as Fred Jackson, C.J. Spiller, and Brad Smith combined to rush for 136 yards and two TDs, averaging a steady 4.25 YPC.

The sides are reportedly “just working on language,” and are “expected to be done soon.” Cole has notched at least nine sacks each of the past five seasons, and has missed just four games since coming into the league in 2005.

The Eagles are working to sign their own this year as opposed to making a free-agent splash. Third in franchise history with 68 career sacks, Cole is behind only Reggie White (124) and Clyde Simmons (76.5). Along with double-digit sacks in four of the past five seasons, Cole has also played well against the run. At 29 years old, he should have another 2-3 seasons of Pro Bowl-level production. This is another smart move by the Eagles, as Cole is one of the NFL’s premier all-around defensive ends.

However, Cole is still expected to be active on Sunday for the first time since Week 4. One of the Eagles’ most effective pass rushers, Cole has tallied three sacks in four games.

Washburn has been in the NFL since 1998, coaching Jevon Kearse, Kyle Vanden Bosch, Albert Haynesworth and Kevin Carter. Cole flies under the radar, but he’s been an elite defensive end for six years. During that span, the 2005 fifth-round pick has racked up 63 sacks and 375 tackles while missing just three games.

“I might play into another contract,” he said. Now 29, Cole signed a four-year, $53M extension in March. Cole missed two games with a calf injury last season, but has missed just four contests since coming into the league in 2005. With a year in DL coach Jim Washburn’s system under his belt, Cole is aiming for 19 sacks in 2012. He’s notched at least nine sacks each of the past five seasons.

“I’m really concerned. It’s depressing [not to have more sacks] when you spend as much time on pass rush as we do,” said defensive line coach Jim Washburn. Last season, the Eagles racked up a league-high 50 sacks, but have only seven through five games this year. Opposing teams have routinely kept six or even seven players in to block, allowing the quarterback more time to get the ball out. The Eagles pass rush will look to get things going in Week 6 against a Lions team that has given up nine sacks through four games.

If it wasn’t for Cole’s enormous contract, he’d already be gone. Cole has never played outside linebacker, and it’s proving to be a chore to learn the nuances of the position. The Eagles are trying to force a square peg into a round hole, but they’d be charged with nearly $10 million in dead money by cutting Cole.