Part 8 of my analysis of the Eagles, position by position, focuses on a group that has done a 180-degree turn from 12 months ago. The linebackers were a collective question mark at this time a year ago. Now they are as promising a group as the Eagles have had at any position in a long, long time.

By overhauling the group after the 2006 campaign, the Eagles entered 2007 with a bunch of pieces that needed a lot of the right things to happen to become a puzzle. First, the team acquired Takeo Spikes in a trade with Buffalo, and then waited to see how the picture would sort out before assigning him a definitive position. Then the team used a third-round pick on Stewart Bradley, a strong-side linebacker at Nebraska who also had experience and the physical attributes to play in the middle. Dhani Jones, the team's starter at SAM in the three previous seasons, was released. Jeremiah Trotter, a leader on the team and a Pro Bowl player, was waived midway through training camp.

As the Eagles entered the season, Omar Gaither, a second-year player who started in December of 2006 and in the post-season that year at WILL, moved to the middle as the full-time starter. Spikes was entrenched as a starter at WILL. And Chris Gocong, a third-round pick in 2006 who spent all of that season on injured reserve, made strides every day as the SAM linebacker. Pago Togafau was acquired off of waivers days before the opener in Green Bay, another prospect to consider.

As each week progressed, then, the linebackers made progress. Gaither was a tackling machine in the middle. Spikes solidified the run defense and took away some of the short passes that hurt the defense in the past. Gocong was a physical presence against the run and a developing player in passing situations, both in coverage and when he was called on to rush the quarterback.

Still, the molding was not complete. Matt McCoy was waived during the season, ending his brief and disappointing time in Philadelphia after the Eagles drafted him in the second round in 2005. Akeem Jordan, impressive in the preseason after signing with the team as a non-drafted rookie, was called up from the practice squad for a look-see.

As the Eagles came down the stretch run, in the final half of the season and then in the final month, the linebackers led the way for the defense. Spikes was solid, and would have been spectacular had he made some plays on which he had his hands on the football and failed to hold on. Gaither was around the ball all season. Gocong was simply outstanding against the run and then advanced as a pass-rushing threat off the edge in certain situations.

Spikes missed the final two games of the year after suffering a shoulder injury in the win over Dallas, and Bradley became the starter. He wowed everybody with six tackles, a quarterback sack and a forced fumble in the game and helped the Eagles stifle a high-powered New Orleans offense during a memorable goal-line stand.

Bradley also played some MIKE in the game as Gaither went down with an injury and Jordan came in and played the weak side, making a total of five tackles and fitting in very well.

Both Bradley and Jordan continued their strong play in the finale against Buffalo, supplementing a terrific defensive effort and the Eagles went into the offseason feeling that they had a lot to work with at each of the three linebacker position in the near future.

Now? The high expectations and tremendous optimism remain. What remains to be seen is how Jim Johnson plans on putting it all together. With new linebackers coach Bill Shuey working with the group -- Sean McDermott moved to the secondary -- the Eagles are likely to consider a lot of options moving forward. Spikes is expected to be healthy as he continues to rehab his shoulder. He should step right back into the WILL spot.

Then again ...

There are questions about middle linebacker and SAM. Does Gaither stay in the middle, or do the Eagles turn it over to Bradley, who has more bulk and who proved to blitz very effectively as a rookie? Will Gocong stay on the strong side and continue his transformation from a small-college defensive end to NFL linebacker? Or do the Eagles move Gocong around and use him off the edge at times to help the pass rush in nickel situations?

What about Jordan? He is a core member of the special teams, true, but Jordan exhibits excellent athletic ability and instincts -- as well as the skills to make plays -- and will provide competition in the spring and summer. Hey, Spikes has the ability to play all three linebacker positions, so who is to say he wouldn't end up on the strong side?

Johnson has options here and he has one of the more talented groups of linebackers to come along in many years here. Maybe Johnson just mixes and matches -- by the way, Togafau is a complete unknown to me at this point, so I have to consider him a dar khorse across the board -- and figures things out on a possession-by-possession basis. He can give quarterbacks a lot of different looks with so much young talent and a bunch of players who provide different looks.

It is, no doubt, an exciting proposition. The Eagles ripped things apart at linebacker 12 months ago. They did it right. The next step is to make this group something special, and that is what Johnson intends to do.

Next Position: Cornerbacks