Eagles Release Oft-Injured Long

PHILADELPHIA (973espn.com) - The uphill battle for linebacker Travis Long ended early Wednesday morning when the Eagles released the Washington State product.

Long, who suffered his third ACL tear last season, struggled in coverage during the early days of camp and it was clear the lateral-movement skills were just not there for him at this point.

He was also a bit of a square peg in Jim Schwartz's system in that Long was originally pegged as a 3-4 outside linebacker in the Chip Kelly regime. Unlike the rest of the edge defenders under Chip, however, Long was kept at LB instead of being moved to 4-3 defensive end.

Long originally tore his right ACL in college and then damaged the left one twice with the Eagles. Fighting for a backup spot on the outside, Long had fallen behind undrafted free agents Quentin Gause and Myke Tavarres on the depth chart, a clear indication that the writing was on the wall.

The Eagles now have an open roster spot and will likely attempt to add a linebacker after projected starter Nigel Bradham was arrested earlier this week for allegedly assaulting a cabana boy at a Miami Beach hotel.

-John McMullen covers the Eagles and the NFL for 973espn.com. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen