Missing Piece

PHILADELPHIA – While his offensive contributions officially placed him on the local radar, it was the special teams contributions of linebacker Ben VanSumeren that most impacted the Eagles.

It’s there where VanSumeren’s loss will hurt the team most in the long term.

VanSumeren, who suffered a season-ending knee injury during last Friday’s practice, served as the tone-setter for coordinator Michael Clay’s unit because of his physicality, tenacity and willingness to do whatever it took to make the play.

GETTY IMAGES: Known for moonlighting at fullback, LB Ben VanSumeren’s special teams contributions will be most missed after his season-ending injury.

The uber-athletic VanSumeren even once said he expected to make every third phase play.

Whether he was firing up younger teammates and serving as an example – VanSumeren and Jalyx Hunt used to say ‘Pro Bowl on three!’ before running down the field – or clearing the way in his limited experience moonlighting at fullback, the second-year linebacker performed a pivotal role.

“It’s hard to replace a guy like Ben,” said Clay, who once referred to VanSumeren as the “heartbeat” of his unit and noted VanSumeren’s “tenacity, physicality, and athleticism.”

Clay said, “You always feel bad for a guy that you lose due to injury. You kind of take a step back, both as a coaching perspective and player perspective, that it could go away just like that.”

Putting into perspective the value of his role, the Eagles continued to deploy a fullback against the Ravens, with tight end Grant Calcaterra pulling double-duty on occasion.

They also signed a tried-and-true fullback, inking veteran Khari Blasingame on Tuesday to the practice squad.

VanSumeren also fulfilled a role as a core-four player for Clay. The 24-year-old linebacker was a rarity because he could fulfill a multitude of roles due to his athleticism and prior background; he was a fullback at Michigan before transferring to Michigan State and moving to linebacker.

The Michigan State product had accounted for 213 special teams snaps, third on the team, and won’t be easy to replace.

“In terms of replacing him, I think that’s the beauty of special teams,” Clay continued. “You’ve got to not just coach the guys that may be up on game day, but everyone else to get them ready.

“I thought two guys did an unbelievable job being on short notice. Parris Campbell, I know he played a lot on offense, but he was out there on special teams. Then Ochaun Mathis. You never know when your number’s going to get called, but he was ready to fill a void in that situation. Same with C.J. Uzomah going out there.

“It takes a village to get us right. I think all these guys are locked in from Wednesday all the way up to game day because you never know when your numbers going to be called. They played at a high level. We’ve just got to keep repping it, keep getting everybody ready because you never know when your number’s called.”

– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.