Eagles Deal Pick to Land LB Sims

Birds get outside linebacker as part of 3-team deal

Most football insiders expected the Eagles to do some wheeling and dealing during the NFL Draft but the Birds started shifting picks on Monday to sure up one of their biggest needs.

The Eagles landed former Lions’ linebacker Ernie Sims as part of the three-way deal.

To land Sims the Birds will send a fifth-round 2010 draft pick (No. 137) to Denver while the Broncos will send tight end Tony Scheffler and a seventh-round pick to the Lions.

"I'm just real excited, looking for a new beginning," Sims told reporters Monday.

Sims, 25, was one of the few bright players on some terrible Lions teams over the past few seasons. The 6-foot, 230-pounder will likely fill the outside linebacker spot vacated by Chris Gocong.

Basically the Birds got a starting-caliber outside linebacker for just a fifth round pick.

"Sims is an impact player at the linebacker position," said head coach Andy Reid. "He brings a lot of energy to our already energized defense."

He also knows how to tackle. He has collected 505 tackles, five forced fumbles and 2.5 sacks in four seasons.

Sims was the Lions first pick (no. 9 overall) in the 2006 Draft. He averaged more than 110 combined tackles for his first three seasons in Detroit until shoulder and hamstring injuries limited him into only eight starts last season.

Up to that point Sims had started 50 consecutive games, according to Michigan Live.

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