Eagles rookie Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is preparing for his first career start against the Bengals following Zack Baun’s injury

PHILADELPHIA – Eagles rookie linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. has been waiting to learn from his veteran teammates Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean. His time may come sooner than expected.

With Baun sidelined from Wednesday’s practice due to a shoulder injury suffered in a Week 7 win over the New York Giants, Trotter appears to be the next to take over Baun’s role on defense. This is nothing unexpected for Trotter as he has prepared for this opportunity.

“I definitely try to make sure I prepare every week as if I were going to start,” Trotter said Wednesday. “I get a lot of reps. So if that situation arises, I feel confident about my preparation.”

There’s no guarantee that Trotter will start on Sunday, but it could be a trend in that direction. Oren Burks was Baun’s replacement when he left Sunday’s game, but the defensive starters were immediately pulled following the injury. Trotter replaced Dean and played nine snaps.

What about Ben VanSumeren? The linebacker actually didn’t play any defensive snaps on Sunday, but played five snaps at fullback and 26 on special teams. Should the Philadelphia Eagles decide to continue the youth movement on defense (they have one of the youngest defenses in the NFL), Trotter would be the ideal candidate alongside Dean.

“When I saw him go down, my first thought was that he was OK,” Trotter said of Baun’s injury. “When something like that happens – and he’s fine – but when it happens it makes you think. I felt like I was ready if I needed to intervene.”

“At that point I pretty much had the game under control.”

Trotter has learned from veterans like Baun and Dean in recent months. He asked questions and picked her brain. The two even took Trotter aside to show them what they see in certain plays.

There’s a reason Trotter thinks he’ll be ready for his first start should it come about.

“I try to learn from them and make sure I absorb everything they tell me,” Trotter said. “They are very good at pulling me aside when they see something. They criticize my technique and try to help me as much as possible. I really appreciate that.”