It has been a tumultuous week at the NovaCare Complex for the Eagles' defense. The secondary lost two significant contributors in Ellis Hobbs (out for the season with a neck injury) and Joselio Hanson (suspended four games by the NFL), and the linebacking corps appears that it will be without Akeem Jordan this week after Jordan suffered a hyperxtended knee in the Cowboys game.
But, according to Chris Gocong, those are just the kind of things you have to expect in the NFL.
"I feel like every week there's always something going on," the linebacker said. "There's always a mini soap opera every week. You just have to stay alive and adjust.
"Every week there's stuff to adjust to. Guys are going to get hurt."
Gocong is one of the players on the Eagles' defense in the midst of making one of the bigger adjustments. After not playing last week because of a leg injury, Gocong has been working at middle linebacker in practice this week.
Normally a strongside linebacker, Gocong is sliding to the middle because Will Witherspoon is moving from the middle to replace Jordan at weakside linebacker.
"It's going to take some time," Gocong said of the temporary position switch. "But for the most part I definitely have the gameplan down and it comes down to getting reps.
"I (see) it as a challenge and obviously I've been studying a lot. I think my natural body type, it's kind of natural for me; it'll just take a little time."
Gocong, who said he feels fine physically and is comfortable with the vocal aspects of middle linebacker, found out he would be working at a new position Monday morning.
"Monday I got in and I've basically been living here ever since," he said.
The base defense is expected to have Moise Fokou at strongside linebacker along with Gocong and Witherspoon. But Gocong says that doesn't necessarily mean that's the defensive alignment that will be on the field most.
"It really comes down to what (the Chargers) do," he said. "We match personnel, so it's kind of up to them."
-- Posted by Bo Wulf, 5:35 p.m., November 12
