Trotter released - What does this do to Eagles expectations?

The Philadelphia Eagles have released Jeremiah Trotter, leaving a hole in the middle of the Eagles (supposed) vaunted defense. Len Pasquarelli projects Takeo Spikes as the one to fill that hole.

So, how does this affect the general perception of the Eagles for 2007, and how will their defense ultimately perform? To start, I would label myself as somewhat skeptical of the Eagles as a potential NFC champion. I certainly consider them a playoff contender (possible favorite to win their division), but I have trouble with putting them in the same sentence as Chicago and New Orleans (I'm stepping back on Seattle for a moment after reading about the horrific game in Green Bay). Popular wisdom is that if the Eagles are great, it will be because of Donovan McNabb, their tough veteran defense, and Brian Westbrook plus their offensive line, roughly in that order. I have my questions about McNabb and Westbrook's health (and more-so their ability to stay healthy), but that's for another conversation. What I'm interested in now is how this affects their overall defense.

A quick look at Trotter's career stats seems to indicate that Trotter hasn't fallen off significantly (unlike, say, Simeon Rice). The article doesn't mention a decline in recent years, nor does it cite injuries as the reason Trotter was cut. This wasn't a salary cap cut either, quoting: "His release was not a salary cap move, however, since the Eagles are comfortably under the $109 million ceiling." The tone of the article is that this was an unexpected release.

So, the Eagles lose a two-time pro-bowler at the so-called 'defensive quarterback' position, just three weeks before the start of the regular season. This hurts the Eagles depth at linebacker. It also may affect overall defensive communication (I'm not familiar with all of the responsibility the Eagles place on their Mike, but the 'defensive quarterback' label is there for a reason). Take a look at the Eagles current depth chart. After Takeo Spikes, the Eagles most experienced linebackers are entering their third season. Yikes.

The Eagles need to start searching the waiver wires for some veteran salary-cap cuts, otherwise they could have linebacker, and ultimately defensive, problems that hold them back from (NFC) elite status.