Basement Cat
Frank Drebin
Because he looks like an attacker you want running into space, not someone controlling the possession through traffic in the middle of the pitch of a game in which you'll be playing against the ball 95% of the time. As for the goal he scored, wasn't that playing off the wing? Not that it would be anything but bizarre to use to argue for his inclusion at the 8, either way; since goals are very far down the list of priorities for that position, but still. I'm pretty sure that goal came with him playing further up the pitch and out wide.
I can see that, was the other CM a more defensively oriented box to boxer with Nagbe in a more free role to create? In that role I can see him having success in the MLS. But that's a very different job than partnering Bradley in a double-6 for the NT.
His best role is as an 8. For Portland, when they try to play him on the wing, he is a mixed bag. When they moved him to the 8, with a #10 in front of him and a #6 behind him, they won the MLS Cup. For club and country that is by far his best position imo. When he came on against Ecuador it was not on the wing. Unfortunately, the USMNT does not have a CAM as good as Diego Valeri, so I would play Nagbe in a system where there is a dedicated 6 (Bradley) and another box to box guy next to Nagbe (Jones), if we had a must win game tomorrow.