Can the Eagles Defense Be as Dominant as It Needs to Be?
In the very far year of 2017, the Philadelphia Eagles had one of, if not the most stacked and dominant defense in the NFL.
A relentless group upfront, which generated pressure from all angles and gaps in the passing game, while also being elite against the run, paired up with a dynamic set of linebackers and coverage mismatches galore on the back, all being captained by one of the best defensive minds in the league, Jim Schwartz. That unit had it all, which is precisely why they routinely shut down opposing offenses, even the most potent ones like the Falcons and the Rams (but obviously not the Patriots), en route to securing the franchise’s first Super Bowl ring.
Rosters in the NFL are, however, every bit of a revolving door as possible. Even though the 2018 group kept the same core together, injuries decimated the depth chart, and the unit was predictably not able to keep the same pace, and the team had a major liability in its defense until late in the season, when the replacements had time to actually study playbooks and practice with each other.
Now for the 2019 season, the faces of this defensive group will be a lot different. The star household names, like Fletcher Cox, Malcolm Jenkins, and Brandon Graham are still here, but the role players around them are littered with question marks as to how they fit what the Eagles like and need to do defensively.
In the interior defensive line, the modus operandi under Jim Schwartz has been to have as many gap penetrators as possible, to take advantage of the constant double teams Fletcher Cox receives, while also generating enough 4-man pressure to avoid blitzing as much as possible. With that in mind, the Malik Jackson signing has home-run potential. Jackson is a force on the inside, with superior strength and surprising quickness for a man his size (6’5”, 290). Although his run defense capabilities have deteriorated in recent years, that was never his selling point, and the team has a pretty good designated run defender in the other major DL addition (or re-signing, in this case), in Timmy Jernigan. When healthy, Jernigan has been a gap plugger throughout his career and, even though he has developed some nice pass-rush moves after coming to Philly, his main duty should continue to be stopping the run.
Eagles linebackers are all about speed and quickness. That is Nigel Bradham and Kamu Grugier-Hill’s game, and it also was Jordan Hicks’ strength. Newly added Zach Brown is next in line as an athletic sideline-to-sideline player with good instincts in the passing game and sure tackling ability. If he can replicate his exceptional 2018 season in an Eagles jersey, the middle of the field should be well taken care of. LJ Fort is an underrated depth signing, as yet another athletic specimen at the LB position, who had a breakout season in 2018 with the Steelers. Having capable rotational depth pieces is vital to the success of this unit, given the intensity it plays with, so Fort will likely carve a role for himself besides special teams play.
The secondary returns almost everybody. Aside from a few low profile losses, with the most important being Corey Graham, every single man who played a down for the Eagles’ defensive backfield in 2018 is under contract for 2019, which is a great thing. The unit showed signs of major improvement down the stretch, with players like Avonte Maddox, Cre’Von LeBlanc and Rasul Douglas stepping up, and getting the likes of Rodney McLeod, Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby back from injury will only increase competition and bring out the best in everybody. This group has “No Phly Zone” breakout potential if everything goes right.
There’s only one group left to talk about, and that is the defensive end/edge rush unit. Here lies the biggest cause for concern on defense for the Eagles, given the importance of the position and how thin the depth chart is. Derek Barnett makes a comeback from his shoulder injury, Vinny Curry returns after a bad year with the Bucs and, given the lack of veteran additions, the team seems to be counting on second-year players Joe Ostman and Josh Sweat to make the leap to regular contributors. Both are promising players and might benefit from Brandon Graham’s leadership and mentorship. It also can’t hurt to play in the same line as guys like Cox and Jackson, given how many one-on-ones they create.
Overall, this unit has close to shutdown potential, given the right breaks and if it manages to stay healthy. The division games will likely not present that much of a challenge given the lack of firepower outside of Saquon Barkley and Ezekiel Elliott.
With a schedule that features Falcons, Packers, Bears, and Patriots, as well as potential playoff matchups against offensive powerhouses Saints and Rams, the defense will have plenty of opportunities to prove itself worthy of the same praise as the 2017 group.
Featured Image: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
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Categorized:Eagles