Eagles 2016 Outlook: The Defense
Long gone are the days of the defense being gassed due to Chip’s 30 second offensive possessions and Billy Davis allowing draw plays on 3rd and long to go for huge first downs. With Jim Schwartz at the helm, it seems as if the old time Eagles defenses could soon be returning. Let’s take a look.
Corners
will we ever have a year where are corners are just… solid? This year should be another headache when it comes to the play outside. Eric Rowe is gone for a 4th round pick, which isn’t a terrible call, might as well get something for a player that you aren’t going to use. Nolan Carroll has impressed all camp and seems to be the one starter, but long-time Schwartz believer Leodis McKelvin seems to be slated for the second spot. The hype behind late-round pick Jalen Mills and his green hair seems to be cooling off as the Eagles will probably still look to add to this unit as the season goes on.
Safety
Boy, oh boy, will this be fun. After Malcolm Jenkins has impressed handsomely the past few years, the Eagles went out and got a bonafide stud in Rodney McLeod to pair him with. This should be one of the most dominant safety tandems in the league this year and should be something every single Eagles fan gets behind. Luckily for the Eagles, they have strong backups at this position as well in Chris Maragos (special team hero) and Jaylen Watkins.
Linebackers
This should be another question mark for the defense. There are times this unit looks really good, and other times where this unit continues to struggle. Mychal Kendricks got sent to the principal’s office this preseason (played with a ton of scrubs in garbage time) and Jordan Hicks is coming off his injury from last year. The addition of Stephen Tulloch is a great one, even if it is just to have a veteran presence in the meeting rooms and on the field. If he hits hard and can still ball, that is just a bonus. This team should rely heavily on their linebackers to come sweep up the mess that is created by the Dline in front, the question is how effectively will they do that job?
Dline
I literally start to get giddy when thinking about this line this year. You have the dominant Fletcher Cox as the main story for this defense. He should have a field day in this new defensive scheme after signing a healthy extension this past summer. Then you have great ends in Vinny Curry, Connor Barwin, and Brandon Graham who seems to be really getting after the QB and creating havoc. My favorite part of the line? Bennie Logan. He continues to do everything that is asked of him and never gets any credit. Go look at Cox’s sacks (lol) from last year and you will see that Logan is right there with him on the sack or following up right behind. This line should be something every Eagles fan loves. Nasty, talking shit, and hard hitting.
In Jim Schwartz we trust.
Overall outlook coming tomorrow.
@BarstoolBrosh