Sportsnaut
Coming off a Super Bowl championship, the Philadelphia Eagles saw hefty turnover on the defensive side of the ball. The franchise said goodbye to several key defenders, including Brandon Graham, Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, Darius Slay and C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
The Eagles will need their young players to step up, including first-round pick Jihaad Campbell. They’re also hoping moves along the margins pay off with the signings of defensive ends Azeez Ojulari and Joshua Uche, cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, and the trade for cornerback Jakorian Bennett.
Philadelphia had the top defense in the NFL last season. If they’re hoping to repeat as champions, Vic Fangio’s unit will need to replicate their 2024 success. That’s why ESPN NFL reporter Dan Graziano predicts general manager Howie Roseman isn’t done “tinkering with the defense.”
“The reigning Super Bowl champs lost five key contributors from last season’s defense and are working to replace them with younger players they’ve drafted in recent years, anticipating the roster turnover. They’re excited about guys like Moro Ojomo and Jalyx Hunt. They’re extremely fired up about rookie first-round pick Jihaad Campbell. And with two-thirds of their salary cap committed to the offense, they will need production from young players on the defensive side of the ball,” writes Graziano.
“But not every development timetable goes as planned, and asking younger players to take on larger roles brings some risk. This Eagles group has no interest in stopping at one Super Bowl title. They’re thinking dynasty thoughts. We’ve already seen GM Howie Roseman make multiple trades this month, including one that brought in cornerback Jakorian Bennett from the Raiders to address a potentially thin area of the defense. Roseman won’t sit on his hands if more questions rise.”
Despite the additions of Hunt and former first-round pick Nolan Smith, the edge rusher position remains thin after losing Sweat and Graham. Questions also persist in the cornerback room beyond Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.
The revamped defense will face its first major test in the Sept. 4 season opener against Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and the Dallas Cowboys.
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