Opportunity Knocks

Posted: January 22nd, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 1 Comment »

Everyone around the league thought the Eagles had a good roster coming into the season. Still, there are always unknowns. What happens if someone gets hurt and one of the backups has to play? Every season involves attrition. There will be roster changes. There will be lineup changes. That’s just life in the NFL.

The Eagles have gotten to the NFC championship game in part because a lot of guys have stepped up. Let’s start with Nolan Smith. He was probably the #4 edge back in August. Josh Sweat and Bryce Huff were the projected starters. Brandon Graham was going to be the key backup. Smith was going to be a role player and STer.

Huff has been a massive disappointment and BG got hurt. That opened the door for Smith and he stepped up in a big way. He finished second on the team in sacks (6.5) and third in QB hits (11). Smith has another 3 sacks in the postseason. Beyond those numbers, he has been impressive with the way he’s played the run and created opportunities for other pass rushers. Simply put, Smith has been disruptive.

The Eagles would not have the top ranked defense without the play of Nolan Smith. Or Cooper DeJean. The rookie from Iowa got hurt over the summer and that meant he missed practice time. Avonte Maddox was the team’s nickelback. After the bye week, the coaches felt DeJean was ready to play so they inserted him into the lineup. The Eagles defense has been dominant since that change.

DeJean finished fifth on the team in tackles, was tied for third in PDs and led the team in fumble recoveries. And he did that while being a backup for the first month of the season. DeJean has had highlight moments against elite stars. He stuffed JaMarr Chase on a fourth down play. He tackled Derrick Henry in space and then celebrated like a king. The only thing DeJean hasn’t done is come up with an INT. He could have sealed the win on Sunday with one, but just couldn’t make the grab. Let’s hope he gets a pick before the season is over.

Mekhi Becton was signed by the Eagles to give them a good backup OT to pair with Fred Johnson. Tyler Steen got hurt and the coaches talked to Becton about playing guard. They wanted to get the five best players on the field and felt Becton would make that happen. Becton embraced the opportunity and has had a good year with some absolutely dominant moments.

Becton was up and down on Sunday, but still had that ridiculous block that helped pave the way for Saquon’s first TD. Becton’s highlights from this season are the OL version of porn. Just insane stuff.

I could have led this piece off with Zack Baun, but we’ve talked about him a lot this year. He legitimately has a chance at Defensive Player of the Year. Vic Fangio gave him a chance to play ILB. Baun impressed the coaches enough that he was then looked at as the starter. Now he’s just the star. Baun has been outstanding in the two playoff wins. What an amazing signing.

Fred Johnson got my attention with his performance in the summer of 2023. He didn’t play much last year. Johnson again had another good summer in 2024. This time he was needed in the regular season, starting 6 games. He’s played both LT and RT. Johnson hasn’t been perfect, but he’s played well enough that his team kept winning and the offense was good with him on the field.

I wasn’t sure Oren Burks would make the roster. The Eagles had Baun, Nakobe Dean, Jeremiah Trotter Jr and Ben VanSumeren. I thought Burks was the odd man out. Instead BVS got moved to FB and Burks got to stick around. Good thing, too. Burks started two games in the regular season and started on Sunday against the Rams. I thought he had a good game. He finished with 6 tackles, 2 TFLs, a PD and a QB hit. Not bad for a backup, huh?

Jalyx Hunt was seen as a project when he got drafted. The Huff situation and BG injury opened the door for him to get on the field and contribute. Hunt has had some good moments. We knew he was a gifted athlete, but he’s also proven to be tough and physical. Hunt had a sack on Sunday.

Isaiah Rodgers signed with the Eagles hoping for a chance to start. Quinyon Mitchell was so good that he took that away early in the summer. Rodgers handled it well and has proven to be a key backup. He started three games in the season and then had to play most of the Rams game. Rodgers has made some key plays for the Eagles this year and has helped the defense to stay at a high level when a starter is missing.

Howie Roseman did a great job in finding talented players to add to the roster. The coaches have done a great job in getting the players ready and developing their skills. And the players have done a great job of taking advantage of the opportunity to play and be part of a winning team.

*****

The Eagles allowed the fewest passing yards in the league. They allowed the third lowest passer rating. They allowed the lowest net yards per pass attempt.

The Eagles play great pass defense.

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One Comment on “Opportunity Knocks”

  1. 1 The Linc - The story behind Vic Fangio’s “mastermind” success in Philly - SportSourcio said at 12:03 PM on January 22nd, 2025:

    […] Opportunity Knocks – Iggles Blitz […]