Will upgrades make a difference?
Only four teams had fewer takeaways last season than the Eagles, a red flag that turned the offseason into a mission to add playmakers.
The unveiling is Sunday when the Eagles open the season against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field (1 p.m., FOX, WIP 94.1-FM).
The Eagles put much time and resources into the makeover starting with pass rusher Haason Reddick, the free agent addition who registered 11 sacks last season with the Panthers. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts will confirm that Reddick is a master of the strip sack.
The upgrades continued with rookie defensive tackle Jordan Davis (at 6-6, 345), who can occupy a depth chart’s worth of blockers or, the Eagles hope, drive the center into the quarterback’s lap.
Add defensive backs James Bradberry (four interceptions) and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (three picks) and it’s safe to say Lions quarterback Jared Goff will hear footsteps and watch the stadium replays to see who caught the football.
“Everything right now is only on paper,” Reddick said. “But when you look on paper, and you look at the pieces that were already here and the pieces that were added over the offseason I mean, we’ve got playmakers everywhere. Now it’s about getting that chemistry, everybody knowing their job so that when we get on the field, we look like the team that’s on paper.”
Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon coasted through the Eagles’ 44-6 win over the Lions last year at Ford Field. After Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay scooped up a fumble by D’Andre Swift, the product of St. Joseph’s Prep and danced 33 yards for a score, a good time was had by all. Slay scored three times on turnovers last season, and the Eagles won each of those games.
However, 16 total takeaways in 17 games (12 interceptions, four fumble recoveries) aren’t anything to top a resume with, which is why the normally tight-lipped Gannon came clean with the No. 1 goal for his defense this season.
“Probably take the ball away a little bit more, affect the quarterback a little bit more, and be consistent,” Gannon said. “You guys saw there are certain games where we played lights out and certain games where we didn’t. My responsibility is to make sure the defense is giving our team a chance to win the game. Excited about that opportunity and challenge.”
Reddick’s production at linebacker was a few notches below T.J. Watt, who led the league with 22.5 sacks, Robert Quinn (15 sacks), Michah Parsons (13) and Matt Judon (12.5). The Panthers (5-12) weren’t exactly a defensive juggernaut, though.
Bradberry had many balls thrown his way while a member of the Giants last season, which partially explains the high interception total.
Gardner-Johnson played in a talented Saints secondary, which you could argue could make anyone better. But he intercepted Tom Brady twice last season.
Davis was a part-time player at Georgia, the FBS champions.
Also in the lineup for the Eagles are healthy veteran defensive end Brandon Graham, another maestro of the strip sack and linebacker Kyzir White, one of the surest tacklers in the league last year. White registered 89 tackles last season, ninth among linebackers.
For the Eagles, most of the attention has gone to Hurts and the offense, which added talent in wide receiver A.J. Brown. He almost certainly will open the field for DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert. They figure to score enough points to force the opposition to play catch-up, providing the defense more opportunities for takeaways.
“If you try to get a prediction, I can’t do that, I don’t know,” Reddick said. “We don’t know how the game goes. The goal is to get takeaways. The goal is to win the takeaway battle. It’s about punching at the ball, the things that we’ve been doing at practice. It’s about taking that to the game so that we can see the takeaways on game days.”
The synergy should be interesting because Gannon feels that his guys, including the newcomers, are comfortable enough to make spur-of-the-moment decisions in-game. That’s a goal, at least.
“I think it’s letting them play a little bit more,” Gannon said. “And not to say that we didn’t let them play last year, but I told those guys, we have to problem solve and you guys have to think on your feet and get me out of trouble when a call is not ideal. That’s what I think that our defense, the guys that we have right now have shown that through camp. And I just honestly trust the whole room a little bit more.”