Philadelphia Eagles: The Defensive Line, Under Pressure, or Under Pressure?

We continue our positional breakdown of the Philadelphia Eagles roster with a look into who will be rushing the quarterback in Jim Schwartz’s defense.

The name of the game in the NFL is the Quarterback. Teams spend money signing one, protecting him with a line, helping him with receivers and running backs, or destroying him with a defensive line. The Philadelphia Eagles have switched their defensive philosophy from a 3-4 (three down linemen and four linebackers) to a 4-3 (four down linemen and three linebackers) under defensive coach Jim Schwartz as a result of the importance of rushing the quarterback.

This switch will enable talented players like Fletcher Cox and Vinny Curry to exceed in their roles. The Eagles have recently given large contracts to both players; the figures of which are near astronomical. The contracts signify the importance of having a good front four in Schwartz’ wide nine defense (a spread out defensive line that requires strong tackles and fast ends who can place pressure on the quarterback so the rest of the defense can drop into coverage).

These are all good reasons the Philadelphia Eagles had for signing Cox and Curry in such crucial moves recently. Fletcher Cox is 25 and Vinny Curry is 28. One player is entering his prime, and the other player is already there.

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Another player Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is excited about is Bennie Logan. Schwartz remarks on Logan:

"We’re going to give him the opportunity to stay out there and rush. He’s going to have to take advantage of that opportunity and show that he can win the one-on-ones and he can complement Fletcher [Cox] and he can complement all our other defensive ends. … I’m excited about him, and it’s going to be fun to watch him sort of expand his horizons a little bit."

So it’s not just the Fletcher Cox’s or the Vinny Curry’s that should be exciting to Philadelphia Eagles fans. There is depth to the roster as well, and depth is both necessary and exciting. Injuries happen. Tired players happen. Football is an intense game, and that’s the way it goes sometimes. Roster depth shows a team has contingency plans in case one of its stars goes down. Schwartz understands all this and expects his defensive linemen to rotate. He uses a baseball analogy to drive the point home:

"it’s a little bit like those [baseball] relievers coming out of the bullpen that are heating it up at 98 and 99 [miles per hour]: it’s hard to do that for seven innings, but you can do it for a couple innings, and that’s what we expect from those guys."

This means the scheme the Philadelphia Eagles are running requires fresh defensive linemen who move fast. A defensive linemen cannot rush the passer if they are not well rested, and when the linemen are well rested Schwartz has made his expectations clear: full tilt – full time.

This will not be a defense that rests on its laurels, but one that attacks like a lion. That rush starts up front with the tackles and the ends. A few days ago, the Philadelphia Eagles played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their first pre-season game. If initial reports are anything to smile about, then the Eagles front four have a lot they can build on. Reports indicate that:

"Graham flashed early against the run. He blew up one rush and stopped another ballcarrier at the line. Cox and Logan combined to sack [Buccaneers] quarterback Jameis Winston, who fumbled."

This type of result will be the expectation from Schwartz. The players have the talent. The Philadelphia Eagles paid them accordingly. Defensive coach Schwartz oversees the entire unit, and he will make sure that the Philadelphia Eagles defensive players win their individual matches by:

"rushing four people most of the time, with his ends lining up wide, and dropping seven into coverage."

This both sets and increases the expectations for the front four. If the front four manage to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks, then the defense will work as designed. To have a wide nine defense means the front four absolutely must put pressure if the back seven are to drop. If the front four do not get to the quarterback, then that will put pressure on the back seven.

Next: Carson Wentz is on the Mend

The questions for the remainder of the pre-season will ultimately be can the front four effectively rush the quarterback, or can the back seven pick up the slack if the front four do not? The answer to these questions will make the pre-season games interesting, and the regular season exciting as well. Schwartz and the linemen have the brains and the talent to get the work done. They just have to execute.

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