The Philadelphia Eagles are bringing Brandon Graham out of retirement after weeks of frustration with the pass rush. While the defensive interior remains a strong point of the Philly defense, outside edge rushers are clearly needed. Not only that, but the Eagles' defense is incredibly young and will greatly benefit from having Graham's leadership on the sideline. Even if the veteran isn't able to turn back the clock, there is value in having his experience and presence around the locker room. It does come as a bit of a surprise that Graham is opting to return.
Opting to retire after winning his second Super Bowl with the franchise felt like a storybook ending that couldn't be rewritten. Regardless, Graham is back, and the Eagles shouldn't hesitate to continue to make moves at the position. Bringing back the lineman is a great move, but not one that should prevent further additions. If at all possible, the Eagles need to bring in a high-impact edge rushing presence. Someone capable of supporting Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis from the outside. If Philly wants to repeat as champions, bringing back Graham cannot be its only move.
The Eagles Still Have Work to Do Despite Bringing Back Veteran Pass Rusher Brandon Graham
Making the question marks at pass rusher worse, Azeez Ojulari is now dealing with a hamstring injury. This isn't a group that is Graham's return away from being ready to make a Super Bowl run. There needs to be another high impact addition made over the next two weeks.
Furthering this is the fact that now retired edge rusher Z'Darius Smith still leads Philly edge rushers in sacks with 1.5. Josh Uche and Patrick Johnson both have 1.0 sack, while no other Eagles' edge rusher is on the board. Defensive lineman Moro Ojomo currently leads the team with 3.0, pointing to just how dire the need has become to add to the position.
This isn't as simple as bringing Graham back and expecting him to fill the 25-30 snaps of Smith. You're going to need to look to add beyond just bringing the veteran out of retirement. It is clear the current options aren't getting the job done to Philly's standards and there is little reason to believe that this is going to change without another move being made.
Philly will have until the November 4th trade deadline to search for answers. One potential trade partner could be the tanking New Orleans Saints.
Either Cam Jordan or Carl Granderson are potentially enticing additions for a team that could badly use a more established veteran presence. Even after bringing Graham out of retirement, this is a very young defensive unit that both needs to grow up quickly and add more experience and leadership to the roster.
Talking Graham out of retirement is the first step in this direction, but it cannot be the final move made for the Eagles. Whether it's with a blockbuster deal or a series of smaller trades, GM Howie Roseman still needs to address the position before the deadline. If this happens, there is every reason to believe that the Eagles remain NFC favorites and have a great chance to win back-to-back titles.