The Philadelphia Eagles' impressive comeback win over the Los Angeles Rams has proven to be a costly one, with linebacker Nolan Smith out for at least the next four weeks. Smith was moved to IR, making it mandatory that the defender will be unable to return until at least Week 8.
While early indications are that it isn't serious but simply needs time, this doesn't lessen the frustration of losing an incredibly impactful piece. With that said, suddenly, a forgotten offseason addition could have new life on Philly's roster.
Azeez Ojulari is a forgotten signing based simply on the fact that the pass rusher hasn't been able to make the Eagles' game day roster. This is a bit of a surprise, even for a loaded Philly defense.
However, that has all now changed with Smith's injury opening the door for Ojulari to make his debut. The former New York Giant has a career 22.0 sacks, with 6.0 sacks in 2024. This made the addition of Ojulari appear to be a bargain. One that remains an unknown based on being unable to crack the roster.
Nolan Smith's Injury Serves as Opportunity for a Forgotten Eagles' Offseason Addition
So much of Philly's pass rush is built on what happens on the inside with Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis. The Georgia products are incredible at setting up edge rushers by demanding double teams and flushing the quarterback out of the pocket. This leads to cleanup sacks and opportunities for even lesser talents at the position. Making it clear that Ojulari could take a leap and set a career best if he is given a chance in the rotation.
Looking at the current roster, it seems Joshua Uche is most likely to garner more immediate snaps, with Ogbo Okoronkwo and Ojulari being the obvious pieces in line for a promotion into the rotation. Ojulari is the more likely promotion, having offered a more consistent level of production and giving Philly a better potential ceiling. It is fair to wonder if the former rival could approach double-digit sack territory in a lineup that is going to give him the easiest pass rush attempts of his career.
Regardless, the Eagles are still in solid positioning and will have Smith back in the lineup when the game matters most. The next four weeks will simply serve as a chance to get a better look at depth pieces and see if any surprise contributors emerge.
The only negative of this is pointing out the fact that while the Eagles figure this out, Jalen Hurts and Philly's loaded offense might be asked to do more of the heavy lifting in the next weeks of the season. Especially this week, facing an unbeaten Tampa Bay team that is going to give the Eagles all they can handle. No question, the franchise has a potentially exciting answer in Ojulari, but the franchise is going to need other phases of the game to take a heavier load as they evaluate the position.