This offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles underwent significant changes on the defensive line as Josh Sweat and Milton Williams signed huge multi-year deals with new teams at the start of free agency in March.
Then the Eagles saw veteran defensive end and fan favorite Brandon Graham finally hang up his cleats after 15 years. For most teams, that many changes on the defensive line in a short period would send them into a frenzy.
However, the Eagles did not panic as they already had in-house replacements ready to take on a larger role. And then they signed two veterans in Azeez Ojulari and Josh Uche, to one-year deals.
The Eagles hope Ojulari and Uche can give them some much-needed production off the edge, especially considering what they got from Bryce Huff last season, who they traded to the 49ers earlier this month.
Uche, who spent the 2024 season with the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs, is already catching the attention of one of his new teammates, which is a good sign as we head into training camp.
“Uche. I remember playing him (with the) Patriots,” All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson said during OTAs (h/t Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia). “Really quick. He’s very versatile with what he can do.”
Johnson also made it a point to mention a play that Uche had against him a couple of years ago when the Eagles played against New England.
“He made a good inside move and beat me,” Johnson said. “The ball was gone but … just really quick. I think he plays really low for a taller guy so he can get under you if you let him. I think he’s great in coverage, just a multi-tool player. So I think he’s going to help us.”
If you are an Eagles fan, you love to see Uche already making an impact and hopefully looking like the player we saw in 2022 with the Pats. During that season, the 26-year-old Uche had 25 quarterback pressures, 14 QB hits, 11.5 sacks, and nine tackles for loss as a rotational defensive lineman.
The veteran defender has struggled to get back to those numbers, but in Vic Fangio’s system, he could be due for a rebound. The Eagles will need to have a vet or two to step up, despite having Nolan Smith Jr. and Jalyx Hunt, who emerged last season.
Last year, the Eagles took a flyer on Zack Baun on a one-year deal, who became an All-Pro and Pro Bowler in his first season as a full-time starter. Uche has the talent to become a contributor in Philadelphia. Let’s see if he can do it in training camp and preseason against other teams.