6 Eagles Defenders on Thin Ice After Vic Fangio Hiring
By Randy Gurzi
1. Kevin Byard, S
While the Eagles were still the most dominant team in the NFL this season, they made sure not to sit idly on their hands. While other contenders might have made a move for some depth pieces at the trade deadline, Philadelphia was swinging for the fences. They ended up bringing in Kevin Byard from the Tennessee Titans, who was supposed to help shore up their porous passing defense.
A two-time All Pro selection, Byard had 108 tackles and four picks for Tennessee in 2022. But with their struggles, they decided to do some selling at the deadline, which allowed the Eagles to shore up a weakness.
Byard came in for the final 10 games of the season and was an effective player. He finished with 75 tackles and one interception, but the expectations on him were much higher.
That might not be entirely fair to him since he was joining the team late and had to learn a whole new defense as well as how to communicate with his teammates. But that's what happens when All-Pro players are added. Much more is put on their shoulders, which was the case for Byard.
With another new defensice coordinator coming in, Byard should expect even more responsibility. Fangio will focus on fixing the secondary and one of the players he will lean on heavily is Byard since he's a proven leader who has shown in the past he can get the job done.
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