How Shaquille Leonard Signing Puts the Eagles Defense Over the Top

What a whirlwind of 24 hours it's been for the Philadelphia Eagles. Yesterday afternoon, they all but wet the bed against one of their biggest opponents for the NFC crown.

Their head of security got booted from the game. They lost the game by three scores, and the postgame nonsense took over on the internet. But today, they have seemed to clap back.

The birds have signed All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard to finish the season with them after being released by the Indianapolis Colts. Not only does this bolster the defensive roster, an area of need for them, they essentially steal Leonard away from their biggest rival and (coincidentally enough) next opponent, the Dallas Cowboys.

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The Eagles learned two big lessons last night. First, they learned that they could not sustain playing the types of games they were playing and continue to escape with a win. Second, they learned they were not the team they were last year that cruised to an NFC Championship.

By going out and signing Leonard, they have announced to the fans that they are also not satisfied with last night's result, they know they were not a good enough team, and they immediately went to work to fix the problem.

And what a fix it is. Leonard is just 28 and still has plenty of football left in him. The 2022 and 2023 seasons certainly haven't been his best, but not many players have managed to thrive on those struggling Colts teams. And what are the odds a consistent All-Pro is suddenly completely past his prime while he's still in his 20's?

Linebacker is a clear position of need in Philly, especially after the horrible tackling performance the defense put on against the Niners. So how about a guy who has averaged 8.8 tackles per game over his entire career?

Joining the team at the top of the NFC should help bring that dawg back out of him.

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