The Bryce Huff era in Philadelphia abruptly came to an end after one season last week. The Eagles are reportedly sending the veteran defensive lineman to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a mid-round pick.
At the time the trade was reported, it could not be completed until after June 1, which was Sunday. The Eagles signed Huff to a massive three-year, $51.1 million deal last offseason in hopes that he could lead their defensive line and be a playmaker in Vic Fangio’s system.
However, that never happened as Huff clearly wasn’t a fit and got outplayed by other players on the defensive line. That said, recently retired Eagles pass rusher Brandon Graham was on the Ross Tucker Football Podcast and gave his thoughts on why Huff struggled, but also threw his support behind him.
"With the Jets, it was just that defense, man. I know what it's like playing in that 4-3, wide-nine, go get it. Every play, it's always stop the run on the way to the quarterback. That's the slogan in that type of defense. I feel like it's all scheme. I mean, I've seen different guys flourish in different systems, and then you see him get in another system [and] it's different, and what they asked of [Huff] this year, it just wasn't a great marriage, I would say.Brandon Graham
Because I know Huff can rush. I see him doing all that, but sometimes it's just different with the type of scheme and what people ask of you and they want you to be able to do. And maybe it just wasn't that for Vic Fangio... I just know that Huff's a baller, man, and hopefully for him, I want it to be a win for the team and a win for him. In this case, I'm going to be happy if it's here or somebody somewhere else for him to be able to go show what he can do in these prime years for him.""
Graham raises an interesting point, which we often see in the NFL. A player shines and plays well in one scheme for years, and then has to learn an entirely new scheme on a different team.
Sometimes, that player can adjust and perform well. Or in Huff’s case, he could never get on track and saw his snaps decrease, while the younger players around him got better as the season progressed.
At the same time, we have to take Graham’s words when he says that he knows Huff can rush and be a baller. They saw him in practice all the time throughout last year. It’s a shame that it just never worked out in the end.
Most fans knew the writing was on the wall for Huff when he was listed as a healthy scratch for the Super Bowl, which is the biggest game in any football player’s career. That said, after only having eight QB pressures, four QB hits, three tackles, and 2.5 sacks with the Eagles, Huff will have an opportunity to get back on track with a coach he knows in Robert Saleh.