Cooper DeJean has turned the Eagles defense around

We’re eight video games by way of the 2024 Eagles season, the group having performed 4, had a bye, then performed 4 extra. This offers us a pleasant even pattern on both aspect of the bye. Within the Eagles second set of 4 video games, there’s been a giant and constructive shift within the efficiency of the protection. It needs to be famous that the protection performed two of the worst offenses within the league of their second set of 4 video games. However hey, excellent news is nice information.

One motive for the development has been the participant utilization changes the teaching employees has made to the defensive tackles and edge rushers, with probably extra on the best way.

Jalen Carter and Josh Sweat are enjoying considerably extra snaps per sport, and Nolan Smith and Moro Ojomo are enjoying slightly bit extra as properly. Extra importantly, their manufacturing is manner up. Of their first 4 video games, Carter, Sweat, and Smith mixed for 1 sack, 4 tackles for loss, and 6 QB hits. Within the final 4 video games, that trio has 9.5 sacks, 9 TFL, and 15 QB hits.

Their will increase in enjoying have primarily come on the expense of Jordan Davis, Bryce Huff, Brandon Graham, and Thomas Booker. Graham’s drop enjoying time isn’t a trigger for concern, at 36 years outdated he’s going to be simpler the much less he’s used. However Davis’s decreased position to solely seeing the sector on operating downs and Huff’s entry into the canine home have been deserved.

This feeds into what we’ve mentioned earlier than the season began: Vic Fangio doesn’t care in the event you’re a rookie or a veteran, doesn’t care in the event you make the league minimal or had been a giant free agent signing. In case you can play, you’ll play.

In fact, there’s one different change that was made, and the outcomes are stark. Earlier than the bye, Cooper DeJean, who missed almost all of coaching camp, performed a complete of eight snaps on protection. Avonte Maddox performed 81% of snaps within the first 4 video games because the nickel nook. DeJean changed him out of the bye and has performed 85% of snaps, whereas Maddox has performed 21 snaps complete, 18 of which had been in blowouts. The outcomes are evening and day.

The dramatic flip round on run protection isn’t by coincidence. Maddox had only one solo deal with towards the run, DeJean had three. Maddox additionally had simply three complete solo tackles and no tackles for loss or sacks. DeJean had 13 solo tackles, two tackles for a loss, and half a sack.

Don’t learn an excessive amount of into this half, however Maddox was on the sector for 8 TDs, with one towards GB scored instantly on him. DeJean has been on the sector for less than 2 TDs, each had been dashing TDs away from him.

Cooper DeJean has been as marketed after they traded as much as draft him: he’s an excellent soccer participant. And the Eagles protection wanted good soccer gamers. It’s no shock that taking out a participant who’s now not NFL caliber in Avonte Maddox and changing him with one who can contribute in all phases of the sport in DeJean makes every little thing higher. In case you’re solely as sturdy as your weakest hyperlink, the Eagles simply turned slot nook from a adverse to a constructive.