The Eagles Defense Is Versatile
Jonathan Gannon has a completely different defense this year. A more versatile and playmaking defense….on paper that is. With yesterday’s addition of CJ Gardner-Johnson to the secondary unit, he appears to have gotten a bunch of new toys to implement the defense he envisions. Part of that vision is versatility, clearly. When you look at some of the new additions and recent draft picks, a lot of these players can or have played multiple positions. This is not an accident by Howie Roseman and his front office staff. The new phase of the NFL has more pass catching offensive weapons than ever, you need more guys that can man cover and press at the line of scrimmage. Tight ends in today’s league are just a bigger wide receivers and you need guys to stick those TE’s. You need LB’s that can cover speedy RB’s more than ever. Versatility is the way of the NFL in 2022.
There’s no more Gannon addition this offseason that LB/Edge rusher Haason Reddick. He can play with his hand in the dirt, he can play standing up and rushing, he can cover. He’s as versatile as versatile comes. He’s also had double digit sacks the previous two seasons with two different teams, so he shouldn’t have a problem translating to a new team, again. He should help the Eagles improve their sack total which was near the bottom of the league last year. It’s one of the most crucial spots on the team that needed improvement from last year.
New LB Kyzir White from the LA Chargers? Well, he’s a converted college safety to NFL LB. Avonte Maddox already has outside CB, slot CB and safety experience under his belt in the NFL entering his fourth season. Bradberry has played both slot and outside. Tarron Jackson can play DE & DT, Javon Hargrave can play both, Milton Williams can also play both. Josh Sweat has the speed and athleticism that he looks like more of a LB than a DE.
Newest addition CJ Gardner-Johnson played safety while at the University of Florida and has played nickel CB for the Saints in the NFL. In today’s NFL pass happy league, there isn’t a tremendous world of difference between nickel CB and free safety. I have no concerns about him switching to “free safety”. Call it a nickel CB for all I care. The Eagles will have 4 capable CB’s on the field at all times. It should make the dinking and dunking that killed them last year much harder to pull off. It also should make the lives of Reddick and Sweat easier in getting to the QB and upping the teams sack totals. Here’s an interesting thread on how “free-safeties” are valued in this pass crazy new NFL…
There seems to be a big misconception about what modern safety play is. It’s not about just safeguarding the deep part of the field anymore…it’s about safeguarding & compressing field space relative to route pattern and distribution. CGJ is indeed a safety, not just a slot DB.
— Honest NFL (@TheHonestNFL) August 31, 2022
Some of this applies to their offensive line as well, guys with versatility all up and down the line. It seems to be something that the team covets. I love that Dickerson can play guard and center, Mailata can be a swing tackle if needed, Seomalu can play several positions. They’ve valued versatility and that makes me one happy Birds fan.
As always, go Birds.
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