Your votes on Twitter have led to the creation of the All-2010s Offensive team, and now we’re onto the defense and special teams. Who has stood out to you, the fans, to place on the decade’s defense, and the kicker, punter, and long snapper? Let’s take a look!
Defensive Tackle – Fletcher Cox and Bennie Logan
To kick off the defense edition of the All-Decade team, we take a look at the defensive tackle position.
Fletcher Cox
To really describe Fletcher Cox and the impact he’s had on the Eagles since being drafted in 2012, just take a look:
jfc pic.twitter.com/62PmLFifVp
— Austin Gayle (@austingayle_) May 15, 2019
Pure dominance.
Cox has been in the league since 2012 and has been one of the top defensive tackles ever since. A lot of players disappear after signing massive contracts, like Cox did in 2016, but he rewarded the Eagles’ faith in him by setting a career high in sacks last year with 10.5.
Ten and a half sacks. From the defensive tackle position. Insane.
He’s arguably the best defensive tackle in the game, but many people will say Aaron Donald.
Still, being in company with Aaron Donald is pretty good.
Since being drafted, Cox is fifth among defensive tackles in sacks, sixth in QB hits, tied for third in forced fumbles, and first in fumble recoveries. He’s a monster.
Going into the 2019 season, Cox is ProFootballFocus’ fourth ranked player in the entire league, trailing Bobby Wagner, Tom Brady, and number one Aaron Donald.
Bennie Logan
Want to run on the Eagles? Better hope Bennie Logan isn’t in the line up.
In 2016, Logan’s last year with the Eagles, opposing teams averaged 90.1 rush yards when he played the full game, 141 rush yards when he didn’t play or finish the game.
In 2015, he was fourth among interior linemen with 45 defensive stops, according to ProFootballFocus, and was second in run stop percentage with 14.8%
Logan only had four years with the Eagles, but he made them count.
Defensive Ends – Brandon Graham & Trent Cole
Brandon Graham
Another player, like Cox, whose impact on the team can be summarized by a video:
?? Brandon Graham's strip sack gets the slow-mo treatment from @nflfilms @insidetheNFL ?#SuperBowl#Eagles pic.twitter.com/r8WECMtcw0
— Fanatics View (@fanaticsview) February 6, 2018
Once considered a bust by many, many Eagles fans, Graham is probably the most beloved Eagle currently on the team. I guess that sack-fumble has a lot to do with that.
He played a combined 16 games in his first two seasons in the NFL, due to a torn ACL in his rookie year which limited him to just three games in his second season.
He played in all 16 games in 2012, but did not start a full 16 game season until 2016. In that full 16 game start, he led the team in quarterback pressures, and did the same in 2017. In 2014, 2015, and 2018 he was second on the team in quarterback pressures. However, despite being second on his team in 2018, he was fifth among all edge defenders in the NFL with 77 quarterback pressures, according to ProFootballFocus.
In 2016, he was one of four defensive players in the entire league to have more then 80 quarterback pressures.
Furthermore, since 2006, he is second among edge defenders with 2,000+ pass rushing snaps with a 18.6% win rate, behind only Von Miller.
Safe to say he’s shed that “bust” label, don’t ya think?
Trent Cole
Next we have a player who spent ten years with the Eagles, and a case can be made for both the All-2010s and All-2000s team. Trent Cole’s ten seasons with the Eagles started in 2005 after being drafted in the fifth round.
During his five years in the 2010s decade with the Eagles, Cole was 17th in sacks in the NFL and ninth in tackles.
If I cheat and add his years in the 2000s with the Eagles, he moves to eighth in sacks and fifth in tackles. Trent Cole was, simply put, a machine.
He retired as a member of the Eagles on Christmas Day 2017, and will always be one of the best defensive players in Eagles history:
Trent Cole will always be one of the greatest defensive players in #Eagles history pic.twitter.com/lVHBgYjMx0
— Dave Spadaro (@EaglesInsider) March 4, 2015
More positions on the pages below!
