The journey continues. If this is your first experience of the ‘Quarantine express’, then welcome to the party. You can catch up with the previous two parts of the series below. If you’re coming back for more, it’s time to pick up where we left off, ranking players 44-30.
44: Anthony Rush
One of my UDFA haul crushes thanks to his monstrous size at 6-5, 350 lbs, Rush played in nine games last year due to the lack of depth at the position and played fairly well throughout, swallowing double teams and allowing the edge rushers to run free. He should still be fighting for a spot on the back end of the roster this Summer.
43: Alex Singleton
I loved Alex Singleton’s CFL tape and his preseason war with T.J Edwards was thrilling. Both ended up making their mark in 2019, with Singleton’s prowess on special teams really coming into its own. He was able to carve out some defensive snaps late on and highlight some potential that may lead to a greater role in 2020.
42: Craig James
KING CRAIG. Best known for his pass breakup that gracefully fell into the arms of Nigel Bradham in the thrilling win over Green Bay, James is this high on the list for that reason alone. He single-handedly tipped the balance of a game the Eagles were underdogs going into, and had their backs to the wall at the end of.
41: T.J Edwards
Edwards became somewhat of an All-22 heartthrob at PSN. He made plenty of flashy plays during his rookie year and there’s every chance that if the Eagles don’t invest in the position, he develops into the starting MIKE next year….and they could do a lot worse than this potential rising star.
40: Ronald Darby
Do I have to explain this? Please don’t make me explain this.
39: JJ Arcega-Whiteside
This is frustrating because JJAW did show some flashes as a rookie and was able to get open and beat press. He wasn’t targeted very much and when he was, outside of maybe 2 catches, they were all a little underwhelming. I think there is still a lot of untapped potential, but his impact in 2019 was miserable considering he played in 41% of snaps.
38: Hassan Ridgeway
Seeing Ridgeway go down with injury was heartbreaking. The former Colt stepped up in wake of Jernigan and Jackson and played his tail off, building quite the impressive run of form. He should be the certified DT4 by the time camp rolls around behind Cox, Hargrave, and Jackson.
37: Nate Gerry
Say what you want about Nate Gerry, but he played a big role for the Eagles last year. Sure, he was a liability at the best of times, but those rare instinctive flashes including a pair of picks helped lift the team in key moments. He isn’t the best tackler, but rallying to 78 in a season that was never supposed to be one that saw him emerge as a starter, wasn’t the worst year ever. He was worrying at times, but you can’t ignore how he stepped up to the mark when the team needed him most.
36: Rick Lovato
Find me a single bad Rick Lovato snap, I dare you.
35: Nigel Bradham
Bradham’s form dipped massively in 2019, but the 30-year old had some solid outings that were often overshadowed by some uncharacteristically poor tackling and sluggish play. Even so, he deserves a spot at in the 30’s on this list.
34: Rasul Douglas
Sul started the season on the outside in place of Ronald Darby and unfortunately, that didn’t last long. It was the same old story we’ve come to expect – some really impressive plays around the catch point and some strong tackling, constantly overshadowed by a lack of long speed and zero safety help when there should be.
33: Kamu Grugier-Hill
He missed the opening stage of the season due to injury and loses points for lying about a concussion (tut-tut), but KGH was as reliable as ever and joined Edwards as one of the one positives in a linebacking corps that was abused weekly. The Eagles will miss his sideline-to-sideline speed.
32: Josh Sweat
Sweat took some big-time leaps in 2019, but he’s still a little way off of being a starter. 4 sacks and 21 tackles aren’t bad numbers at all, but context is key. Sweat looked explosive off the line last year, but another big leap will be needed under a new defensive line coach.
31: Sidney Jones
‘SIIIIID’ – Doug Pederson after he made clutch play #3 in week 17. After having his mental toughness publicly outed by Pederson and Jenkins and being benched for four games, Jones bounced back to make some of the team’s biggest plays all season. List this under ‘things you love to see’.
30: Jalen Mills
The Green Goblin returned from a Lisfranc injury and played some of his best football as a corner. He looked more disciplined, more patient, and just as confident. Hopefully, a transition to Safety only further helps his development.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
