A few short months ago, Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles took a gamble. A Young EDGE rusher by the name of Bryce Huff was available on the free agency market and was coming off of an explosive 10-sack season in New York. With Haason Reddick soon departing, the decision was made to swipe Huff out of the reach of other teams and pay him a gargantuan contract, banking on his future production.
The move was always going to be a risky one, and not a decision that was going to yield immediate returns. With that said, Huff has been invisible on this Philly defense through the opening 5 weeks of the season, not registering so much as a QB hit and picking up just 2 tackles.
Huff made his paydirt in New York as a rotational EDGE rusher. He would obliterate worn-down O-lines deep into drives and pick off the low-hanging fruits for easy sacks. But he’s been rushed into a featured role now, and it’s clear he’s not quite ready for that jump.
The problem is that the Eagles lost a true sack-artist in Haason Reddick, and have replaced him with a player who could one day grow into a star of that caliber. For now, he doesn’t have the stamina or endurance to control his explosiveness without tiring quickly, rendering him a liability the longer the defense stays on the field.
This wouldn’t be an issue if the Eagles had a strong core of EDGE rushers, but they don’t. Nolan Smith is another young player yet to take an overdue leap, and Brandon Graham of all people, the ageless wonder, is the man carrying the defensive ends on his back. The Eagles are lacking in pass-rushing production and it’s clear that Huff isn’t going to fix that anytime soon.
Howie Roseman needs to make a move, and fast.
Should the Eagles make a trade?
There are some potential candidates on the trade block who could be of interest. Miami’s Emmanuel Ogbah is 30-years-old now but still has 10 pressures to his name through 5 contests (per PFF). With a young crop of players in behind, the Dolphins may be looking to cash in on an aging veteran given the trajectory of their season.
Elsewhere, you have guys like Haason Reddick (which feels improbable), Josh Uche, Deatrich Wise Jr., Von Miller, and a flurry of players who could well be floated on the trade block in the coming weeks. Howie has never been one to shy away from pulling the trigger in an emergency, especially when the team should be contending. This might be one of those such instances.
Lean on the youth
Growing pains felt inevitable for Bryce Huff when joining Philadelphia. His struggles shouldn’t come as a shock to many, but they do because of how the team is faring. The only way through it, is through it, unfortunately. For players like Nolan Smith and Bryce Huff, yielding snaps to Josh Sweat and BG isn’t exactly going to set them over the EDGE and enhance their development, and it’s not like Philly is swimming in sacks anyway.
Vic Fangio did reduce Huff’s snap-count recently, but at what cost? It’s not like it dramatically changed anything, and the confidence levels are hardly going to increase from the sidelines. The Eagles have made a huge and long-term investment in both Smith and Huff, so it makes sense to commit to their continued growth rather than playing into their stagnation.
Vic Fangio needs to get creative
There are multiple ways to skin a Cat, as the saying goes (for some reason). Vic Fangio is a defensive mastermind who loves disguising coverages, and he’s also getting Cooper DeJean and Sydney Brown back this week. You can generate pressure with defensive backs and linebackers. Someone like Jalyx Hunt could be primed to cash-in off the edge if given the opportunity, and the corners can cause problems for opposing tackles when supporting the defensive front.
It’s not like the Eagles are lacking in talented players who can cause chaos in the backfield, but the one’s they’ve banked on to do so simply aren’t contributing. So it’s time to make a change, get crafty with the play-designs, and see if you can get players like Hunt, Baun, and Dean, some added looks at rushing the passer.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
