Eagles Nose Tackle Bennie Logan

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Sep 7, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back

Darren Sproles

(43) celebrates his 49-yard touchdown run with nose tackle

Bennie Logan

(96) in the third quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles defeated the Jaguars, 34-17. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Eagles Nose Tackle Bennie Logan Proving He Has Nose For Football

In the aftermath of the Philadelphia Eagles loss to the New Orleans Saints, a stunned Philadelphia Eagles fanbase asked how the Saints could run on one of the better rushing defenses at that time. While the Eagles game planned to take tight end Jimmy Graham out of the Saints offense, the Saints were equally devious in planning how to defeat the Eagles with a running game.

The result was a 26-24 loss by the home team Eagles.

In the aftermath, the Eagles mock drafts and free agency projections were abuzz with players who could add stalwartness to the Eagles 3-4 defensive line. Despite one of the youngest defensive lines in the NFL, all of whom have huge upsides, the clamor was to retool, reinvest, and reenergize the squad.

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But a few of us were not so easily shaken. The home team was simply caught with the wrong defensive scheme, not the wrong players in that scheme. Nobody was willing to say that the Eagles defensive line needed replacing, but a key position for nearly everyone’s mock draft was a stout defensive lineman. Nearly everyone save a few of the faithful who had seen what the young man from Louisianna State University could do on the field. Those of us who witnessed the level of play improve when the former Tiger was named as the starting nose tackle were confident. Bennie Logan does not let you down. He would not this time either.

While mocks continued to be written targetting an alternative huge body with big legs and mean attitude, Bennie continued to work slowly but surely on strength, and size. Asked to bulk up from his 309 pound rookie weight, Bennie has certainly done that. Officially listed at 315 pounds, Big Ben plays larger. At week three in the NFL, his 82nd ranked 16 tackles leads all defensive linemen. All defensive linemen. There are players making more tackles in this league yes, but they have the safety of playing unfettered and breaking on the ball carrier. In order for Bennie to get to that football, he has to wade through two offensive linemen. This is just his second year. That’s impressive.

"“Most people, when they picture a nose tackle, they picture a 330-plus guy, just clogging up the middle. But the way we play our defense, you’ve got to be able to run. And I don’t feel I’d be able to run or do the things our coaches, in our scheme, require us to do. That’s why I’m not 330, or put on that much weight. I’ll be playing more snaps this year, that was the main thing. I wanted to put on weight to be able to sustain a longer season and try to see how things go.” – Bennie Logan"

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