Jim Schwartz and the Philadelphia Eagles’ Potentially Ferocious Front
By Tom Aresco
The Philadelphia Eagles hired defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to unleash his aggressive 4-3 defense in 2016.
When Chip Kelly was fired, the writing was on the wall much like graffiti in a subway station; Billy Davis was done. Davis’ defense exposed the Eagles’ weaknesses more than it highlighted the team’s strengths in 2015, and his career wasn’t exactly filled with success prior to last season. Many thought that the Eagles would be better suited for a 4-3, and the hiring of Schwartz proved that owner Jeffrey Lurie agreed.
Hiring Schwartz was an early sign that Lurie is committed to his players’ strengths. Former writer for Inside the Iggles, Nick DeCesare, called the move on Twitter weeks before it happened. In the days leading to the hiring, many fans echoed the same sentiment. Finally, it seemed that the Eagles were going to revisit those aggressive 4-3 days when a different “Jim” was running things.
Schwartz is a former head coach, a proven leader and a great defensive mind. He said that he likes mixing up his formations, but needs one thing to stay consistent: aggression. In the NFL, when you blitz, it better get there. If your blitz doesn’t hit home, something that happened way too often under Davis, the opposing QB will pick apart your defense. Creating pressure with the front four is the key to stopping a high octane passing attack. Davis’ couldn’t generate consistent pressure with a blitz, let alone with a four-man rush. Schwartz is much more vetted when it comes to this facet of defense, and he plans on doing much of the same in Philadelphia.
Eagles
Schwartz coached the Buffalo Bills’ defense up in 2014, and they went on to lead the NFL in sacks. He had a great group of guys there, as he did in Detroit when he served as head coach for the Lions from 2009-2013. Good coaches need good players, and good players need the guidance of a strong staff. Schwartz has the perfect mix of talent on his Philly defensive front to wreak havoc behind the line of scrimmage, and now they have their leader.
Two of the biggest beneficiaries of the switch to the 4-3 defense are defensive ends Brandon Graham and Vinny Curry. Curry just signed his 5-year contract extension last night, and is now expected to have a monster year. It isn’t lofty to expect double digit sacks from Curry because of what he was able to do out of position in limited snaps. Graham isn’t a superstar, but he has proven to be a rock solid professional starter since early career struggles. That could be a low-key dangerous tandem to watch out for off the edge in 2016.
The heavyweights that will put the NFL on high alert for the next few years are Bennie Logan and Fletcher Cox. The line’s vicious interior will make it near impossible to chip the ends, or attack the outside blitzing backers. The attention that these two will demand inside will free up others to fly around and make plays at the point of attack. In the words of Hall of Fame basketball coach Gregg Popovich, “I want some nasty!”
Is the front deep enough to keep fresh, lethal pass rushers on the field? That is yet to be seen. Connor Barwin is a tricky case, Marcus Smith hasn’t proven much yet and it doesn’t seem like there is much beyond that. Will Kiko Alonso be a serviceable starter or a liability? Can Jordan Hicks and Mychal Kendricks stay healthy and lead a linebacking unit that has been the team’s weakness for several years now? What is DeMeco Ryans‘ future? Schwartz has his work cut out for him, but he is the right man for the job.