4 Sub-radar Philadelphia Eagles creating an inner team buzz

Malik Jackson will be back in the fold for 2020’s season. Don’t take that information lightly.

Sometimes, it’s difficult to bring up the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive line and not get stuck on the familiar topics. Fletcher Cox’s name will probably come up in conversations about the NFL’s elite players. Brandon Graham remains among the league’s most underappreciated.

Derek Barnett, Josh Sweat, and Daeshon Hall remain among those “boom or bust” guys. Then, there’s Malik Jackson. This former fifth-round draft selection has made quite a name for himself as one of the NFL’s more talented defensive tackles. It’s been “out of sight and out out of mind” for this six-foot-five standout, especially with the “Birds” adding Javon Hargrave in the most recent free agency period, but his injury last season was an anomaly. 16 full games with him, Cox, and Hargrave figure to have opposing offensive coordinators sweating on gamedays.

Wait. Is DeSean Jackson really one of the Philadelphia Eagles’ forgotten men?

It’s hard to call DeSean Jackson “under-the-radar” or “forgotten”, but as McManus put it, “given that Jackson is 33 and coming off core muscle surgery, there’s a portion of the public that has written him off”.

Here’s more.

"“The Eagles” see a player who still possesses rare speed and deep-ball tracking ability, skills that could put him in the Hall of Fame conversation if he can finish his career with a bang. Desiring both a championship ring and a gold jacket, Jackson is plenty motivated. He missed 13 games last season and hasn’t played a full 16-game slate since 2013, so Philadelphia knows better than to put all its eggs in his basket at this point, but the Eagles believe there’s still some fireworks left in that wiry five-foot-ten frame."

Enough said.

“10” added nine receptions and two long touchdowns to an already iconic Eagles resume last season. Maybe with all of this new talent, Philly will put him on a pitch count. The goal is to have him available for the postseason, and that, possibly more than anything else mentioned in this story, might be the one thing that makes you get out of your seats and cheer if you’re a “Birds” fan.