5 Roster adjustments Philadelphia Eagles can still make to fix things
. . Redistribute Javon Hargrave's snaps. 5. player. 54.
The Philadelphia Eagles must be creative with Hargrave or redistribute snaps.
Superb defensive line play has been a staple of the Eagles’ defense for years, and 2019 wasn’t any different. Last season, the unit recorded 43 sacks with guys like Vinny Curry, Brandon Graham, and Fletcher Cox dominating the line of scrimmage.
Heading into 2020, Josh Sweat was trending upward after having a productive offseason. Defensive tackle Malik Jackson was finally healthy after missing the 2019 season with a Lisfranc injury. Javon Hargrave was supposed to be the icing on the cake. After all, Cox and Hargrave had two of the highest win-rates against two blockers in 2019. Surely, as a duo, they would wreak havoc at the line of scrimmage, right?
So far, that’s a no! Sweat’s training camp success has carried over into the regular season, and he has two sacks. Brandon Graham is showing that he’s still got something left and is leading the Eagles’ defense with three quarterback takedowns. Then, there’s Curry. He’s only seen the field once. Jackson has been okay at best, but he’s still a valuable part of the unit’s rotation.
Hargrave has been a disappointment in his first two games with the ‘Birds’ as he hasn’t logged a single stat. The Eagles surely expected more after giving him a three-year $39 million contract in free agency. Maybe he hasn’t fully healed from the pec strain he sustained in the offseason. Maybe he’s confused about the scheme or still needs to heal. Whatever the reason for his struggles, the team needs to give his snaps to someone who will make the most out of them.
Giving more playing time to Hassan Ridgeway makes sense. He’s more familiar with the scheme, and he’s already playing more snaps than Hargrave now. The new guy may need time to heal, but he may need more mental reps from the sideline. It wouldn’t hurt. The Eagles are investing resources on him, and they have to get better results. Hargrave can be worked back into the rotation more as the season progresses.