Should these Philadelphia Eagles regret signing Javon Hargrave?

Looking back, the Philadelphia Eagles could be feeling buyers’ remorse.

No one would blame you if you have mixed feelings about the Philadelphia Eagles and their current 2-4-1 record, but in all honesty, it’s a reflection of how uneven the team has been on the field this season. Quarterback Carson Wentz continues to make head-scratching decisions while constantly looking for the next big play (sometimes, it’s nice to just take what the defense gives you). Who can blame him though? As a unit, the offensive line is struggling to protect him.

On defense, there are a few players that are performing well, but as a group, they’ve faltered. Philly ranks 15th in yards allowed but are 22nd in points surrendered. For the most part, cornerback Darius Slay has played well. So has defensive end Brandon Graham, but that’s about it. Everyone else seems to be underperforming. That brings us to defensive tackle Javon Hargrave.

What did the Philadelphia Eagles have in mind when they signed Hargrave?

During the ‘free-agency frenzy’, Philadelphia inked Hargrave to a three-year, $39 million deal with the intention of solidifying the interior of their defensive line in 2020. On paper, the idea made sense. Hargrave would be slotted next to defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, and with Malik Jackson, those three would wreak havoc all season.

According to Pro Football Focus’ Neil Hornsby, Hargrave and Cox had two of the 11-highest win rates when facing multiple blockers in 2019, so the thought of the trio playing together with Jackson made most feel like opposing offensive lines would be in trouble.

As you might imagine, things took an unexpected turn in training camp. Hey, it’s Philly. Hargrave sustained a pectoral strain that knocked him out of the lineup, but after missing the season opener, he returned in Week 2. How did that go? Hargrave didn’t register a single defensive stat despite playing 36 percent of the team’s snaps. One week later, versus the Cincinnati Bengals, he wasn’t much better, again failing to register anything on the stat line despite seeing more playing time.

The argument could have been made that Hargrave was still recovering from his pectoral injury and that he was still getting acquainted with the team’s defensive scheme but things haven’t improved much since then. So far, he’s been missing in action more often than not and his numbers aren’t anything to brag about.

Over the course of the last four games, he’s recorded one sack, seven total tackles, and one additional hit on the quarterback despite failing to dent the stat sheet again in Week 6. No matter how you look at it, he hasn’t met the expectations of the Eagles or their fans. It definitely doesn’t warrant him being the 13th highest-paid defensive tackle heading into 2020.

Where do the Philadelphia Eagles do from here?

Hargrave’s signing may be causing a bit of buyer’s remorse, but the ‘Birds’ don’t have much of anyone to turn to as defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway was added to the Eagles injured reserve along with DeSean Jackson on October 26th and Malik Jackson is still nursing a quad injury.

Heading into their Week 8 matchup versus the Dallas Cowboys, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has to look for ways to get more production out of Hargrave. The ‘Birds’ have been enjoying a few additional days of rest after facing the New York Giants in Week 7 on Thursday Night Football. The extra time to prepare for Week 8’s game should do them and Hargrave some good.