Philadelphia Eagles: Arguments for and against pursuing JJ Watt

Oh, you think the Philadelphia Eagles wouldn’t benefit from this eh?

Think back to the moment that you found out that Chris Long had been acquired by the Philadelphia Eagles. Like Watt, Long was a well-known humanitarian, a role he carries even now. He was also a stud on defense. Just about every Birds fan had the same thought. ‘He’s an old guy, but If he stays healthy, this could really work’.

Long became a key fixture in an amazing rotation of defensive ends. His best game arguably was that NFC Championship that sent Philly to Super Bowl LII. It was Long that caused the disruption on that Case Keenum pass that was picked and returned for a touchdown by Patrick Robinson.

Long also recovered a sack-fumble that was forced by Derek Barnett, one in which the Minnesota Vikings were driving and trying to steal some momentum back. What does that have to do with JJ Watt you ask? It’s simple. Philly moved on from Long in 2019 as they wanted Derek Barnett to have a bigger role in their defense. This team’s defensive end rotation hasn’t quite been the same since.

Watt’s situation is similar to Long’s as there are also questions about how long he has left. Like Long, Watt still has some gas in the tank, but here’s one thing that Watt can say that Long can’t. Again, he’s a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

He’s also a five-time First-team All-Pro, a three-time Second-team All-Pro, a five-time Pro Bowler, a two-time NFL sacks leader, a member of the 100 Sacks Club, and he made the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team unanimously. If you don’t think this team would benefit from adding Watt, you don’t know football.