5 Eagles leaders that can fuel a Super Bowl run and a new guy we hope does the same

Shaquille Leonard, linebacker

The recent signing of Shaq Leonard was viewed as a solid in-season addition. Philadelphia has lacked depth at the linebacker position. Haason Reddick is a listed LB, but he's truly an edge rusher, as if rookie Nolan Smith. Nakobe Dean has missed a lot of time because of injury.

Former defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon was far from perfect, but Philadelphia's defense was unequivocally better last year. The Eagles are awful at getting off of the field on third down. Linebacker play has been inconsistent.

Leonard is a new guy, but he's a former All-Pro. His presence can strengthen the defense's second level. He has dealt with many injuries since 2020 including a broken ankle, a broken nose, multiple concussions, and two back surgeries. Last year represented the fewest amount of games he played in a season (three).

He notched one solo and one assisted tackle in his Eagles debut on December 10th against the Cowboys. The hope is that he becomes more accustomed to what his new team wants to do over the final four weeks of the regular season. If he plays some good football going forward, he can spearhead a postseason push. His presence can only aid the Birds at this point. Let's hope we see some significant production.

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