To the credit of the Philadelphia Eagles' defense, they have kept the team in games throughout the season, but the Week 6's 34-17 loss to the New York Giants saw a kink in the armor. It only got worse in the coming days after the game.
The defense was banged up in that game, with Jalen Carter ruled out hours before the game and Quinyon Mitchell injuring his hamstring during the Giants match. Even before the game, there were issues at edge rusher with Nolan Smith Jr. and Ogbo Okoronkwo being placed on IR.
That didn't stop the bleeding on defense as edge rusher Za'Darius Smith stunned the Eagles fan base by coming out of the mini bye and retiring from football. This has left a massive gap at the position with now only four healthy, active players remaining: Jalyx Hunt, Josh Uche, Azeez Ojulari, and Patrick Johnson.
It has only opened the door to the possibility of having rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell move from inside to off the edge. That decision would have to come down from the man who runs the defense, Vic Fangio.
Will Campbell finally play some more off the edge for the Eagles?
While speaking with the media, Fangio was asked about Campbell playing more edge with the issues that are occurring with the lack of depth there. In typical Fangio fashion, he kept his thoughts brief.
"It's possible. He's been getting edge snaps in certain ways we align."
It is true that Campbell has already played edge before. During training camp, Campbell was taking reps there, but Fangio wanted him to stay inside with Nakobe Dean's injury, and let Campbell learn how to play on the NFL level at inside linebacker first.
Speaking of Dean, another aspect to keep in mind is that he officially came out of IR last week. While he was active against the Giants, he did not play on defense. The follow-up question was whether Dean's return and health make it easier for Campbell to transition to edge rusher.
"It does."
The edge rusher position is a massive concern for Philadelphia, as they have struggled with consistency in pressuring the quarterback this season. Among the four active edge rushers, they combine for eight quarterback hits and one sack. That last sack didn't come until the Giants game from Patrick Johnson.
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Something has to change at the position, as Eagles general manager Howie Roseman is most likely making calls to try to acquire another one. Until then, it might be time for Fangio to unleash Campbell off the edge and let him play there.