No defense in the NFL struggled as badly down the stretch as the Philadelphia Eagles’ unit did to end the 2023 season.
Poor play calls, poor tackling, and an inept pass rush all mixed for not just dropping six of their final seven games, but resulted in the complete overhaul of the defensive coaching staff.
Now, instead of having a Vic Fangio disciple to teach the scheme, the Eagles brought in Fangio himself to build this unit from the ground up.
Luckily for the former Bears and 49ers defensive mastermind, there are still plenty of quality playmakers on the unit heading into 2024.
Not all of them played well last season, but five names could be on the path to a big year next year with the help of their new defensive leader.
When we look at certain Eagles players who had a big drop-off from the Super Bowl team in 2022, James Bradberry is the first person that comes to mind.
An All-Pro who helped the Eagles top the league in pass defense the year prior, Bradberry was targeted more than any other Eagles corner in 2023.
His struggles have been well documented – he was easily the group’s worst player.
That was with Sean Desai coaching and following the removal of Dennard Wilson.
Now, in a more favorable scheme with proper coaching, Bradberry might be able to get back to his prime 2022 form.
That is if Philly doesn’t move on from him first.
Through his first five seasons, Josh Sweat improved his sack total in every single season. That’s what made his 2023 drop-off so startling.
