My Kind Of Franchise

Appropriate, considering his monstrous contract that places him among elite company, new Eagles edge rusher Bryce Huff entered the NovaCare Complex auditorium on Thursday wearing a green Michael Jordan sweatshirt.

The 25-year-old pass-rusher, signed to a three-year, $51.1 million deal at the start of free agency, first acknowledged that he caught wind of the Eagles’ interest via his agent once the legal tampering period opened Monday.

But with at least three other teams also in pursuit, it was the Eagles’ organizational reputation that ultimately swayed his decision.

“Really just the culture and the team that’s being built here,” Huff said. “The guys that have been here over the years, balling out, grinding and getting dubs on Sundays. I feel like I fit in with that hard-working group.”

GETTY IMAGES: New pass rusher Bryce Huff said the Eagles were a perfect fit for him.

The undeniable interest in Huff – and considerable compensation –  again echoed the team’s organizational team-building philosophy of prioritizing pass rush.

The uncertain futures of its top-two pass rushers, Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat, each or both of whom could potentially be dealt this offseason, only amplified the urgency for the Eagles to add another building block at the position.

Huff, 6-foot-3, 255 pounds, lands in Philadelphia a season after compiling career highs in sacks (10), tackles for loss (10) and quarterback hits (21) last season with the Jets despite serving a complementary role.

For perspective, in his previous three seasons, Huff accumulated just 7.5 sacks and was merely an afterthought. The former Memphis product pinpointed what led to his third-year awakening.

“Just being consistent as far as my work and process throughout the week,” he said. “Really honing in on my opponents’ weaknesses. Listening to my coaches as far as a rush plan. Working together with my teammates on the d-line and working as a team to beat the opposing offensive line, versus winning one-on-ones.”

Worth noting is Huff’s limited usage versus the workload shouldered by Reddick and Sweat, who accounted for 74 and 71 percent of the Eagles’ defensive snaps, respectively.

Huff, who played 42 percent of the Jets’ defensive total (480 snaps), will presumably be tasked with undertaking an expanded role with his new team, a challenge he said he’s prepared to embrace.

“I feel like I’m capable of taking on a bigger role and really doing as much as I can to help us win on Sundays,” he said.

While Huff secured the proverbial bag, his story of perseverance is one that should resonate with Philadelphia’s blue-collar image.

He showcased an explosive skill set at the East-West Shrine Bowl four years ago and appeared poised to enjoy a climatic pre-draft cycle but Huff was instead deprived of an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine.

His next opportunity to drum up interest – Memphis’ pro day – was cancelled due to the onset of the pandemic.

Huff latched onto the Jets as an undrafted free agent. He spent his first four seasons with New York, the first three yielding minimal production in a cameo role.

The undrafted, scrap-for-everything mentality eventually manifested in a breakout fourth season, putting Huff in prime position to command the first hefty contract of his career.

“It just meant a lot to me, just knowing that I came in playing for pennies, so to speak, in comparison to other guys at my position. And finally being able to sign that deal and solidify myself at the top of my position group is really cool.”

Huff dismissed any concern of complacency on the heels of a lucrative payday, noting his continuous refinement as his game continues to evolve.

“I feel like there’s always room for growth,” he said. “Especially when you get around the edge group, the d-line group that we have here with Haason and all those guys that have just been going at it, going hard for the last however many years. There’s a lot of room to grow and learn from the guys in my room.”

– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.