Street’s The Name …

In the same vein as Eagles cornerback Darius Slay, new Eagles acquisition Kentavius Street is adamant about being referred to by his last name.

When Street fielded questions Monday during his introductory availability, his first order of business was that request.

“It’s just simpler,” he explained. “A lot of people like to add on stuff to my last name. I’ve had a lot of people call me, ‘Street Money,’ ‘Super Street.’ They just add-on stuff to it, so I feel it’s a lot more to play with versus Kentavius.

“Kentavius has a bunch of margin for error, so I try to avoid that.”

GETTY IMAGES: New signing DT Kentavius Street also likes to go by his last name, like Eagles CB Darius Slay

With introductions behind, the free-agent defensive lineman – now on his third team since entering the league as a 2018 fourth-round pick  – began to illustrate what appealed to him about his newest stop.

“It’s amazing being an Eagle right now,” he beamed. “I just had a tour of the facility, meeting everyone – all the personnel and everything – and they’ve built something truly special here.

“Throughout the recruitment and everything that’s involved in free agency, I felt like the Eagles had the best combination of everything, in terms of culture, scheme, the players and people in the building, I felt like it’s the best opportunity.”

Street, 26, is coming off a career season with the New Orleans Saints, logging 29 tackles (5.0 for loss), 3.5 sacks and eight quarterback hits. His 518 defensive snaps (46%) qualified as a career high. Street also appeared in 17 games for the second consecutive season.

But like most Eagles bargain-variety free agents, the injury-riddled Street comes equipped with some risk, having missed significant time early in his career due to various ailments, including an ACL tear sustained during a pre-draft workout with the New York Giants.

Street’s inherent talent would ultimately override his debilitating knee injury, however, as the N.C. State product saw his tumble end at 128th overall, when the San Francisco 49ers selected him in the fourth round.

It wasn’t until the 2020 season that a healthy Street factored into the deep 49ers defensive line rotation. The 2021 season – Street’s fourth – was when everything began to fall into place.

In 17 games (two starts), the 6-foot-2, 287-pound lineman accrued 27 tackles (6 for loss), three sacks, a forced fumble and five quarterback hits, leading to a free-agent deal with the Saints in the 2022 offseason.

In Philadelphia, Street joins an interior line room that includes Fletcher Cox, Jordan Davis, and Milton Williams. He theoretically fills a crucial void as a rotational pocket-pusher.

“Whatever Coach Rock [Tracy Rocker] and Coach Wash [Jeremiah Washburn] want me to do, I’ll do it,” Street vowed. “I feel like my talents and what I bring to the table as intangibles also fit into this scheme. So, I’m willing to do whatever they need me to do.”

Another low-risk, moderate reward signing, Street has exhibited signs of being a player whose arrow is trending up.

His uptick in snap share last season not only suggests that Street has turned the corner from a health perspective, but also indicates the level of confidence and trust that his coaching staff bestowed on the him.

Among the most savvy of the team’s free-agent acquisitions given his intangibles, along with the organizational philosophy and snap vacancy, the Eagles might well have mined a gem in free agency’s third wave.

Run game deficiencies aside, Street’s first-step acceleration and short-area quickness figures to adequately complement the team’s other components.

As a projected rotational player on a loaded defensive front, Street could feasibly be primed for his best season to date – if all goes according to plan.

“No d-lineman can sack a quarterback by himself,” Street said. “It takes all four. For a person to say they’re a one-man wrecking crew is unrealistic and it’s not true. So, a d-lineman having other productive guys around him only benefits him, because they can’t block us all.”

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

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