‘How is He Going to Hold Up’?
ITB: What Are the Biggest Questions on Defense?
While the Philadelphia Eagles defense is once again shaping up to be one of the best in the NFL, questions remain.
On the latest episode of “Inside The Birds,” Adam Caplan and Geoff Mosher gave their biggest causes of concern for the defensive unit.
Jalen Carter
Adam Caplan: “I’m not concerned about Jalen Carter playing this season. The issue is, physically, how is he going to hold up?”
Geoff Mosher: “It’s definitely valid to be concerned about where his headspace is going to be…That would be a little bit of a dour way to start camp if one of your best players is holding in. Then when you fold that into the health of his shoulders.”
Run Defense
Mosher: “They showed an occasional tendency to just let down in run defense. That was an achilles heel for them at times last year and they’re going to play some teams again, the Bears, the Rams, the Seahawks, some foundationally run-oriented teams. They can’t have lapses like they did.”
Caplan: “Week 3, at Chicago. That was the game [last year] the Bears had two 100-yard rushers in the first half.”
Safeties
Caplan: “We don’t know how good of a safety [Cooper DeJean] is going to be. It’s a different position, it’s not corner, it’s not nickel. I know there were some teams that thought Coop could be a really good safety.”
Nolan Smith Jr.
Mosher: “I’m more confident in the trio of (Jonathan) Greenard, Jalyx Hunt, and Nolan Smith Jr., but that only works if Nolan Smith Jr. is ready to be a good pass rusher again and stay healthy. He’s a good run defender, has had moments of being a good pass rusher.”
Caplan: “Unless there’s something we don’t know, Nolan Smith is not coming off surgery this time. This is a big year for him.”
– Benjamin Paul is a staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com.
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