Under former defensive coordinator Billy Davis, one of the biggest problems for the Eagles defense was the lack of a consistent pass rush.
The Eagles struggled to get to the quarterback on a regular basis. While guys like Connor Barwin were able to put together some decent statistical seasons, the rush was too inconsistent to be relied on.
Under new coordinator Jim Schwartz, that promises to change.
Schwartz has coached a number of defenses that have been ranked near the top of the league in sacks. The Eagles will now make their top priority to disrupt the timing of opposing quarterbacks.
Building a defense that emphasizes the importance of the pass rush is a good way to go in today's NFL.
The league's most successful defenses, most notably the Denver Broncos, construct their schemes around a rush.
The question now is whether or not Schwartz has enough talent to get the Eagles to the top of the league in sacks during his first year.
He has a couple of talented young guys to work with in Fletcher Cox and Vinny Curry, who are ideal fits for the 4-3. But beyond those two, there are legitimate questions about the guys on the line.
Brandon Graham has never shown that he's anything more than a guy who can be effective in a part-time role. He turned in a couple decent seasons before receiving a contract extension a year ago, but throughout his career he has been a guy that has had too many stretches where he's disappeared.
Barwin and Bennie Logan were top players in the 3-4, but may not be fits for the new scheme. Barwin is a solid, versatile presence that can do a lot of things well, but his skills may be better suited for linebacker. Logan is coming off of a very effective season, but he's also set to be a free agent at the end of the year, and there hasn't been a lot of talk about the team making any kind of push to lock him up. The Eagles may be taking a wait-and-see approach to find out how good of a fit he'll be.
Depth is also a concern, with little behind Cox and Logan at the tackle spots, and Marcus Smith currently penciled in as the fourth defensive end. Smith may yet have a chance to rediscover himself as a 4-3 defensive end, but the team would be in some real trouble if either of their starting defensive tackles went down with an injury. Former Titan Mike Martin is currently their top reserve at the interior positions.
There's enough upside to this group for Schwartz to make an effective unit, but the team may need another off season or two in order to collect the fits and build the depth that Schwartz needs to run the best defense possible.
Denny Basens is a contributing writer for Eagledelphia. Follow him on Twitter @DennyBasens.
