By: Jake Rajala

The Philadelphia Eagles boast a scrappy & talented front seven with the savvy Brandon Graham, behemoth Fletcher Cox, utterly explosive Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, and big-foot-like Jordan Davis. The 2021 Eagles pass rush made Reggie White turn in his grave (as they ranked 31st in sacks). However, Philly clearly put an emphasis on building a front seven this off-season that could routinely tee off on opposing signal-callers. With Reddick (former Temple defender), the rookie Davis, and a healthy Graham, the Eagles pass rush should take a big jump from last season.

In particular, I really love the Eagles signing of Reddick. He registered 12.5 sacks in 2020 and then recorded 11 sacks and 18 QB hits last season. He was dubbed as PFF’s seventh-best edge rusher on the FA market this off-season, so he was clearly a splash pick-up by Philly. The former Temple walk-on (who shares the same birthday as me) is also 27 and capable of being a difference-maker in the short term and in the distant future (around the time that Brandon Graham retires).

I’m still on the fence whether Davis can be a DROY candidate – despite his big blind-side moment in training camp. Nonetheless, he should make his presence felt and allow his teammates to shine – as he eats up double & triple teams (as seen below). As Davis develops, he and Cox could absolutely be the best DT tandem in the NFL.

Of course, the beloved Graham cracker should dazzle in his old age like fine wine. Prior to his two-game season in 2021, he made the Pro Bowl (which was his first PB) in 2020. I foresee the Eagles pass rush transitioning from a bottom-of-the-barrel unit in 2021 to a Top-15 unit in the upcoming season.

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By: Jake Rajala

The NFL witnessed the development of a few Prometheus-like NFL defenses this off-season. The New Orleans Saints defense brought in Tyrann Mathieu, the Buffalo Bills inked Von Miller, and the Los Angeles Rams brought in Bobby Wagner.

There are a few sexy defenses and even many other defensive units that have received lots of praise from NFL analysts. Well, I’m going to move a few NFL defenses that are honestly underrated and deserve to be moved into the spotlight.

Philadelphia Eagles

I really believe Philly could have a Top-3 run defense in 2022 after having a ninth-ranked run defense last season. The rookie Jordan Davis/40-yard dash legend should certainly excel with excellent match-ups next to Fletcher Cox. Haason Reddick was a sneaky free-agent signing, as he logged 23.5 sacks in the past two seasons combined. It should also be noted that Brandon Graham, who made the Pro Bowl in 2020, played in a mere two games last season. Of course, the Eagles defense recently added a nice piece to their puzzle in the former NYG James Bradberry.

Dallas Cowboys

The Boys have a fantastic trio of defenders: Demarcus Lawrence, Micah Parsons, and Trevon Diggs. They may not have the most superb depth in their secondary, but I love the potential in Micah Parsons. He may have had a mythical rookie season, but he can absolutely take the next step and win DPOY. Demarcus Lawrence was also out for 10 games last season and it would be an understatement to say a healthy Lawrence makes a massive difference.

New York Jets

I am not a big fan of the Jets overall ceiling in 2022 – or the job security for Robert Saleh and Zach Wilson. Nonetheless, I expect Saleh to help the Jets have success on defense – as they have a unique unit. Quinnen Williams will look to have his best season in a contract year. Amhad ‘Sauce’ Gardner (who recently had a pick-six in practice) should be a big boost and a potential DROY candidate, as well. The Jets could really struggle in the brutal, ascending AFC East next season, but their defense honestly has a bright future.

New York Giants

Let’s stay in New York and in the NFC East. The Giants absolutely have a lot of energy on defense at the moment. Kavyon Thiobdeuax was recently pegged as a DROY favorite by Bleacher Report. I also like the intense and creative mindset that Don Martindale brings to the building every day. The Giants defense should enjoy more rest from an improved Saquon Barkley and Giants rushing attack, too.

Baltimore Ravens

Similar to the Eagles, the Ravens could have an overly impressive section of their defense (secondary) in 2022. I expect the Ravens to return to having an elite defense with their new faces this off-season. Kyle Hamilton was one of the biggest draft steals and the former Saint Marcus Williams will be a ball-hawk next to Hamilton.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Philadelphia Eagles may not possess their once Super Bowl-featured defense with Malcolm Jenkins and Jim Schwartz, but they certainly possess a mean green fighting on the defensive side of the ball in 2022. With that said, I’m going to untwine why the new-look Eagles defense could improve into a Top-5 defensive unit next season.

New pass rushers

The Eagles proudly ranked 11th in passing YPG allowed, but they sadly ranked 31st in sacks last season. It was clear that their secondary wanted a jolt from their front seven. Well, the Eagles nicely brought in former Temple pass rusher Haason Reddick (11 sacks last season) and they also traded up to select the behemoth Jordan Davis in the first round. Fletcher Cox and Davis will have exciting match-ups inside all the time. The Eagles legend Brandon Graham also played in a mere two games last season and it’s refreshing that the 2020 Pro Bowl pass rusher is back and healthy.

James Bradberry

I love that James Bradberry stayed in the NFC East and decided to join a shiny Eagles defense. Eagles Wire has already pointed out how the Eagles could have a fantastic CB tandem with Bradberry and Darius Slay. The former Giant is still a very good football player, as he unveiled 4 interceptions (career-high) last season. The 2020 Pro Bowl selection will certainly be one of the best CB2s in the NFL next season.

Continuity

The word continuity is the most underrated term in sports.

The Eagles defense will have stronger continuity under Jonathan Gannon in his second season as the DC. The NFL world has witnessed the Saints defense really blossom with talented faces sticking together over the past few seasons and I expect the Eagles defense to elevate their performance with better communication and understanding of the scheme. The Eagles defense will flat out be able to play faster in 2022 under their DC that luckily stayed in town.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Philadelphia Eagles inked the cornerback James Bradberry yesterday and it’s clear Bradberry will be seeking vengeance against ex-team (NY Giants) twice next season. According to NBC Sports, Bradberry was impressed by the Eagles D-Line and the scheme fit in Philly. It’s hard to ignore the greatness of the Eagles pass rush as they carry Fletcher Cox, Jordan Davis, Derek Barnett, Brandon Graham, and OLB/DE Haason Reddick (11 sacks last season).

Bradberry should clearly benefit from the Eagles ability to hit opposing QBs without blitzing. He signed a one-year $7.5 million dollar deal (with $2.5 additional million in incentives), so the 28-year-old CB will aim to impress the league next season and sign a hefty contract from the Eagles or a new squad in the 2023 off-season. All in all, the Eagles addition of Bradberry signifies they are clearly trying to improve from their 9-8 record and their defense that ranked 19th in PPG allowed in 2021. Bradbery will also certainly help an Eagles defense that allowed 41 points to the Cowboys in Week 3 and 51 points to Dak Prescott in Week 19.

The Eagles loaded roster will unequivocally revolve around their third-year QB Jalen Hurts. He was named a dark-horse MVP candidate by NFL.com. Hurts won’t throw 5,000+ passing yards like Tom Brady, but he can simply aim to be an MVP-caliber player by ascending into a very good dual-threat QB and help his team win 13+ games. Lamar Jackson broke the rushing yard record in the 2019 season and led his team to win 14 games, which led him to win MVP in the 2019-2020 season. He was the second QB ever to win every MVP vote (of course, Tom Brady is the other). Hurts may not win MVP next season, but the 23-year-old can realistically strive to win the MVP and a Super Bowl ring with his dazzling roster at some point in the future.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Philadelphia Eagles turned on their jets last regular season, as they won four out of their past five games. Philly arrived in the NFC playoff dance, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers mopped the floor against the Eagles in their second match-up in the 2021-2022 season. Nonetheless, the Eagles have a lot of optimism to be more potent next season. With that said, I’m going to untwine three reasons why the Eagles can actually win the NFC East next season.

• The new faces in the Eagles front seven

The Eagles GM Howie Roseman truly did a fantastic job of inking the former Temple defender Haason Reddick and then drafting Jordan Davis 13th overall. Plus, the Eagles nicely retained the Eagles legend Fletcher Cox. Reddick will have fantastic match-ups on the edge and Davis should dominate his one-on-one blocks. The Eagles are building a front seven that may be more talented than the Saints and Buccaneers front seven in the near future.

• The introduction of A.J. Brown

The Eagles fan base shouldn’t feel the need to virtually sacrifice Jalen Reagor moving forward, as A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith will be the new WR duo in 2022. Brown was a fantastic pick-up, as he can nicely be a serious threat with short passes and screens. The Eagles ranked first in the league last season in rushing YPG and it’s clear their play-action game will move up a notch with Brown.

• The slight demise of the Cowboys offense

The Dallas Cowboys have witnessed Ezekiel Elliot look less impressive in each of the past two seasons. There have even been projections of Tony Pollard being crowned the Dallas RB1 soon. Outside of Zeke losing his magic, the Cowboys shipped away Amari Cooper to the Browns this off-season. I have no doubt that the Cowboys will have a high-scoring offense next season, but I expect the Cowboys O to not carry their team in many moments of the 2022 season (or drop 56+ points in a game).

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By: Jake Rajala

The Carolina Panthers may not have Riverboat Ron, but they have been really aggressive in the search for talent this offseason. The Panthers head coach Matt Rhule is clearly on the hot seat with a 10-23 NFL coaching record. Rhule will need to battle the storm and find a way to improve the Panthers from a wretched 2021 outcome. With that enunciated, I’m going to outline the specific challenges that lay ahead of CAR right now.

• Panthers pass rush

The Panthers will square off against Tom Brady twice and a Saints offense with a healthy Michael Thomas twice next season. It’s clear that the Panthers will need to be able to generate significant pass rush ability against divisional foes next season.

The Panthers were ranked 16th in sacks last season. Plus, their top 2021 pass rusher Haason Reddick (11 sacks in 2021) fled to Philly in free agency. It doesn’t matter if the Panthers can showcase an improved passing offense if they allow opposing QBs like Brady to drop 36.5 points a contest against them.

• Growth of the QB spot

I really don’t believe Rhule is going to hand the keys to the “good” QB Sam Darnold in 2022. If the Panthers are really desperate for QBs like Baker Mayfield, I expect them to target a QB with their first pick in the 2022 NFL draft. I believe Rhule faces a really high uphill battle in 2022. Although, if the Panthers can win 8+ games with a rookie QB and the QB is a strong OROY candidate, Rhule could be given another opportunity with the potential ascending Panthers in 2023.

• Healthy Christian McCaffrey

There is no question that Christian McCaffrey is the Panthers most talented profile. Unfortunately, CMAC has missed 23 games in the past two seasons combined. If the Panthers lose McCaffrey for five-plus games in 2022, it will be incredibly hard for the likely young Panthers QB to lead the Panthers to success. If CMAC is healthy and playing like a Top-5 RB with a “modest QB performance”, the Panthers could legitimately be a wild-card NFC team.

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The Philadelphia Eagles are looking to make the playoffs for the second straight under Nick Sirianni. In 2022, the Eagles haven’t been overly flirtatious in free agency (outside of Haason Reddick). It wouldn’t be an understatement to say Eagles nation expects Howie Roseman to add more juice to the Eagles complex squad this offseason. Well, I believe the Eagles could still add more chess pieces soon. With that said, here are a few faces that the Eagles could ink.

• Phillip Lindsay

It would be very smooth if the Eagles brought in RB Phillip Lindsay to join Hurts, DeVonta Smith, Miles Sanders, and Dallas Goedert. Lindsay is also coming off a down season, so he could be an excellent value signing. I believe Lindsay can still be a 700+ yard RB at 27 years old and an upgrade over Boston Scott as the RB2.

• Tyrann Mathieu

The honey badger would be an amazing, versatile fit for the Eagles defense. Tyrann Mathieu has made the Pro Bowl in each of the past three seasons and he’s made the All-Pro team in two of the past three seasons. He would be quite a partner for Anthony Harris in the Eagles secondary. Mathieu would be the best candidate to receive the golden ticket from Roseman.

• Jerry Hughes

The Eagles wisely brought back pass rusher Derek Barnett, but it’s safe to say that he wasn’t the most reliable player for Philly in 2021. Barnett was often a penalty machine or barely productive. The Eagles should still bring in a cheap, talented pass rusher this offseason. Jerry Hughes has some gas left in the tank and he would be a fine addition to the Eagles DL featuring Cox, Barnett, Brandon Graham, and Reddick.

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The Carolina Panthers lost their star pass rusher, Haason Reddick, in free agency. Nonetheless, the Panthers still exhibit young, hungry defensive lineman. The Panthers may not target edge rush help, but they could really benefit from more talent at many other positions on their roster. With that said, here are a few interesting free agents that would be logical fits for the Panthers squad.

• Cam Newton

I expect the Panthers to bring in a veteran QB and not draft a QB early in the 2022 NFL draft. Per, Yahoo Sports, the Panthers are open to bringing back Newton. I don’t believe Newton will return to being a Pro Bowl QB, but the 32-year-old QB can be a potential starting QB for a few more seasons in the NFL.

• Albert Wilson

It would be wise for the Panthers to ink an underrated WR3 for competition. Albert Wilson can be a 300+ yard WR and the new “Curtis Samuel” with excellent matchups for CAR. He is also 29 years old, so he’s not quite at the A.J. Green/Julio Jones stage of his career.

• Janoris Jenkins

The Panthers recently brought back CB Donte Jackson, but they could use more CB talent in the gruesome NFC South. Jackrabbit has 4 picks in the past two seasons and he would be an excellent value signing for the Panthers. He would be pivotal against the Bucs and Saints potent wide receivers.

• Kyle Rudolph

The Panthers team that struggled in the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes needs to get creative for playmaking ability. Darnold could benefit from the cheap, talented TE Kyle Rudolph, who can be an excellent big body threat for the Panthers future starting QB. Rudolph is 32 years old and he can be a quality TE2 in 2022 and beyond.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Carolina Panthers have aggressively looked to elevate from their 2021 performance (5 wins in 2021). The Panthers haven’t been able to reel in a superb veteran quarterback like Russell Wilson or Deshaun Watson this offseason, but they still have a healthy Christian McCaffrey, reliable D.J. Moore, blistering fast Robby Anderson, and an ascending defense. The Panthers head coach Matt Rhule is still sitting on a very hot chair and I expect him to add a few more pieces to his complex Panthers squad, so they can have a successful 2022 campaign.

The Panthers will be very open to improving their QB spot this offseason, but there is another position that could use more juice: edge rusher. The Panthers recently lost their star pass rusher Haason Reddick (11 sacks in 2021) in free agency and they could look for a stud to replace him. After all, they could use more DL studs after Tom Brady returned to the NFC South for another season. With that said, here are a few pass rushers that the Panthers could target this offseason.

• Jerry Hughes

The former Bills sack artist Jerry Hughes would be an excellent cheap addition to the Panthers young defensive line. He would be an excellent third-down specialist and he’s also a lot more reliable (and less expensive) than Melvin Ingram. Hughes has only missed one game since 2011.

• Calais Campbell

I believe it will be difficult for the Panthers to ink Jadeveon Clowney, but they could be aggressive for the second-tier pass rusher in Calais Campbell. The 6’8 DT/DE can move around the Panthers DL, eat up double teams, and help his teammates excel in one on one situations. Campbell made the Pro Bowl in 2020, ousted a modest 2021 season, and I believe he can be a quality contributor for at least a couple of more seasons.

• Solomon Thomas

The Panthers may seek out a talented pass rusher that’s hasn’t fully blossomed like Solomon Thomas and hope he can be a diamond in the rough. Thomas had 3.5 sacks last season, but he could thrive in a new scheme that helped Reddick shine. Similar to Reddick in 2020, I expect him to take a “prove it” contract on a new team and he surely has the potential for a productive 2022 season.

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The Carolina Panthers defense was abysmal when it came to hunting down quarterbacks in 2020. The Panthers pass rush was a lousy 23rd in the league in sacks last season. 

Headed into the offseason, second-year head coach Matt Rhule knew he had to do two things: 1. Upgrade the quarterback spot and 2. Get better at chasing down QBs. Now that offseason has mostly eclipsed and training kick is underway, it’s safe to say the Panthers have answered those two offseason questions well. It’s well known that Sam Darnold will look to inject more firepower into the offense, but it’s less discussed how the Panthers front seven will be more imposing. In this outlook, I’m going to outline the strides that the CAR pass rush this offseason has taken and why they will be an electric force in the 2021 season. 

• Growth of Derrick Brown

It’s well known that DE Brian Burns will be entering his third year in the league and that he was terrific in each of the last two seasons. Burns notched 7.5 sacks as a rookie, then proceeded to collect 9 sacks as a sophomore. Indeed, he should be a double-digit sack player in his third year. 

Although, the x-factor and biggest difference-maker will come from second-year DT Derrick Brown. The team cut ties with veteran DT Kawann Short and it’s clear that they are relying on Brown to significantly step up. Brown may have recorded a mere 3.5 sacks as a rookie, but he led all of the rookies with QB pressures (34). It’s also very common for DTs and pass rushers to take a large step with QB sacks after the first or second year of being in the league. Mack and Watt both recorded less than several sacks as rookies, then proceeded to be All-Pros in their second year. DeForest Buckner, who is a Top 5 DT for the Indianapolis Colts, mustered only nine sacks in his first two years combined. With an uptick of snaps and more moves mastered that weren’t instructed in college, Brown should be the next QB hunter to take a big step early in his career.

• Signing of OLB/DE Haason Reddick

The Panthers made one of the most underrated free-agent signings this offseason. The team signed an elite player, who also carries lots of potentials. The 26-year-old Reddick signed a one-year six million dollar deal and if it bodes well, the team should have a long-term edge rusher in him. 

Reddick was tied for third in the NFL in sacks last season (12.5). He’s just entering his prime, but he has another year to prove that he can maintain that level of play. Expect the Panthers to get another elite season out of the former first-round OLB/DE. 

• NFC South competition

The Panthers pass rush has received a big favor in 2021. In the NFC South, Drew Brees will not be under the helm in New Orleans, and the Falcons offense will not have their “best overall player” in Julio Jones. 

Brees has routinely picked apart the Panthers secondary and allowed no time for the Panthers pass rush to get home. With Taysom Hill or Jameis Winston at QB, the CAR defense should feel a lot more confident getting QB takedowns. Hill has struggled majorly at reading defenses, while Winston has been one of the most self-harmed offensive players in NFL history. Expect the Panthers defense to have noticeably more sacks from the four combined divisional games against the Saints and Falcons.

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