<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3DQodR_0vZHQSmK00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3DQodR_0vZHQSmK00" width="1280" height="779" ><figcaption>Josh Sweat and the Eagles' pass rush is struggling. Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com</figcaption></figure>PHILADELPHIA — The <a href="https://www.nj.com/eagles/">Eagles’</a> decision to trade <a href="https://www.nj.com/eagles/2023/01/eagles-haason-reddick-an-nj-native-wreaked-havoc-in-31-7-rout-of-49ers-to-send-team-to-super-bowl.html">Haason Reddick</a> during the offseason was a colossal mistake.General manager <a href="https://www.nj.com/sports/2024/04/how-eagles-gm-howie-roseman-approaches-the-draft-from-the-people-who-know-him-best.html">Howie Roseman</a> didn’t want to pay Reddick like a top pass rusher, so he traded him to the <a href="https://www.nj.com/jets/">New York Jets</a> in March for a 2026 conditional third-round pick. Roseman made the move after signing <a href="https://www.nj.com/eagles/2024/03/eagles-taking-worthwhile-risk-by-investing-big-in-bryce-huff-a-one-on-one-winning-machine.html">Bryce Huff</a> to a three-year, $51.1 million contract and after restructuring the final year of <a href="https://www.nj.com/eagles/2024/03/eagles-pass-rusher-agrees-to-terms-on-restructured-contract.html">Josh Sweat’s</a> deal.BUY EAGLES TICKETS: <a href="https://go.skimresources.com/?id=126006X1587338&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stubhub.com%2Fphiladelphia-eagles-tickets%2Fperformer%2F761%2F">STUBHUB</a>, <a href="https://go.skimresources.com/?id=126006X1587338&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vividseats.com%2Fphiladelphia-eagles-tickets--sports-nfl-football%2Fperformer%2F669">VIVID SEATS</a>, <a href="https://go.skimresources.com/?id=126006X1587338&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ticketmaster.com%2Fphiladelphia-eagles-tickets%2Fartist%2F805999">TICKETMASTER</a>The Eagles thought Huff, Sweat, <a href="https://www.nj.com/eagles/2024/06/eagles-nolan-smith-explains-importance-of-toes-and-why-hes-going-to-turn-the-corner-in-2024.html">Nolan Smith</a> and <a href="https://www.nj.com/eagles/2023/11/eagles-veteran-about-to-break-a-record-gave-this-advice-to-his-younger-teammates.html">Brandon Graham</a> could be a productive pass rush group. After two weeks, it’s obvious nobody will be able to replace Reddick, who finished with 27 sacks in his two years (2022-2023) with the team. The Eagles have finished with three sacks this season, but none have come from an edge rusher.When the Eagles needed to make a big stop at the end of <a href="https://www.nj.com/eagles/2024/09/eagles-booed-off-field-after-blowing-late-lead-to-falcons.html">their 22-21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday</a>, the pass rush didn’t generate any pressure on an injured <a href="https://www.nj.com/sports/2024/04/heres-why-it-would-cost-kirk-cousins-several-hundred-thousand-to-keep-his-number.html">Kirk Cousins</a>, who has been noticeably limping the first few weeks after tearing his Achilles last year. Cousins completed 5 of his 6 passes for 70 yards, including his game-winning touchdown throw to wide receiver <a href="https://go.skimresources.com/?id=126006X1587338&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espn.com%2Fnfl%2Fplayer%2F_%2Fid%2F4426502%2Fdrake-london">Drake London</a>, on Atlanta’s final possession of the game.On each completion, Cousins had plenty of time to survey the field and hit the open man. He never had to roll out of the pocket or step up into his throws because his offensive line crushed Philadelphia’s pass rush.A year ago, the Eagles had a pass rusher who made big plays in crunch time, but now they don’t have someone who can do that. Huff and Sweat both have to start making those plays, or the Eagles’ defense won’t be able to stop many teams over the next 15 weeks.“I have no words for that (last drive),” Sweat said after Monday’s game. “Unacceptable. I ain’t got no words for that. That’s crazy, but hopefully we get it right.”Sweat said the pass rushers are not “rushing together,” which means sometimes they are not taking care of their gaps. Huff said some of their problems occurred because the Falcons chipped them on passing downs, so he believes they need to come up with a plan to mix up their looks to prevent that from happening again.The Eagles hope Huff will develop into a premier pass rusher, but he has recorded zero pressures in the first two games.“Honestly, at this point and time, I’m trying to do everything I can to get home (to the quarterback),” Huff said. “You do get that pressure. I know what they brought me here for. I know what I have done in the past. I got to figure out what I need to do as an individual and what we can do as a unit to get that pressure. My whole focus right now is just getting better and getting us to the point where we are clicking and really getting home.”Huff, who went undrafted in 2020, developed into one of the league’s most efficient pass rushers while playing for the Jets. Last season, he finished with 10 sacks on just 42% of the defensive snaps.Eagles defensive coordinator <a href="https://www.nj.com/eagles/2024/05/eagles-vic-fangio-addresses-issue-of-being-an-old-school-coach-in-new-age-of-nfl-players.html">Vic Fangio</a> has given Huff lukewarm praise over the last few months. In July, Fangio said that Huff was not ready to be a three-down player at that moment. Then, he said last week that Huff had to just “separate himself from the other guys” to play more after only playing 30 snaps in Week 1.The biggest knock on Huff is that he’s an undersized edge rusher who mainly wins with speed. He won’t be able to have success until his pass rush repertoire improves.“I got to do a better job of using my arsenal, especially when I’m on the edge rushing,” Huff said. “Whether that’s hitting more bull (rushes), hitting more inside moves and just knowing when I’m able to hit those inside moves, when I’m able to hit those bull rushes and not just giving them the same rush every time.”Eagles defensive tackle <a href="https://www.nj.com/eagles/2023/09/eagles-breakout-candidate-is-fueled-by-his-fathers-dedication.html">Milton Williams</a> was the team’s only defensive lineman who finished with a sack in Week 2. Graham sacked Cousins during the second quarter, but the play was negated after linebacker <a href="https://www.nj.com/eagles/2024/08/eagles-player-has-relentless-mindset-when-delivering-big-hits-he-wants-to-go-out-there-and-kill.html">Nakobe Dean</a> was penalized for illegal contact.It’s concerning that Graham has been the Eagles’ most consistent pass rusher the last two weeks. The 36-year-old is playing in his 15th season and doesn’t have the ability to be a No. 1 pass rusher anymore.Despite their early-season struggles, Graham believes the Eagles’ pass rush group will figure things out.“I know we got it in this room,” Graham told NJ Advance Media. “We got to block the noise out, especially when there’s an opportunity like this for people to start talking stuff about us. We got to block all that out.”If Saints quarterback <a href="https://www.nj.com/jets/2024/07/rival-qb-reveals-why-he-turned-down-the-jets.html">Derek Carr</a> picks apart the Eagles’ defense in Week 3, and Buccaneers quarterback <a href="https://www.nj.com/sports/2024/01/eagles-should-fear-buccaneers-in-wild-card-round-for-many-reasons-mike-evans-baker-mayfield-much-more.html">Baker Mayfield</a> does the same thing in Week 4, the Eagles will have to re-evaluate their pass rush group. They may have to add an edge rusher before the trade deadline in November.This could have been avoided if Reddick was kept.Perhaps negotiating a new deal with Reddick would have been too much of a headache and caused a distraction. The Jets haven’t been able to meet Reddick’s demands, so he has decided to sit out the first two games and could skip more weeks until he gets the deal he wants. Paying a soon-to-be 30-year-old pass rusher a ton of money is risky. However, he would have solved the Eagles’ pass rush problem this season and made them a more viable Super Bowl contender.Now, the Eagles have to piece it together with a group that has not proven much. “We’ll look at this game and see what happened,” Eagles coach <a href="https://www.nj.com/sports/2024/05/eagles-coach-nick-sirianni-was-victimized-but-ended-up-with-last-laugh-in-court.html">Nick Sirianni</a> said. “Sometimes you have to earn the right to rush, meaning you have got to have them in passing situations. Didn’t seem like we had some passing situations today. They were in third and manageable or second and manageable. So sometimes you have to earn the right to rush. Like I said, when they were ahead of the sticks, that makes it a little bit harder on the pass rush.”Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust.Cayden Steele may be reached at <a href="mailto:CSteele@njadvancemedia.com">CSteele@njadvancemedia.com</a></div></body>

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Eagles veteran rips ‘unacceptable’ play from unit that misses former star

PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles’ decision to trade Haason Reddick during the offseason was a colossal mistake. General manager Howie Roseman didn’t want to pay Reddick like a top pass rusher, so he traded him to the New York Jets in March for a 2026 conditional third-round pick. Roseman made the move after signing Bryce Huff to a three-year, $51.1 million contract and after restructuring the final year of Josh Sweat’s deal.

Eagles veteran rips ‘unacceptable’ play from unit that misses former star

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