The Eagles were without their whole defensive line cast for Week 9. This prompted some to suggest that Philadelphia would be a nice fit for ex-Giants All-Pro DE Jason Pierre-Paul is an actor.
Pierre-Paul isn’t the same player he once was, but there’s reason to believe he can still contribute to a team like the Eagles. The question has been whether Pierre-Paul would sign somewhere to be a role player, or whether he would need to be a part of a defence before signing.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, “Pierre-Paul, one of the top rushers still available, is now willing to sign with the practise squad of a playoff contender, per sources.”
Eagles Could Be Motivated to Make a Signing
This alters everything, and there’s reason to believe the Eagles will be motivated to make a signing. According to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, LB Nakobe Dean has a Lisfranc sprain.
Dean called the defensive signals at the start of the season, but he will now consult with a foot doctor to determine his next steps. He is now anticipated to be placed on indefinite leave.The defensive line was in even worse shape. Derek Barnett was declared inactive for the Eagles’ game against the Cowboys. As a result, they only had Josh Sweat, Haason Reddick, Nolan Smith, Brandon Graham, and Patrick Johnson as edge rushers, and Johnson did not play.
Due to this reality, Sweat and Reddick played more than 80% of the defensive snaps. In previous weeks, having a 70% snape share would have been considered high. It was clearly not to the team’s detriment in this case, as Sweat and Graham came up huge in the fourth quarter. Sweat, Reddick, and Graham combined for three and a half sacks in the game.
The victory went to the Eagles. However, one has to wonder if this utilisation is sustainable over the course of a long playoff run. So, what does Pierre-Paul have to offer at this stage of his career?
Does Pierre-Paul Still Have Some Gas in the Tank?
The veteran defensive end has 94.5 sacks in his career, having played for the Ravens last season, the Buccaneers for four seasons prior, and, of course, the Giants for eight. He has two Super Bowl rings to add to the Eagles’ already extensive playoff experience.
Pierre-Paul’s sacks (3) and tackles-for-loss (5) numbers in his most recent tenure with the Ravens may not appear to be game changers, but considering his extensive resume, there’s reason to believe he may provide some much-needed depth. With Dean’s injury and the state of this defensive line, the Eagles may simply require more guys to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Pierre-Paul can undoubtedly help there.
Potential changes like this will be discussed by Head Coach Nick Sirianni and General Manager Howie Roseman during the team’s bye week. When asked about tight end Dallas Goedert’s injury at Monday’s news conference, Sirianni said Roseman is always striving to strengthen the roster, and there’s no doubt that applies to both sides of the ball.
For Heavy.com, David Burleson covers the NFL, with an emphasis on the Philadelphia Eagles. Before joining Heavy, he worked as a sports reporter for the West Orlando News in Orlando, Florida. More information on David Burleson
