No "Lard Butts" In the Philadelphia Eagles D-Line This Year

Jim Johnson's defensive line this year, is going to look nothing like it has in years past.  Looking at the Eagle players listed, this looks like nothing from the past 4 years.  Where are the Eagle veterans?  The old stall worths that Johnson could readily rely on?  Gone are Trotter (who was let go last year after training camp), Kearse (gone after 2007-2008 season) and Takeo Spike (who only lasted a year), was shown the door as well.

So what's ol' Johnson to do?  Well he's got to learn as much about all these new guys and how they can work together to become his fast , hard hitting, blitzing dream machine.  I guess though for Johnson, it won't be that difficult.  It'll now be Chris Gocong's and Omar Gaither's turn to step up and show what else they have after a decent showing last year.  The acquisition in the off season are definitely going to require some learning on Johnson's part, too.

Interesting thing about the guys who "remain standing".  Not a single on of these guys is a huge, William "The Refrigerator" Perry, type.  As described by that guy who writes the "On the Inside" column for the Philly Eagles official site (I can never remember his name, and for some stupid reason they don't put his name on the articles),  "There aren't a lot of lard butts along the line. The Eagles don't have a 375-pound anchor inside to clog up the running lanes."

The guys who the Eagles have managed to acquire are quick, fast and potent.  They really aren't the huge hulking Warren Sapp type guys.  What comes to immediately to my mind, is that Jim Johnson really looked at how Osi Umenyiora of the New Yorks Giants did last year.  How this guy's potent speed along with the rest of the Giants' D-Line took what the Eagles learned about the Patriots, and just used the speed to throw that Patriot's offense off.  Regardless of whether you like or don't like the Giants, you have to give props to Osi, that guy is one damn fine (fast and hard hitting) player.  Remember what he did to D-Mac last year, 8 or 9 sacks in that game, most of the hardest hitting sacks were from Osi.

So what should we expect for the Eagle's Defense this year?  Well, I think we'll be seeing a lot more speed, a lot more blitzing (as if there could be much more) and a little bit of a learning curve between players and coaches.

How about you folks still out there reading the Eagles Chick (yes we're back, and we're even going to training camp again!)...... What do you think we'll see out of the D-Line this year?

Comments

[Chuck]

My concern is that we do NOT have one of the "big guys", you know, the one relatively-fast, gargantuan of a player that two offensive linemen have to handle... which inevitably lets the uncovered, smaller, quicker guy break through and nail the QB or RB in the back field. I rarely question what Johnson is doing, and trust him very much in this instance as well. What makes me hesitate is the whole idea of not having a basket big enough for all the eggs... in this case a gargantuan basket.

[Li Evans]

Chuck,

Couldn't agree with you more. While I love the idea of all these fast and quick lean guys, my gut screams, we do need at least one "lard butt" so to speak, on this line.

There was a time where you needed all big guys, but i think it's silly to abandon the ship of all the big guys, you need at least one or two to stand their ground and not let those guys get through.

thanks for commenting (as you did with the video!)

~Li