You can accuse the Philadelphia Eagles of underperforming. One can call their defense inconsistent and sometimes porous. One can also make claims that the offense is underwhelming.
You can call them a legitimate contender or a franchise on the brink of possible calamity. One thing you can never label the Eagles as is ‘boring’.
It’s when they seem their most silent that an announcement is coming. This time, it’s a retirement. Za’Darius Smith is calling it a career after the fifth game of his 11th NFL season.
Ten tackles and 1.5 sacks are the results of his efforts. Though unexpected, the Eagles must move on and do so quickly. His exit now creates a larger hole where the Birds already had massive concerns.
Nolan Smith and Ogbo Okoronkwo were already on injured reserve, which creates yet another massive opportunity for a few Eagles who certainly deserve a mention.
Patrick Johnson
It’s now or never. Philadelphia needs the August version of Patrick Johnson to show up. It’s time for some of that preseason magic to transition over into the games that count on the ledger.
The Eagles promoted him from the practice squad to the active roster on September 8. He has notched two tackles and a sack. Two tackles and a sack have been added to his NFL resume, but with no one to turn to other than him, Jalyx Hunt, and Josh Uche, Johnson may never have a better opportunity to prove he belongs here for the long haul.
Azeez Ojulari
Yeah… You’re well aware that wild horses couldn’t drag Azeez Ojulari off the field now, right? He was a healthy scratch in Weeks 1-4 but finally earned his opportunity after being named active in Weeks 5 and 6.
He’s the low man on the totem pole. If we were to stack the available and healthy defensive ends/edge rushers, he’d be the last one on the depth chart currently.
He has been better than expected, but he’s also a better run defender than a pass rusher. A few more opportunities might allow him his chance to make a bigger impact.
Hunt, Smith, and Johnson all seem to have firmer standings with the organization, and Philadelphia’s coaches seem to favor Josh Uche more, but all it takes is that one breakout. We have officially seen enough to state Ojulari is fully capable of displaying one.
A player to be named later
The trade deadline approaches, and the Eagles are home to the NFL’s best general manager. He’s probably one of the most aggressive. There’s a chance the biggest beneficiary of Za’Darius Smith’s retirement is a player to be named later.
Worth mentioning: The overly emotional Brandon Graham write-in vote
Tell the truth. You’ve thought about this, haven’t you? You’re not alone if you are. Common sense says there’s no way this happens. The emotional part of all of us wouldn’t object too loudly if it did. Is anyone else wondering if Brandon Graham has a little something left?
He’d have to put his TV career on pause, and even if we don’t believe there’s a snowball’s chance in ‘you know what’ that this happens, there’s a voice we can’t ignore whispering he’s still better than many of the younger players on the current Eagles roster.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Which Eagles benefit most from Za’Darius Smith’s retirement news?
