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The Eagles didn’t have their entire defensive line cast of characters for Week 9. This led some to speculate that Philadelphia could be a good landing spot for ex-Giants All-Pro DE Jason Pierre-Paul.
Pierre-Paul isn’t the player he once was, but there’s reason to think he could still help a team like the Eagles. The question has been, would Pierre-Paul sign somewhere to be a role player, or would he need to be a feature of a defense as a precursor to signing?
Well, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported on Wednesday that, “Pierre-Paul, one of the top rushers still available, is now willing to sign with the practice squad of a playoff contender, per sources.”
Eagles Could Be Motivated to Make a Signing
This changes things, and there’s good reason to think that the Eagles could be motivated to make a signing. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweeted Wednesday that LB Nakobe Dean was diagnosed with a Lisfranc sprain.
Dean called the defensive signals at the start of the season, but will now see a foot specialist to determine a course of action. He’s now expected to be placed on IR.
The defensive line wasn’t in much better shape. Going into their matchup with the Cowboys, the Eagles chose to have Derek Barnett inactive. This left them with only Josh Sweat, Haason Reddick, Nolan Smith, Brandon Graham, and Patrick Johnson as edge rushers, and Johnson didn’t end up seeing the field.
This reality meant Sweat and Reddick played over 80% of the snaps on the defensive side of the ball. For reference, having a 70% snape share would’ve been on the high side in past weeks. It obviously wasn’t to the team’s detriment here, as Sweat and Graham played big in the fourth quarter. Sweat, Reddick, and Graham even combined for 3 ½ sacks in the game.
The Eagles came away with the victory. One has to wonder, though, if this usage is sustainable for a long playoff run. So, what does Pierre-Paul have to bring to the table at this point in his career?
Does Pierre-Paul Still Have Some Gas in the Tank?
The veteran defensive end has amassed 94.5 sacks in his career, playing for the Ravens last season, the Buccs for four seasons before that, and, of course, the Giants for eight seasons. He has two Superbowl wins to add to the wealth of playoff experience already on the Eagles roster.
In his most recent stint with the Ravens, Pierre-Paul’s sacks (3) and tackle-for-loss (5) statistics might not look like difference-makers, but given his full resume, there’s reason to think he could add some much-needed depth. With the injury to Dean and the condition of this defensive line, the Eagles may just need more bodies that can put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Pierre-Paul can certainly contribute there.
Potential moves like this one will be part of the conversation for Head Coach Nick Sirianni and GM Howie Roseman as the team regroups during the bye week. When talking about the injury to tight end Dallas Goedert at the press conference on Monday, Sirianni said Roseman is always looking to improve the roster, and there’s no doubt that that applies to both sides of the ball.
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