It was out with the old, and in with some more of the old for the Eagles at defensive end this offseason. Will the returning players make the unit better or worse in 2019?
Key additions: Vinny Curry (free agent, Buccaneers), Shareef Miller (draft, fourth round)
Key departures: Michael Bennett (trade, Patriots), Chris Long (retired)
Why they could be better: Derek Barnett's potential
Barnett had a nice rookie season with 6.0 sacks, including playoffs, and finished fourth on the club with eight tackles for loss and 16 quarterback hits, all while playing only 41 percent of the snaps. It was looking like he could take the next step in 2018, too, with 2.5 sacks four games into the campaign - until a shoulder injury struck. Then it was a matter of weeks before he wound up on the injured reserve list. Up to that point, it looked like the former 14th-overall draft pick was very much on the verge of a breakout season.
There's really no reason that can't still be the case. At least, nobody ever expects a shoulder injury to derail a defensive end's career. The Eagles are likely penciling him in for the starting job on the opposite end from Brandon Graham, and why not? As long as he's healthy, Barnett's body of work thus far suggests he's on his way to enjoying a successful NFL career.
Why they could be worse: Michael Bennett's proven production
One can assume the real reason the Eagles'decided to part ways with Bennett was over something (or things) behind the scenes. It wasn't the return - a fifth-round pick for Bennett and a seventh. It wasn't the contract, because the Patriots only wound up giving him an additional $1.25 million in base salary and no new years. And it sure as hell wasn't production, because the three-time Pro Bowler was the Eagles' most disruptive pass-rusher off the edge by a wide margin.
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Bennett finished with 10.0 sacks last season, including playoffs, and it should've been 12.0 except for two blatantly incorrect roughing penalties. He also ranked fourth in the entire NFL with 30 quarterback hits, and narrowly finished outside the top-10 with 15 tackles for loss. Granted, Bennett turns 34 in November, and it's possible his personality simply wasn't a fit here. Regardless, the numbers speak for themselves.
The X-factor: Brandon Graham's inevitable decline
Everybody loves BG. The sack totals haven't always been there, save for the 9.5 he registered in 2017 - plus one pivotal strip sack in the Super Bowl - but he was always more productive than traditional counting stats indicated. Graham is 31 now, though, and last year was his least effective rushing the passer in a long time. His 4.0 regular season sacks and 1 forced fumble were his lowest since 2013, and this wasn't merely a matter of racking up a bunch of Mamulas, either, as he landed just 11 quarterback hits.
Fortunately for the Eagles, who just signed Graham to a new three-year deal worth $40 million in the offseason, there are reasons to believe he could bounce back. First, he was coming off of offseason ankle surgery and only rejoined the team in mid-August. Second, he was still stout against the run. Third, Graham showed signs of life in the playoffs with 1.5 sacks and a strip. So, was his down season a matter of circumstance, or is this the new BG?
Are the Eagles' defensive ends better or worse?
If he's 100 percent, Barnett has the ability to blossom into a star. He was well on his way last season. Yet, the Eagles are depending on him to replace Bennett's production, re-signed Vinny Curry to replace retired Chris Long's production, and Brandon Graham to stop aging so noticeably. It also wouldn't hurt if one of Shareef Miller, Josh Sweat or Joe Ostman became a reliable fifth rusher. The Eagles got younger, and arguably more talented, but there are too many questions to say the ends are better on paper.
