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Eagles ever-evolving pass rush wins big with a low-risk signing
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- Eagles ever-evolving pass rush wins big with a low-risk signing
The Philadelphia Eagles spent much of last year searching for answers, for ways to add juice to their pass rush. Things didn't always go according to plan. At one point, the organization took a massive swing at landing Micah Parsons . They struck out there, too. It wasn't for a lack of effort. Reports later surfaced that Philadelphia even explored a deal that included Jalen Carter as part of a package for the former Penn State Nittany Lions star .
In the end, that fantasy never materialized. Parsons eventually found his way to the Green Bay Packers . Nearly seven months later, the Eagles still managed to add a Nittany Lion to the roster. It just isn't the one that fans initially imagined. Enter Arnold Ebiketie . During his lone season in Happy Valley (2021), he earned First-team All-Big Ten honors.
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Arnold Ebiketie might be the cure for much of what has been plaguing the Eagles' pass rush.
He first gained national attention with the Temple Owls , earning Second-team All-AAC honors in 2020. By the time the 2022 NFL Draft arrived, he had solidified himself as a legitimate NFL prospect. Now, let's be fair about something. Even though Ebiketie and Parsons attended the same school of higher learning, they aren't in the same class as players. But truthfully, almost no one in the NFL is in Parsons' class as a defensive playmaker.
That comparison would be unfair to just about anyone, so Ebiketie has nothing to hang his head about. What matters is that he can contribute. We mentioned him as a possible Eagles target after Maxx Crosby's deal with the Baltimore Ravens stalled , and they pivoted to sign Trey Hendrickson . Given who was still available, this feels like a sensible addition for Philadelphia.
They experimented with plenty of options while trying to solidify their pass rush last season. The Eagles cycled through players such as Bryce Huff , Josh Uche , Azeez Ojulari , and Jaelan Phillips while searching for the right mix. They even brought in Za'Darius Smith for a short stint before the veteran ultimately retired . Jaelan Phillips left during the early stages of free agency, and the continuing shuffle opened the door for someone else to step in. Ebiketie might be the kind of player who wedges that proverbial revolving door.
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Despite signing a one-year deal, he represents exactly the type of low-risk move smart front offices love to make. If he simply becomes a reliable rotational piece, the signing works. If he outperforms expectations, the Eagles may have quietly solved part of their pass-rush puzzle.
There's little to lose and much to gain. We're choosing to wager on the latter.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles ever-evolving pass rush wins big with a low-risk signing
