For most people, weighing 300 pounds is the sign of a serious health problem. For an NFL defensive tackle, it may be an indication that you need to put on some weight.
In the case of Eagles defensive tackle Bennie Logan, he’s having to defend himself as not too small, with 319 pounds on his 6-foot-2 frame. Logan is listed at 309 pounds, but he said he complied with defensive line coach Jerry Azzinaro’s request that he put on 10 pounds this offseason. Logan now thinks he’s at just the right size for what he does in the Eagles’ defense.
“Most people, when they picture a nose tackle, they picture a 330-plus guy, just clogging up the middle,” Logan said. “But the way we play our defense, you’ve got to be able to run. And I don’t feel I’d be able to run or do the things our coaches, in our scheme, require us to do. That’s why I’m not 330, or put on that much weight.”
Logan bulked up the right way, going back to LSU and hitting the weight room when the offseason program in Philadelphia wasn’t in session. He said he’s in shape to stay on the field a lot this year.
“I’ll be playing more snaps this year, that was the main thing,” Logan said. “I wanted to put on weight to be able to sustain a longer season and try to see how things go.”
When Logan looks at the scale, he likes what he sees. Something most 300-pounders can’t say.