The Eagles drafted defensive end Derek Barnett in the first round and signed defensive end Chris Long as a free agent in a clear attempt to increase the effectiveness of their pass rush off the edge.
Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz sees another offseason acquisition helping the pass rush as well, although it won’t be from the edge. The Eagles traded for defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan and Schwartz believes that putting Jernigan alongside Fletcher Cox will turn out to be a big plus to the team’s efforts.
“I do like the guys we have up front,” Schwartz said in comments distributed by the team. “It’s not just drafting a guy like Derek or bringing a guy like Chris in. I think Tim Jernigan is really going to be a big addition for us. He was hard to handle inside. Last year when Fletch had such a good start, that first month, teams adjusted. They started taking him away, and we didn’t win enough one on ones away from him because that other tackle got the one on ones. Well, that happened in OTAs, and Timmy’s able to get good pressure. So I think that was — I don’t know if it flew under the radar, but it was an important acquisition for us. I think that will affect our pass-rush as much as bringing a first-round draft pick or veteran player into the mix.”
Cox had four sacks in the first four games, but only picked up 2.5 the rest of the way. If he’s able to up that total, it will be a good sign for the Eagles defense whether Jernigan or someone else picks up the credit for creating more opportunities up front.