Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox and defensive end Brandon Graham were both on the Eagles team that won Super Bowl LII and they are back in Arizona this year to try for a second ring.
Many of the other names on the roster have changed since that night in Minneapolis, including a number of big-name acquisitions this season. The Eagles signed edge rusher Haason Reddick as a free agent and traded for wide receiver A.J. Brown and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson during the offseason. During the season, they signed defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh and Linval Joseph while also trading for edge rusher Robert Quinn ahead of the deadline.
At Super Bowl Opening Night, Graham talked about the lift that those moves provided to a longtime member of the team.
“It gave me big confidence because you could tell that they was all in on this year,” Graham said. “They started to see some stuff in training camp that they was happy about. They knew we wasn’t far off, so they went out and got Linval and Suh to plug up the middle because we were a little weak in that area because we got hurt in that area. Those boys came right in and, man, they was perfect. The perfect time when they came in.”
Cox was released last offseason as the Eagles moved to avoid guaranteeing $18 million in salary and then returned on a one-year, $14 million contract. The savings helped free up money for General Manager Howie Roseman to use elsewhere and Cox sounded a lot like Graham when he discussed his response to the moves.
“It feels good to know and trust the guys upstairs,” Cox said. “Howie did a really good job of getting the pieces that we need to be a championship caliber team, to be connected, to be competitive no matter what we’re doing. To have those guys on this team, especially this time of year, is very special.”
The Bucs and Rams made splashy offseason and in-season moves on their way to the last two Super Bowl titles. The Eagles will be very happy if lightning strikes a third time.