The Philadelphia Eagles were one of the more active teams in free agency this offseason as they look to return to the Super Bowl. Following a down year in 2023, Philadelphia addressed some roster concerns.
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One of those was at the pass-rushing position, but they landed defensive end Bryce Huff on a three-year deal worth $51 million. Huff had a breakout year with the New York Jets last season, registering 10 sacks on the year.
His performance earned him a massive contract on the open market, but now it’s all about maintaining that impact on the field. While Huff was great at getting to the quarterback, he struggled to be an option for New York on all three downs.
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The Eagles know this and have been looking to build him up to get to that point. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio didn’t mince words when asked about Huff playing all three downs this season.
“I do think he has the talent to do what we want him to do,” new Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said Thursday, via team transcript, of Huff moving from a pass rush specialist to playing on base downs. “It’s just he’s got to get familiar with doing it. So, it will be a work in progress. Does he look like he can do it today? No. I do think he eventually will.”
Part of this issue for Huff has been his issues with stopping the run. He is somewhat not a liability for the defense, which has caused him problems when playing all three downs.
For Huff to get to where the Eagles need him to be, he will have to show he can be consistent no matter what the offense is running. Philadelphia signed him for a reason, and they are banking on his continued growth in the new system.
“Constantly show improvement,” said Fangio when asked what Huff needs to do be an all-down player. “It’s more of a feel. He has the talent to do it, but he’s never been asked to do it I don’t think in college nor with the Jets. So, it’s new and he has to become more proficient at it.”
Huff got his money from the Eagles this offseason, but now he’ll need to show he can perform up to speed. If he can’t, his time on the field will be limited, which will suggest that Philadelphia may have made a mistake in signing him this offseason.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.