Latest news with #DariusSlay
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Are Eagles Learning From Past Post-Super Bowl Mistakes?
Are Eagles Learning From Past Post-Super Bowl Mistakes? originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After winning Super Bowl LIX last year, the Philadelphia Eagles are trying to repeat as champions. Sound familiar? Advertisement They have been in this situation before. To accomplish their goal of a repeat championship, there are multiple lessons to learn from the last time they were at this point. When the Eagles first won the Super Bowl in 2017-18, they did - to their credit - most everything they could to get back the following year. That meant giving contract extensions to some of their older stars, such as Nigel Bradham and Alshon Jeffery. It only took a short time to see those well-intentioned moves crumble. Philadelphia was one of the league leaders maybe in injuries due to its older roster at the time, which led to the team collapsing into a regime change just three years following its Super Bowl win. Advertisement What is arguably more remarkable is that the Eagles were able to shrug off that season's failings and build another Super Bowl winner. As they prepare for another title defense, has general manager Howie Roseman and the organization learned from the mistakes they made before? Early returns should tell wondering Eagles fans that they have. Instead of re-signing several of their older stars, Philadelphia has said goodbye to many prominent leaders. Darius Slay, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Brandon Graham are just a few veterans who departed from the organization this offseason. By parting with some of its more critical veterans, Philadelphia is choosing to focus on the growth of its young roster. The Eagles have the 10th-youngest roster in the game. … and that alone is evidence of the team's learning from its past mistakes. Advertisement Time will tell if they can maintain their dominance in 2025 and beyond. … but the change in policy is notable and laudable. Related: Eagles Should Target Steelers Tight End After Blockbuster Trade Related: Eagles' Defensive Weakness Offers Trade Answers on T.J. Watt and Trey Hendrickson This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Eagles Have Obvious 'Red Flag' Worthy of Major Concern
Eagles Have Obvious 'Red Flag' Worthy of Major Concern originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Philadelphia Eagles have lost several key players on the defensive side of the ball this offseason. Darius Slay, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Josh Sweat are just some veterans who have departed from the defending Super Bowl champions. Advertisement Now, it's true … Philadelphia still employs plenty of stars on its defense to mitigate those losses. Jalen Carter, Zack Baun, and Quinyon Mitchell are all All-Pro or Pro Bowl-caliber players who should keep the top-ranked 2024 unit among the best in the league in 2025. But that doesn't mean there aren't red flags worthy of concern. CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin shared a column this week that highlighted just how difficult it could be for the Eagles to keep their dominant ways. "Vic Fangio was the perfect man to oversee the Eagles' defense in 2024, bringing discipline and tenacity back to a unit that had become practically lifeless," Benjamin said. "Now he'll be charged with defending the Birds' crown while likely overseeing new starters at every level of the lineup. Advertisement "Fangio may need veteran Band-Aids like Azeez Ojulari and Adoree' Jackson to help keep the ship afloat early on. It's just the cost of fielding a championship roster." Coaching certainly matters, as Benjamin said. Fangio's ability to get the most out of his young players should help the Eagles field a strong defense for a second straight year. The lack of veteran leadership, though, could cause a problem. Philadelphia projects to possibly have the youngest defense in the league this year, which - as a positive, because youth can be good - is why they were OK with moving on from some of their aging stars this offseason for cap reasons. Advertisement But … Time will tell if that mindset was the right way to go, or if the red flags that come with getting younger can hurt the champs in 2025. Related: Eagles Should Target Steelers Tight End After Blockbuster Trade Related: Eagles' Defensive Weakness Offers Trade Answers on T.J. Watt and Trey Hendrickson This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jalen Ramsey Trade Confirms Steelers 'Super Bowl Or Bust' Season
Jalen Ramsey Trade Confirms Steelers 'Super Bowl Or Bust' Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports. A year ago with the New York Jets, Aaron Rodgers was thrust into a season with "Super Bowl-or-bust" pressure. It appears to be the same scenario for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Advertisement With the trade for veteran cornerback Jalen Ramsey on Monday morning, the Steelers reiterated they aren't building for the future. They are building for right now. Pittsburgh acquired Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for five-time Pro Bowl safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. The move continues an urgent trend this offseason: The Steelers and General Manager Omar Khan are going for it. The new pairing of Ramsey and cornerback Darius Slay gives the Steelers two of the best cornerbacks to play in the NFL over the last 10 years. But — as with most make-or-break experiments — the question is are the Steelers merely chasing ghosts? Advertisement Ramsey hasn't been an All-Pro since 2021. He missed the Pro Bowl last season for the first time since 2016, managing only two interceptions. Slay led the NFL in interceptions in 2017, while Rodgers hasn't played at an elite level since 2021. "I'm pretty sure this is it," said Rodgers, who will turn 42 this season, of his retirement plan. "That's why we just did a one-year deal. The Steelers didn't need to put any extra years." Khan, Tomlin and the Steelers are hoping to squeeze one more year out of these acquired grizzled veterans. Or else. Related: Ex Steelers and Bengals Defensive Tackle Passes Away Related: 'I Haven't Heard That' Says NFL Insider of Steelers' T.J. Watt Rumor This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 days ago
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Jalen Ramsey Trade Gives Steelers Best Corner Trio in NFL
Jalen Ramsey Trade Gives Steelers Best Corner Trio in NFL originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Pittsburgh Steelers just made a blockbuster trade for one of the best cornerback of this generation in Jalen Ramsey, and it makes their secondary even more intimidating. Advertisement Some do not like the fact that they had to give up star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in the trade. But if you value star cornerbacks over safeties, then the Steelers have one of, if not the best unit in the entire NFL. While this past season was the first year since 2019 that Ramsey was not named to the Pro Bowl, he still had a very solid season. He tallied 60 total tackles, six tackles for loss, two interceptions, and 11 pass deflections. Former Philadelphia Eagles star cornerback Darius Slay is another player that the team just acquired this offseason, and he will give the team a solid veteran presence as well. He was able to finish top 15 in the league this past season in pass deflections with 13. As for a player the team already had, Joey Porter Jr. is one of the best young defensive backs in the league. He was able to improve on his solid rookie season by almost doubling his tackles numbers and defending a solid seven passes. Advertisement These three players combined form one of, if not the best cornerback trio in the entire NFL, and they will be looking to help lead the team to the postseason for the third year in a row. Related: Jalen Ramsey Trade Confirms Steelers 'Super Bowl Or Bust' Season Related: Steelers' Blockbuster Trade Includes Pro Bowl Tight End as Aaron Rodgers Target This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
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Analyst Predicts Major Secondary Changes for Eagles
Analyst Predicts Major Secondary Changes for Eagles originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Last season, the Philadelphia Eagles had one of the best secondaries in the league. Veteran leaders like Darius Slay and C.J. Gardner-Johnson mixed perfectly with young stars like Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell. Advertisement But Gardner-Johnson and Slay are gone this season. Replacing both will be no easy task for Philadelphia's defense. While nothing will be final during off-season workouts, the Eagles have tried different combinations during practices to see what could work for them during the 2025 campaign. And their testing has left The Athletic's Brooks Kubena with a "key observation" about the Eagles' defense. "Cooper DeJean and Drew Mukuba may both have flexible roles in a secondary undergoing yet another significant turnover in personnel," Kubena said. "Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is still deploying DeJean at nickel but moving him to outside cornerback opposite Quinyon Mitchell in base packages. Advertisement "Mukuba, the No. 64 pick, has been taking first-team snaps at safety — noteworthy in his battle with Sydney Brown — but he's also playing slot with DeJean in dime packages." DeJean was the top-ranked slot cornerback in the league last season. To move him to the outside is a tremendous gamble for any coaching staff. But there's a good reason for it. Philadelphia rarely played in base personnel on defense (two cornerbacks and three linebackers). In the modern NFL, most teams prefer to have three receivers on the field at all times anyway, and that forces teams to run in nickel coverage (three cornerbacks and two linebackers). Advertisement DeJean is seen as a Swiss Army Knife on the Eagles' defense. He can cover inside extremely well and has the range to be an excellent safety. That allows a defensive coach like Vic Fangio to deploy the Iowa product differently. It makes sense to keep him on the field as much as possible. It also means Mukuba could be seen as a potential backup should something happen to the second-year corner. It's not the first time an Eagles safety has gotten work in the slot. Malcolm Jenkins, a hero on Philadelphia's first title team in 2017, was a Pro Bowl player for six seasons while playing at safety and the slot. While it is too early to say Mukuba will be the next Jenkins, it is clear that the Eagles want to test any combination in their secondary to maintain their standing as an elite defensive group in 2025. Advertisement Early returns show that they believe both DeJean and Mukuba will be essential parts of that happening. Related: 'Overlooked' Rookie Poised As Next Late-Round Gem in Eagles Roster Pipeline Related: Eagles All-Pro Sounds Off On 'Evolution' of Nick Sirianni This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
