Hollis Thomas

The Eagles have the potential to one of the best defensive lines in the NFL.

Of course they are far from perfect. Lack of size, strategy and questions about whether the “Wide Nine” formation is the right defense for the Eagles will be brought up until Jim Washburn’s crew is consistent with their results.

The d-linemen all have high motors and are relentless when it comes to sacking the quarterback, and that’s what you need for the most part in today’s game.

The ends are strong and fast and can set the edge well, but sometimes they get too far up field against the run, which creates run lanes.

The guys in the middle can get up field and crush the pocket, but sometimes they get stuck on the line, which is a problem in the system that the Eagles run.

Also while the philosophy “get up the field” is great but it hangs the small linebackers out to dry with an O-lineman in their face.

Don’t get me wrong I love to see quarterbacks go down, but I hate to see a running back getting in to the secondary with a nice head of steam.

Which leads me to my next thought, the Eagles tackles have decent size but they don’t have any big guys that can eat blockers and make plays no nose guard types.

Not having at least one of these guys is going to make it a long season for the middle linebacker and the rest of the defense against heavy run teams, and I know people think this is a pass-happy league, but teams do still run the ball.

Take the interior line with Derek Landri, Cullen Jenkins, Fletcher Cox, and Cedric Thorton. They all have decent size, speed, and the ability to fight a one on one block, but who’s gonna force the double team?

Landri has a high motor, ok anchor, and is a smart player, he’s just not the nose guard type.

Jenkins, who does have a bit of size but is still more of an up field type tackle…not the nose guard type.

Now Cox and Thorton are young and can rush the passer I don’t see either of them being a run stuffer or other teams having to double team them.

The defensive ends are studs.

You have Trent Cole, Jason Babin, Phillip Hunt, Brandon Graham, Darryl Tapp, and Vinnie Curry provide great edge pressure against the run and pass.

It seems that they have found a common balance to the wide nine, because at first, I, like many of my fellow Eagles fans was wondering what in the Sam Hill they were doing way out there.

It was making run lanes for both the quarterback and the running back.

Toward the end of the last season they found a happy medium and started taking complete control of the game, by stopping some plays before they got started and a coming up with a bunch of pressure and sacks on the quarterback. This is the main reason I think that the defensive line is the strength of the team.

They have the talent, coaching and a great combination of youth and experience. The one thing other teams can get them on is the size.

That is what coaches are for and if they can use the best parts of the d-line players to their advantage, this team will go places.

Hollis Thomas played in the NFL for 14 years, 10 for the Eagles.