Philadelphia Eagles' rookie could be the answer to replacing Za'Darius Smith and Nick Sirianni isn't ruling out the option
The Philadelphia Eagles were surprised this week after edge rusher Za’Darius Smith announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday.
His abrupt exit leaves the Eagles with a major hole to fill, but they could have his replacement in rookie Jihaad Campbell.
Campbell has been dominating as an inside linebacker all season long, racking up 40 tackles, one quarterback hit, a tackle for loss, two pass deflections, one forced fumble, and one interception.
However, playing outside isn’t anything new to him after spending his college career at Alabama doing just that.
Nick Sirianni Isn’t Ruling Out the Possibility of Moving Campbell to the Outside
When asked by reporters this week if the team would consider putting Campbell on the edge, head coach Nick Sirianni didn’t rule out the option.
“I think that we have a lot of versatility there and that we have a really good linebacker room altogether,” Sirianni said. “We look at everything. We look at everything that we can do to help our team be as successful as we possibly can. So again, we’ll see. I’m not going to talk through some of those things, obviously. I think you guys respect that with not giving opponents any information or anything like that.”
With Smith’s retirement, Philly is currently forced to lean on Josh Uche, Azeez Ojulari, Jalyx Hunt, and Patrick Johnson off the edge.
Sirianni made note that he is confident in the Eagles’ current depth, but he also mentioned his excitement to have Nakobe Dean back in the lineup.
“But really excited about the room,” he said. “Excited to get Nakobe back in there rolling because we know the type of player he is.”
Campbell took reps on the inside and outside throughout training camp. He has also taken a few real game reps on the edge. If the Eagles can’t find someone on the outside to sign or trade for, Campbell makes a ton of sense.
Denver Broncos Defense on Historic Pace After Record Setting Start
The Denver Broncos have been one of the best defenses in the NFL so far this week. What’s even scarier is that the
The Broncos tied a franchise record with nine sacks against the Jets, showcasing their remarkable balance and depth with eight different players contributing to the sack total.
As The Denver Gazette noted, Denver’s defense held the Jets to only 82 total yards and minus-10 passing yards after sacks, which is the fewest in team history and second-fewest by any NFL defense since 1990.
Outside linebacker Nik Bonitto couldn’t help but laugh when he learned the stat:
“I was shocked when they told us after the game,” Bonitto said. “That’s pretty funny.”
Bonitto leads the entire
Cornerback Pat Surtain II, last season’s DPOY, thinks Bonitto could be next in line.
“It was honestly pretty crazy,” Surtain said. “It was like I was sitting back watching, being a fan of it. We’re covering for maybe one or two seconds, I look up, there’s a sack. It’s a pleasure to watch and a pleasure to be part of.”
Historic Numbers Through Week 6
Through six weeks, Denver leads the NFL with 30 total sacks, 10 more than any other team.
They rank second in total defense (254.2 yards per game) and scoring defense (15.8 points per game). Only the
The turnaround has been remarkable.
After giving up 473 yards in a Week 2 loss to Indianapolis, the Broncos’ defense has completely locked in. In their last three wins over the
Nose tackle D.J. Jones said the group has found its rhythm:
“We’ve been in that groove, just a relentless groove. It’s special to be a part of it.”
Denver’s Depth and Dominance
Despite missing key contributors like linebacker Dre Greenlaw (quad injury) and still easing Malcolm Roach back into action after a calf issue, the Broncos have emerged as perhaps the league’s most feared defensive unit.
Roach made his season debut on Sunday in London but only logged 25 of 57 defensive snaps.
Even without Greenlaw and Roach for most of the first six weeks of the season, the
“They’ve been playing their butts off week in and week out,” wide receiver Courtland Sutton said about the defense.
“It’s been special to watch, and I’m just grateful to be on a team with guys playing at that level. They’re out there with the mindset that nobody can stop them. The sky’s the limit for those guys.”
As dominant as Denver’s defense has been, it could get even scarier once the unit is back to full strength.
The Broncos will host the Giants next before a Week 9 clash with Houston, a game that could turn into a battle between two of the NFL’s top defenses.
