The current state of the Philadelphia Eagles defense is questionable, to say the least. After a crushing 42-19 loss against the San Fransisco 49ers, pundits and analysts have raised a bunch more questions this week about the Eagles. It’s important to note that the Eagles are still 10-2 and have gone against three top teams in the last three weeks. Everyone knew going in that it would be a hard ask for the Eagles to run the table during this stretch. However, it’s hard to take any positives away from that performance, especially defensively. The Eagles defense started strong the first two drives but got obliterated for the rest of the game by the 49ers offense. Hence, the Eagles went out and signed a former Indianapolis Colts All-Pro Linebacker, Shaq Leonard. Will he have enough of an impact to steady the Eagles defense?
The current state of the Philadelphia Eagles defense is questionable, to say the least. After a crushing 42-19 loss against the San -year deal this week reuniting him with Head Coach Nick Sirianni. It was a bit of a surprise move when the Indianapolis Colts decided to release someone many considered one of their team leaders. However, Leonard has had an extensive injury history and has not played to his earlier heights this season in the opinion of some. The reality is that Leonard is most likely past his physical prime due to the wear and tear and is just a slower player than he was a few years ago.
His playtime with the Colts decreased throughout the season up until his release and it frankly made sense for the Colts. Leonard not only lost a step but has also never been regarded as a cover linebacker, which has only gotten worse this season. He’s a player at this point of his career who is going to rely on his experience and knowledge of the game to read plays and fight around the trenches to make plays in the running game.
