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The Eagles drafted edge rusher Nolan Smith in the first round last year, but they did not throw him in the deep end right away.
Smith only played 188 defensive snaps as the Eagles went with Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat as their lead players at the position. Reddick is gone, but the Eagles signed Bryce Huff and brought back Brandon Graham to go with Sweat and Smith.
It’s unclear how the playing time will be divvied up, but cornerback Darius Slay seems to think Smith is ready to claim a bigger chunk of it. During an appearance on the Green Light podcast, Slay told former Eagle Chris Long that “it’s going to be a special year” for Smith.
“He looks a lot different this year,” Slay said. “One thing I can say about Nolan, ever since I met Nolan, he only knows one speed. He’s one of the guys you have to watch out for your own self because he hits teammates and everybody. Even in practice, man.”
Slay also talked about defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who was also a 2023 first-round pick, stepping into a bigger role in the wake of Fletcher Cox’s retirement. The two players were teammates at Georgia before going pro and the Eagles hope they become core pieces of their defense in the years to come.
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/darius-slay-sees-special-coming-160559941.html
Author : ProFootball Talk on NBC Sports
Publish date : 2024-07-16 16:05:59
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