The Eagles follow primetime win with stunning roster addition

This past offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles saw Two-time Super Bowl Champion Brandon Graham retire, along with Edge Rusher Josh Sweat leave in Free Agency.  Plus, Defensive Tackle Milton Williams left for a big contract with the New England Patriots.

Those three players accounted for 40.2 percent of the Eagles' team sacks in the 2024 season. Philadelphia attempted to replace those three with veterans like Josh Uche and Azeez Ojulari while expecting young players such as Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, and Moro Ojomo to step up in 2025.

But Ojulari was a healthy scratch for the first game of the season against the Dallas Cowboys, while Ojomo did not have the impact people hoped for on Thursday Night. Once Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith got kicked out of the game for Unsportsmanlike Conduct Penalties, the Philadelphia Pass Rush only got one Quarterback Hit on Dak Prescott.

What The Eagles Are Doing About The Pass Rush Issues

Less than 24 hours after the Eagles won 24-20 over the Cowboys on Opening Night at Lincoln Financial Field, General Manager Howie Roseman has already made a move to add depth to the defensive line.

The Eagles have signed Za'Darius Smith to a one year contract, and he was already in Philadelphia to sign the deal on Friday afternoon. The three-time Pro Bowl selection has 69 career sacks and 173 QB Hits during his 10 year NFL career.

The soon-to-be 33 year old Defensive End had Nine Sacks and 17 Quarterback Hits last season while playing for the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions. Smith has earned over $79 million during his NFL career and there is speculation that he was looking for one more big professional contract this offseason but no team offered him another big contract.

To make room for Za'Darius Smith on the Eagles 53-man roster, the Eagles gave placed Ben VanSumeren on Injured Reserve. The Fullback and Special Teams Contributor was injured on the first play of the game on Thursday Night.

Smith has nine days to get up to speed with Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio and the Eagles' playbook as the team prepares to play the Chiefs on September 14th in Kansas City. There are some great places to watch the Eagles play in New Jersey's southernmost county: