The next important position I want to discuss is the defensive tackle position. In the final two games last season against the Cowboys, one of the main reasons the Eagles defense got burned is because the defensive line was unable to get pressure on Tony Romo. And as much as I hate to admit this, Tony Romo is a great quarterback when you give him time in the pocket and he is able to sit back there and go through all of his reads; Romo had all the time in the world in both of those games. So for the Eagles, if they are able to utilize their big boys inside, then that can relieve some of the pressure on guys like Trent Cole who is usually doubled. The Eagles are not very deep at the defensive tackle position and only have 2 main guys that they are going to rely on heavily heading into this season.
Mike Patterson: Mike Patterson really came into his own in 2007 when he recorded 49 tackles and 4 sacks. After being drafted by the Eagles in 2005, Patterson has established himself as a force in the middle and has a great ability to stop the run. Patterson is young and has the potential to be a Pro Bowler. In the season coming up, I expect Patterson to record career highs in both tackles and sacks.
Brodrick Bunkley: After a dissapointing rookie season, Brodrick has blossomed into a starter and a force to be reckoned with inside. Next to Patterson, Bunkley creates problems inside for the opposing team's run game and has the ability to rush the quarterback.
I'm not going to lie to you, behing Bunkley and Patterson, the Eagles have nobody. If Bunkley or Patterson went down, your next best option would be Trevor Laws, and that is not good. Basically the Eagles are banking on both Bunkley and Patterson staying healthy because if either of them goes down, the Eagles are screwed, plain and simple. The Eagles can't bank everything off of these 2 staying healthy. They need to find someone who can be a good backup or it will spell trouble for this Eagles defense.
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