PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles’ trade of edge rusher Bryce Huff to the San Francisco 49ers became official this week, saving the Birds nearly $7 million in cap space this season while unloading the rest of this three-year, $51.1 million contract.
“Well, I think the one thing is, he was getting better, and when he hurt his hand, he tried to play with it for a couple weeks,” defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said at OTAs on Tuesday. “It wasn’t going good because he was reluctant to use his hand. Then when they operated on it, he had to play with a big cast on his hand, which basically rendered his hand useless and then rendered his arm useless because you can’t use your hand. That really had an effect on him.
“We just came out of draft season and the first thing you see when they put a guy’s name up on the board is his hand size, arm length. Well, he lost all that. While he was out, (OLB) Nolan (Smith) got more snaps, (OLB) Jalyx (Hunt) got more snaps, and things evolve. But I think he’ll do fine in San Francisco.”
In exchange for Huff, who played in just 12 games last year and only started six, the Eagles received a fifth-round pick (which could become a fourth rounder) from the Niners. That increases their projected 2026 total to 13 — and 12 of them are in the first five rounds, including seven in the first four rounds.
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The role of second-year slot corner Cooper DeJean has seemed to expand throughout OTAs. First, he was getting reps on the outside when in a base defense. Now, he’s getting reps at safety.
Fangio and the Eagles want him on the field as much as possible, wherever that may be.
“We’d like to keep him at nickel, and then in our base package, we’ll find a spot for him either at corner or safety.” Fangio said. “I think a lot of it will end up depending upon how the rest of the guys develop and where we most need him. So, it will be determined by what’s best for him and what’s best for the team, and probably what’s best for the team will win out in that decision. But he’s capable of playing corner and he’s capable of playing safety also.
“I think he would play very well at safety. I think it suits his skillset, things that he does well. I just think he would do very well in there.”
The speedy DeJean already hits like a safety, and he’s instinctual and good at reading/reacting. However, in 21 games last season and postseason, the Eagles were only in a base defense about 160 times, less than eight times per game.
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Running back Saquon Barkley is confident in the Eagles’ ability to repeat as Super Bowl champs. He spoke extensively to the NFL Network this week.
“We’ve got guys coming in and buying in, training really hard, competing at a high level,” he said. “The young guys that we drafted and the people we brought in, they’re buying into the culture right from the beginning.
“Success is not an accident. We know the recipe. We know what it takes. We can’t skip any steps to get to where we want to get to. Last OTAs, it was the same thing, and we already know how training camp’s going to be and we know how it’s going to be during the season. We know the recipe, and we just got to stick to it and a little bit of luck when that comes in with staying healthy. We do that, with the talent that we have and the coaches that we have, we’ll be in a good position.”
In a record-setting 2024 season, Barkley rushed for 2,005 yards with 13 touchdowns and broke the NFL’s overall single-season rushing record, which included the playoffs, with 2,504 yards. In addition winning the Super Bowl ring, he was awarded a new contract and named the Madden 26 cover athlete.
“It was a year that you dream about,” Barkley said. “It was a year that you train for. The beauty of it is you have an opportunity to do it again. That’s what the mindset kind of shifts to … and even though you had a great year, there’s so many plays and so many things I can continue to improve on. You’ve got to be obsessed with the little details and locking into taking your game to another level.”
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NOTES >> The Eagles don’t expect rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell, the South Jersey native whom they drafted 32nd overall out of Alabama, to see the field before August at the earliest. Campbell is recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. … Fangio said linebacker Nakobe Dean, rehabbing from surgery for a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, “won’t be back for a while,” and didn’t give a timetable. Early projections were sometime in the first third of the season. … Quarterback Jalen Hurts, throwing mostly to backup receivers, was 15-of-17 in practice on Tuesday and is 35-of-38 in OTAs so far. … Fangio said DT Jordan Davis is in the best shape of his career.
Source: Berkshire mont