The Philadelphia Eagles are playing in Super Bowl 59 against the Kansas City Chiefs on February 9th in New Orleans. This is to say that the Eagles are not looking towards the offseason or free agency yet. However, that is not the case for 30 other organizations in the league. Philadelphia’s star pass rusher/linebacker Josh Sweat is set to be a free agent after this season, and these two teams could be great landing spots if the Eagles are unable to re-sign him.
Two Potential Landing Spots for Josh Sweat
Josh Sweat is a huge part of the Philadelphia Eagles’ elite defense. Sweat, age 27, has had at least six sacks in each of his last five seasons. In the NFL, it is hard to find consistent pass rush production. However, Sweat has shown he can do just that. The Eagles will likely try to resign Sweat, but if they aren’t able to get a deal done these teams could be in play for his services.
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions’ defense struggled mightily down the stretch of this season. Although injuries were a major factor, including star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, this unit could use reinforcements. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is now the New York Jets head coach as well. Josh Sweat could be a perfect pass rusher for the Lions to target. When Hutchinson comes back, he will need some more help with getting to the quarterback. Sweat could be the perfect pairing next to Hutchinson.
This could lead to the Lions’ defense improving as a whole. If Detroit can get to the quarterback, it takes a lot of pressure off of the rest of the defense. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels had all day to throw and picked apart the Lions’ defense in the Divisional Round. Detroit should think hard about pursuing Sweat if he doesn’t remain in Philadelphia.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals defense could use all the help it can get. This unit was frankly abysmal this season. Cincinnati’s defense ranked 25th in points per game allowed with 25.5 and 25th in yards allowed per game with 348.3. For reference, the Bengals were tied with the Las Vegas Raiders in points per game allowed. The Raiders were 4-13 and frankly looked like they were tanking for some of the season. That is not the standard the Bengals defense needs to play at if they want to return to the Super Bowl. Enter Josh Sweat, a proven pass rusher still in his prime.
Similar to the Lions, the Bengals already have a star pass rusher in Trey Hendrickson. Hendrickson has recorded 17.5 sacks in back-to-back seasons. However, outside of him this defense doesn’t have much to work with. Josh Sweat would be another pass-rushing threat for teams to worry about when attacking Cincinnati through the air. Although the Bengals likely need more secondary help than anything, this defense could use a boost anywhere. Sweat would be able to free up Hendrickson from consistent double teams as well.
When the Lions and Bengals are healthy, they both have top-five-level offenses. The Lions ranked second in yards per game this season while the Bengals were ninth. Both of these teams need improvement on the defensive side of the ball. If Josh Sweat becomes available he could be a great target for the Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals.
Main Photo: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
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