Eagles stats: Tracking the additions who helped them climb to the top of the NFC

After 18 weeks, the Eagles are at the top of their conference and in a favorable position to make a Super Bowl run.

The comparisons between this year and the 2017 season are well-established by now, but there aren’t many holdovers from the Eagles’ last Super Bowl team. According to ESPN, the Eagles are the first team in NFL history to earn the No. 1 seed twice in five years without the same coach and quarterback.

General manager Howie Roseman is one of the constants, along with veteran players like Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, and others. Roseman’s abnormally high hit rate in the offseason leading into the 2017 campaign helped lay the groundwork for that championship run.

With the 2022 regular season now complete, here are five stats that illustrate how Roseman’s biggest offseason moves have panned out this time around:

Roseman’s biggest move in the offseason was sending first- and third-round draft picks to the Tennessee Titans for wide receiver A.J. Brown.

The star wideout has been as advertised, logging 88 catches for 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns. Brown’s yardage total broke Mike Quick’s franchise record, which had been in place since 1983.

Brown’s advanced numbers prove he’s among the very best receivers in the NFL. His 2.59 yards per route run is tied with Jaylen Waddle for third among qualifying receivers, according to Pro Football Focus.

It’s not just Brown, though. DeVonta Smith is tied with DeAndre Hopkins for 18th, giving the Eagles two of the best 20 receivers in the metric. Only the Miami Dolphins (Tyreek Hill and Waddle) can say the same.

Going into the season, Haason Reddick decided that 15 sacks would be the mark of a successful season.

“That’s what separates elite from good,” Reddick said Sunday.

In 2022, Reddick was elite. The edge rusher finished the season with 16 sacks, which is tied for second with Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett and trails only San Francisco 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa (18½). Pro Football Focus, which tracks pass rushing separate from the NFL’s official stat keepers, credits Reddick with a league-leading 18 sacks.

Since becoming a full-time rusher in 2020, Reddick has been one of the most productive edge rushers in the league. He has 39½ sacks over that time, trailing only T.J. Watt and Garrett.

Sacks aren’t always the most reliable stat in measuring a pass rusher — pressures can be a more consistent metric to gauge how often a player affects the quarterback because of the fickle nature of sacks — but Reddick’s tendency to finish his rushes is apparent. Not only does he consistently get to the quarterback, he also has been adept at pulling off strip sacks. Reddick has 13 forced fumbles since 2020, which is two more than any other defensive player during that time.

Like Reddick, cornerback James Bradberry was an offseason addition who has gone on to be one of the best at his position this season.

Bradberry signed with the Eagles after the New York Giants released him to clear enough salary-cap space to sign their draft picks. He has spent the 2022 season seemingly out to prove that decision to be a foolish one.

According to PFF, opposing quarterbacks had a 54.2 passer rating when targeting Bradberry in the regular season, which ranks third among qualifying cornerbacks.

Bradberry’s physical coverage style has been a complementary fit opposite Eagles corner Darius Slay, who emphasizes footwork and finesse rather than hand-fighting and jockeying to cover wideouts. Bradberry’s 12 pass breakups are also tied for third in the NFL, according to PFF.

The Eagles went into training camp with a question mark at safety, but they shored up the back end by trading for C.J. Gardner-Johnson just before the start of the regular season.

Even while learning a new defense from a new position, Gardner-Johnson made the type of splash plays the Eagles’ secondary lacked last season. His six interceptions this year put him in a four-way tie for the highest mark in the NFL even though the converted safety missed five weeks with a lacerated kidney.

Gardner-Johnson’s versatility has also been helpful for the secondary. The 25-year-old logged 153 snaps at nickel corner, his old position with the New Orleans Saints, and figures to do so more in the playoffs with Avonte Maddox out indefinitely with a toe injury.

One of the most crucial additions for the Eagles defense came halfway through the season.

Even with a revamped secondary and defensive front, the Eagles struggled to contain persistent rushing attacks for a stretch early in the season. First-round rookie Jordan Davis was stout against the run until he went on injured reserve with an ankle injury, which led to Roseman signing veteran free agent Linval Joseph to help plug up the interior gaps.

Since signing Joseph, the Eagles are allowing 3.62 rushing yards per attempt with him on the field according to TruMedia. Without Joseph, teams are averaging 5 yards per carry. The advanced numbers are just as staggering. The Eagles have a 67% defensive success rate against the run with Joseph and a 56.9% rate without him. The group’s estimated points added per rush is 19.95 with Joseph and negative-3.83 without him.