Fletcher Cox sees ‘greatness’ in Saquon Barkley, praises Nick Foles and the Eagles defense
The retired defensive tackle gives Nick Foles his flowers and talks about a bright future for Barkley.
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Similar to Jason Kelce, Fletcher Cox is keeping himself busy post-retirement. The six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle and Bud Light hosted a “Philly Philly” celebration Monday at Xfinity Live! to honor Nick Foles ahead of the Eagles’ home opener against the Atlanta Falcons.
Cox spent 12 years in Philadelphia after being drafted in 2012 — the same year as Nick Foles — and was part of that historic 2017 team that led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl title. He had a lot to say about this Eagles season and the greatness of Foles.
Q: What’s the first word that comes to mind when you think about Nick Foles?
A: Team player, which is really not one word. But he was just a guy that was always a team player and he always showed up for anything. He was a guy that was ready for the moment. A guy that prepared for every day as if he was the starter. And when he finally got the chance to do that, he took his team to a Super Bowl. Not only that, but won a Super Bowl. You’ve got to respect him for that.
Q: You came out of that same 2012 draft with Foles and went on to play five seasons with him. What would you say is his greatest trait?
A: He’s just authentic and an overall great guy. You respect a guy that’s just themselves every single day. We got drafted together, we played a lot of games together, been through the highs and lows. We’ve been through a 4-12 season, but we also won a Super Bowl together.
Q: Where do you rank Nick Foles in terms of all-time great Philadelphia quarterbacks?
A: Not to be cliché, but the man’s got a Bud Light party. I don’t think any other [Philly] quarterback has had that. The city loves him and that’s the best part about it. Everybody in Philadelphia loves Nick Foles, he brought a world championship here. This man has a statue. He’s got to be one.
Q: So, that’s enough of the Nick Foles questions for now. Let’s take a look at the current NFL season. Do you have any early Eagles predictions?
A: I just want the guys to go out there and fight. It’s only Week 2 and the biggest thing about it being so early in the season is you take those first four to five games to figure out your identity. They just need to figure out who they are and take the rest of the season on.
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Q: Someone who did figure out their identity early on with the Eagles was Saquon Barkley. He had a great debut against the Green Bay Packers. What do you think his future with the Eagles looks like?
A: I see greatness in his future. He’s going to add to the run game, he’s going to add to a bunch of different areas. You have a player like Saquon, a guy who we played against in our division, come here and dominate the way that he did — behind a great offensive line — it’s going to be great for him.
Q: What are your thoughts on Vic Fangio and that Eagles defense?
A: We know they’re good. There’s a new defensive coordinator and a new system for a lot of people. It’s going to take a couple games to settle in. You can go through training camp, you can go through preseason but it’s still not real football. Your starters aren’t out there, you’re not getting as many looks as you do in training camp. So, it’s going to take them a couple games to get used to everything.