There has been an abundance of changes this offseason for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Not the least of which has been Vic Fangio taking over as defensive coordinator.
It’s an addition to the coaching staff that will not just change the Eagles’ defensive scheme, but the tenor of the squad altogether.
“No bull—-. There’s no bull—-,” Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis said Thursday when asked for the difference between Fangio and previous Philly DCs. “I hope y’all can bleep that out. It’s really no B.S. with him. It’s straight ball. Some people like it.”
It would seem perhaps some of the Miami Dolphins didn’t like it, as Fins safety Jevon Holland recently made it known just how happy he was to move on to Anthony Weaver after Fangio’s one season in South Beach.
Fangio’s résumé is overflowing with affable results, though, as he has helmed defenses that have finished in the top 15 in either yards or points allowed in 17 seasons. That includes last season’s Dolphins, who were 10th in yards allowed.
Fangio is a straight-to-the-point coach known for aggressive defenses and boasts nearly 40 seasons of NFL experience. The oldest DC in the NFL at 65, Fangio replaces Sean Desai (and Matt Patricia) as Eagles defensive coordinator. Desai was fired this offseason after he was essentially relieved of his duties during the Eagles’ campaign by Patricia.
Following a Super Bowl run in the 2022 season in which DC Jonathan Gannon’s defense was eight in points allowed and second in yards, Philadelphia’s defense plummeted to 30th in points given up and 26th in yards.
Enter Fangio, as the 2018 AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year will look to remedy the Eagles’ defensive ills.
What does he want from Davis, a 2022 first-round pick who became an every game starter in 2023?
“Being at my best and being the anchor of the defense,” Davis said. “I want to make sure that middle is locked down. Whatever scheme we’re playing — 3-4, 4-3 — it doesn’t matter. If I’m on the field, I wanna make sure I hold it down.”
Despite starting all 17 games a season ago, Davis’ 45.1 snap percentage was fifth among Eagles defensive linemen, per Next Gen Stats. He’s confident he can handle an uptick in snaps if he’s called upon to do so.
“Definitely, I’ll be able to answer the call,” he said. “I know what’s required of me. I know Vic’s leaning on me, I know the D-line’s leaning on us. So, I definitely think I’ll be able to handle it. That’s what I’m working for. Nobody’s coming to save us now. So, we’ve got to put the load on our backs. … It’s just everybody. We’ve got more that’s expected of us, so we’ve got to go out there and show it.”
