EAGLES' EDGE DEFENDER SITUATION STILL A QUESTION MARK AFTER WEEK 1 🚨

It took barely 48 hours after last week’s season opener for general manager Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles to seek help at EDGE defender, and the reaction from fans was priceless.

The move was hardly met with surprise. It was more like, What took you so long, Howie?

Philly’s decision to wait until September to add three-time Pro Bowler Za'Darius Smith to the roster is definitely questionable. With that said, so was the team’s plan to replace Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham and Bryce Huff with Azeez Ojulari, Josh Uche and rookie draft pick Antwaun Powell-Ryland.

We know the Eagles can count on starters Nolan Smith Jr. and Jalyx Hunt; the duo combined for eight pressures on quarterback Dak Prescott during Philly’s Week 1 win over the Cowboys, per Pro Football Focus.

The concern is (and has been) the depth behind those two ascending stars, and while the 32-year-old Za'Darius Smith should help some, the Eagles could have a breakout performer on their hands based on Week 1 pass-rushing metrics.

Philadelphia Eagles EDGE Josh Uche was NFL’s most efficient pass rusher in Week 1, but will it last?

Uche flashed multiple times in the Cowboys game, but per PFF’s advanced stats, he was the top pass rusher across the entire NFL in Week 1.

“Uche's 92.7 PFF pass-rushing grade in Week 1 paced the NFL, and he did it in his first game with the Eagles. He was deployed as a pass-rushing specialist against the Cowboys, with all 19 of his snaps coming on passing plays.”

Frankly, the Eagles needed that type of performance from the former second-round draft pick out of Michigan. Ojulari was a somewhat surprising healthy scratch for that game, and Powell-Ryland, a sixth-round pick this year, was waived shortly after it.

It’s worth highlighting Uche’s role as a “pass rushing specialist,” though. That’s been the case since his days with Bill Belichick in New England. At 226 pounds, he’s a potential liability against the run. He’s only going to be deployed in obvious passing situations, like third-and-long, two-minute drills, or when the Eagles are leading a game by multiple scores.

That’s a long way of saying that Uche wouldn’t be an option for a three-down role if either Hunt or Nolan Smith misses time with an injury. That’s what necessitated the move for Za'Darius Smith, and it’s why Philly’s EDGE situation still feels uncomfortable, even with Uche’s hot start.

Uche has displayed a nice array of pass rushing moves in the past and has flashed like this before. But he was available for less than $2 million in free agency this offseason for a reason. One-trick ponies will only take you so far, and no matter how you want to spin it, the Eagles still lack the horses at EDGE defender that helped lead them to last year’s Super Bowl title.

Andy Reid Sends Clear Message to Chiefs Fighting for Roster Spots

As the 2025 NFL preseason winds down, all 32 teams will soon be faced with very tough decisions to make. The Kansas City Chiefs are no different, as the reigning AFC champions must comply with roster limits eventually.

This summer’s deadline is Tuesday, August 26. By 4:00 p.m. ET, Kansas City will have to trim their allotted total of players from 90 (or 91) down to 53. After that, practice squads take shape and clubs head into the regular season with more defined outlooks.

If things aren’t decided by now, they will be in due time. How does head coach Andy Reid approach this time of year?

Andy Reid Wants Roster Candidates to ‘Make Our Job Hard’

Speaking to the media before the Chiefs’ preseason finale against the Chicago Bears, Reid issued a message to his players. If you’re fighting for a roster spot, fight hard so he and general manager Brett Veach have thinking to do.

“Yeah, so everybody can’t make the team, and they know that, I tell them that day one,” Reid said. “Just make our job hard. Make it hard for Veach and his crew and the coaches to get rid of them. That’s how they’ve gone about their business. I haven’t seen guys counting numbers and lines and doing all of that stuff. They have come out and worked hard from the first guy to the last guy, and I have appreciated that. Then it’s a tough day, that’s not part of the job you like. But inevitably, you’ve got to almost cut half a team. So, that’s not an easy thing.”

Reid, a multi-time champion, is widely regarded as a players’ coach. The future Hall of Fame man doesn’t run a fun-and-games operation during July and August, though. His training camp is one of football’s most grueling, even in the era of no two-a-day workouts. Reid puts his players through the ringer, largely in the form of long-drive drills, to ensure they’re ready for the year ahead.

With roster cuts now taking place all at once as opposed to throughout the month, he’s had more people make impressions on him. Is a singular cutdown day easier or more challenging for coaches and front office personnel?

Reid is fine with the change.

“I think it’s OK,” Reid said. “Yeah, I think it’s OK. I think it gives guys maybe a better opportunity to go on, especially the way these practice squads are set up now. You’ve got a lot of numbers there that you can work with. So, you get another look, potentially at the guys through practice there. I think it’s a good thing. See what their attitudes are, especially if they know they’re right on that border. See how they handle all of that.”

2025 Chiefs Players to Monitor With Roster Cuts Approaching

To be clear, many players have already told coaches what they need to know via their play. Some decisions have likely been made. Even with Reid allowing starters to get reps in the finale, though, that still left the door open for unheralded players to stand out. A few position groups on the roster — running back, wide receiver, linebacker and cornerback — are worth monitoring.

The halfback room is highlighted by Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt at the top. The former had an injury-shortened 2024-25 campaign but is aiming to bounce back. The latter essentially signed with the Chiefs fresh off the couch and performed admirably in a short-yardage role. Hunt potentially got over-exposed a bit last year, however, so dialing his workload back makes sense. The roster battle to watch is between veteran Elijah Mitchell, second-year fullback Carson Steele and rookie running back Brashard Smith.

Is there room for all of them? Perhaps not, and that’s without considering the team’s interest in the market.

Wide receiver is also set at the top. Some combination of Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Jalen Royals should make the team. Tyquan Thornton‘s case is growing increasingly clear. Nikko Remigio likely has an edge on a final wideout spot, especially now that Skyy Moore was shipped out of town. The question is whether the Chiefs will carry seven receivers.

Similarly, the linebacker group has a defined hierarchy at the lead. Who joins alongside Nick Bolton, Drue Tranquill, Leo Chenal and rookie Jeffrey Bassa is a must-watch development, though. At cornerback, who will make it through cutdowns between Nazeeh Johnson and Joshua Williams? Could it somehow be both? Those questions are still awaiting answers.

It’s one of the most action-packed times of the year. Reid wants to make sure his players are aware of that.