The Eagles were run-heavy in their second training camp practice Thursday, which is very apropos for a team looking for defensive linemen who can stay on the field and stay productive.
Can $51 million man Bryce Huff play every down as a defensive end?
The pass-rush specialist has done his part in the early going, earning our game ball for Day 2 of training camp. He had a really impressive "sack" of Jalen Hurts during team 11-on-11 drills and made his presence felt throughout.
There may not be a player for whom this camp is more important, as he's trying to anchor a pass rush that will look a lot different this season for a variety of reasons.
First and foremost is, there's a new scheme in place. And defensive coordinator Vic Fangio spoke about Huff's role in it before the players took the field Thursday.
"He's taking the challenge very well and I do think he has the talent to do what we want him to do," Fangio said, "He just has to get familiar with doing it. It will be a work in progress. Does it look like he can do it today? No, but I think potentially he will."
Here's a look at the 26-year-old's defensive snap counts from his four seasons with the Jets:
| Season | Snaps/Percentage | Sacks |
| 2020 | 295/30% | 2 |
| 2021 | 337/51% | 2 |
| 2022 | 191/20% | 3.5 |
| 2023 | 480/42% | 10 |
For contrast, departed pass rusher Haason Reddick had more than 800 snaps in each of his last four seasons, ranging from 74-to-83% of his team's respective defensive snaps. He had 50.5 sacks in that span — and was traded for a conditional pick to the Jets this offseason (where he is currently holding out for a new contract).
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Filling Reddick's shoes is a big task, and being able to defend the run and stay on the field is a key to making that happen. It all starts with endurance.
"I am giving full effort every day when it comes to conditioning," Huff said after practice. "I am going to go all out, on reps they tell us to run to the end zone, I am going to run to the end zone and give my best effort, so on game day I have great wind and conditioning to get the job done."
What Huff is referencing is a new spice to practice, where the players are required to sprint for the end zone after finishing a set of plays in 11-on-11 drills.
Huff looked spry Thursday, particularly as he kept Hurts honest at the line of scrimmage providing some pressure and paying close attention to Saquan Barkley and the run game.
There was no ambiguity from the undrafted free agent — he knows he can do it all.
"I've been physical in the run in the NFL," Huff, who measures in at 6-foot-3, 255 pounds, said. "I am not sure where that reputation came from, I guess because of my size people kind of assume that, but if you watch the film, I think I do well against the run."
Huff did more than his job in South Philly in practice No. 2, and it's why he's getting our game ball.
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