PHILADELPHIA -- For the sixth part of our position-by-position look at the Philadelphia Eagles' roster, we turn our attention to the defense. First up: the defensive line.
Starters: Fletcher Cox, Bennie Logan, Cedric Thornton.
Backups: Vinny Curry, Brandon Bair, Taylor Hart, Beau Allen.
Practice squad: Travis Raciti.
State of the squad: This is an area that will likely be in flux again this season. After going through the transition from a 4-3 scheme to a 3-4, the Eagles’ linemen are likely to go through the reverse.
The players listed here were defensive linemen in 2015, although Curry practiced and played a little bit as an outside linebacker. If the Eagles do switch to a 4-3 scheme, outside linebacker Connor Barwin and Brandon Graham could be moved to defensive end. That could entail asking them both to add some weight.
The star of his group is Cox, who was named to his first Pro Bowl after sacking opposing quarterbacks 9.5 times. That is not only Cox’s career high for sacks; it equals his two previous best seasons combined.
Cox had already made a reputation as a defensive tackle in his rookie season as a defensive tackle in a 4-3. His experience over the past four seasons should make him intriguing to the new defensive coordinator. Cox could move around to anywhere on the line, trying to find favorable matchups.
Logan played very well early in the 2015 season, but nagging injuries limited his performance during the second half of the season. Thornton also battled injuries, but has been a solid player for the past several years. He could play end in a 4-3.
Curry will likely be more effective as an end in a 4-3, especially if he’s on the field in passing situations. He had just 3.5 sacks in 2015 after getting nine sacks in 2014.
Hart drew praise from defensive coordinator Bill Davis, so the Oregon product was doing what the coaches asked. It didn’t result in a lot of impact plays for the third-year player.
Allen earned a fair amount of playing time as a backup tackle behind Logan. It will be interesting to see how Allen fits as a defensive tackle in a 4-3.
Bair, like Hart, played in Oregon’s 3-4 before coming to the NFL. He may have the toughest time making the transition to a 4-3, especially if Barwin and Graham are added to the mix at defensive end.
Next: Outside linebackers.