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Before the start of NFL Free Agency, I will attempt to break down as many of the Eagles’ free agents as I can. Each article will include stats, the player’s strengths and weaknesses, and my overall thoughts on whether the player should be re-signed or not. All rankings only include players with at least 20% of the snaps this year. All statistics are via Pro Football Focus unless mentioned otherwise!
Statistics
Javon Hargrave’s stats point to an elite pass rusher but a below-average run defender, which is precisely what I expected to see! The big numbers are obviously the pressures, sacks, pass-rushing win %, and pass-rushing productivity. They are all top 5 which is huge.
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Strengths
+ One of the most explosive defensive lineman I have watched. Can explode off the line of scrimmage and win quickly.
Just look at the speed to power of Hargrave here. My goodness. It's also a good rush by Cox who gets doubled whilst Hargrave gets the one-on-one. The pass rushing talent is really good and you will always get players in favourable matchups. pic.twitter.com/53mKZkm3l0
— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) November 7, 2022
End with one more from Hargrave because, why not? I love him as the NT in a 5 man front when rushing the quarterback because it feels almost unfair if he gets a one-on-one matchup. They could not handle him. This is as good as it gets. Look at where the center ends up! pic.twitter.com/6S61uh4ja7
— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) November 7, 2022
+ Has an explosive bullrush where he can get low and force offensive linemen off balance. Consistently collapses the pocket from the interior
This play is amazing. Late safety rotation into cover 1 with CGJ as the deep safety totally fools Wentz. TJ Edwards standing over the A gap means Washington shift protection to his side which leaves Hargrave 1on1 and he dominates the left guard. pic.twitter.com/ZbBXNGvqfT
— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 27, 2022
#4 Eagles secondary played really well after the 1st drive. The communication in the secondary for the most part was much improved. Watch how the two deep safeties communicate and take the post/over from each side. Fantastic rush by Hargrave too. pic.twitter.com/0Yko4hThuE
— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) January 3, 2023
+ Has fast and violent hands to fight through contact and defeat one-on-one blocks.
#4 Even when the 49ers had a proper QB, the pass rush was ruining their pass game. It felt like every defensive lineman had a splash play. I've sort of forgotten about Hargrave of late but look at the speed & hand quickness here. You can't double everyone! pic.twitter.com/mdfO9mF24J
— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) January 31, 2023
+ Has the athleticism to bend and re-direct around offensive guards without being forced upfield.
Another fantastic rush by Hargrave, made easier by a good rush by Reddick forcing the QB up. Reddick has had a really, really good past few weeks. pic.twitter.com/P2kaArxakP
— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) November 1, 2022
+ Has a fantastic understanding of how to run a T/E stunt and has the athleticism to be a threat when attacking outside of the tackle. This became a feature of the Eagles' 3rd and long pass rush as the season went on.
#10 Another interesting 3rd down play. Epps comes down and plays the QB spy role. Eagles play single-high man from Dime and although Scott gets beat in the slot, Hargrave/Sweat have another brilliant stunt which works yet again. Eagles 3rd down pass rush is as good as it gets. pic.twitter.com/QvsImlYz3F
— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) December 21, 2022
+ Has the athleticism to finish plays. Doesn’t just get pressure but can turn those into sacks, even when a quarterback attempts to escape the pocket
Hargrave was out of his mind in this one, the Texans could not handle him one-on-one. His combination of speed, hand usage and power is pretty absurd. The last 2 weeks he's been at his very best which is an excellent sign! pic.twitter.com/QaQzcxLKdp
— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) November 7, 2022
+ His explosiveness and quick hands enable him to blow up running plays in the backfield too.
#4 This is interesting. Chiefs 3 & out came after a -2 yard 1st down run with Eagles playing Cox at NT & Graham next to him. Weirdly the only time I saw this and it worked! TJ Edwards and Hargrave make the tackle but Maddox run blitz is key. They had to win on 1st down more often pic.twitter.com/5Di51Kn5fn
— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) February 14, 2023
Weaknesses
- Gets moved in the running game far too often. Doesn’t anchor well enough and can leave big gaps for opposing teams to exploit. Can be too aggressive by jumping upfield early and losing his gap.
#10 I don't know why Davis was taking these snaps over Joseph. He can't win here and the C is able to get to TJ quickly. He must anchor better. Hargrave is blown up. Bradberry makes a token effort. Cox wins but the gap is there already. The defense was so passive downhill. Ugh. pic.twitter.com/b1CYxOb3ou
— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) February 14, 2023
- Doesn’t have the size, strength, or anchor to play as the nose or a 1-technique. Can only play as a 3-technique
Another switch up by the Eagles front, White goes to EDGE, Sweat moves inside and Hargrave becomes the nose tackle. This is a way of getting to a 5 man front without being predictable (no Jordan Davis on the field). The Eagles showed a couple of different looks in this game. pic.twitter.com/ZAGShviqwN
— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 18, 2022
- Benefits from playing on an exceptional defensive line where he isn’t double-teamed that frequently
Double team rate at defensive tackle (x) by pass rush win rate at defensive tackle (y) for the 2022 NFL season.
— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) January 13, 2023
(ESPN / NFL Next Gen Stats) pic.twitter.com/wXJS0c5CdV
Overall
This is hardly groundbreaking analysis, but Javon Hargrave is a stud. He’s one of the best interior pass rushers in the league and just had the best season of his career. Obviously, the Eagles should try and re-sign him and I really hope they manage to get a deal done because I am sure they will attempt to re-sign him. Personally, I would rank him as the 2nd most important free agent signing behind C.J. Gardner-Johnson. I think Hargrave will be greatly missed if he is not back next year.
I’m not going to get too deep into the numbers but Spotrac projects Hargrave’s market value to be 3 years $60m. This would rank 3rd amongst current defensive tackles. Based on the numbers I posted at the start, Hargrave is worth this kind of money. Hargrave is 30 years old so whether he can sustain this level of play and explosiveness for 3 years is questionable, but I am certain that there will be an NFL team who will pay him elite defensive tackle money if the Eagles don’t.
I can see why the Eagles may not be willing to splash ‘huge’ numbers on Hargrave. As mentioned above, he is now 30 years old. As well as that, the Eagles spent a 1st round pick on a defensive tackle last year and they have Milton Williams who had a really good 2nd season. I am sure the Eagles are looking to improve their run defense and Hargrave is not a great run defender. Despite this, there is no doubt the Eagles will be short at defensive tackle if they lose Hargrave. With two 1st round picks, they may decide that replacing his production is possible via the draft. That will be a huge gamble to take.
Should they re-sign = YES
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