One priority not filled

Jim Schwartz inherited one of the NFL’s worst defenses and turned them into one of the best in less than two years.
When coach Doug Pederson hired Schwartz to be the defensive coordinator in 2016 Will Hernandez Giants Jersey , the Philadelphia Eagles were coming off three straight seasons ranked in the bottom four in yards allowed.
Schwartz changed the scheme back to a 4-3 base and rebuilt the defense using many of the same players left from the old regime. He also brought a swagger that’s reflected in his players.
Three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, two-time Pro Bowl safety Malcolm Jenkins, defensive linemen Brandon Graham and Beau Allen, and linebacker Mychal Kendricks were part of the unit that struggled under former coach Chip Kelly and former defensive coordinator Billy Davis.
But they’ve thrived under Schwartz because his system fits their skills.
”He always puts us in great position to make plays,” Jenkins said.
Schwartz made an immediate impact last season, helping the defense go from 30th in yards allowed and 28th in points to 13th and 12th, respectively.
This season, they ranked fourth in both categories and had the league’s No. 1 run defense.
While Minnesota’s top-ranked defense got most of the attention, Philadelphia’s unit has been excellent in the playoffs.
The Eagles have allowed only 17 points in two games – one touchdown drive was 18 yards following a fumbled punt. They dominated the Vikings in a 38-7 win in the NFC championship game last Sunday.
Now, Schwartz has to devise a plan to stop Tom Brady and the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
”No player stands on his own,” Schwartz said. ”The NFL in general, but particularly the Patriots Browns Cheap Jerseys , you can’t scheme for one player. If you do, then they have plenty of other players that can make plays. You have to do a good job against their entire offense, and you can’t really make it about one person.”
Schwartz began his NFL coaching career in Cleveland as a research assistant for Bill Belichick in 1993. After three seasons with the Browns, he spent three years as outside linebackers coach in Baltimore and then went to Tennessee. Schwartz served 10 seasons with the Titans, the last eight as defensive coordinator.
He coached the Detroit Lions for five seasons, leading them to the playoffs in 2011. Schwartz was Doug Marrone’s defensive coordinator in Buffalo in 2014, worked as a consultant for the NFL’s officiating department in 2015 and came to Philadelphia after Pederson was hired to replace Kelly.
”I owe a lot to Bill Belichick. He got my career started,” Schwartz said. ”That’s the last thing that we’ll be thinking about in preparation. You think any of our players care that in 1993 I got hired as an unpaid intern? They are just going out and playing.
”We need to come up with a good plan. We need to execute. We need to keep in mind what we’re good at, keep in mind our matchups and all those different things. And if we do a good enough job at that, we’ll be able to come out with a victory.”
Schwartz holds players accountable in meetings, singling guys out if they make mistakes. But he does it in a way where he doesn’t alienate them.
”He cares about winning. That’s what he’s all about, not himself Danny Shelton Jersey Elite ,” defensive end Chris Long said.
Despite Schwartz’s success in Philadelphia, he won’t be leaving for another head coaching job just yet. The New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals were interested, but Schwartz wouldn’t confirm whether he interviewed with either team.
”I think it’s not fair to our players or anything else to talk about anything else,” Schwartz said.
—
AP NFL website: Through more than a decade as Atlanta Falcons general manager, Thomas Dimitroff has always found a way to make a least one trade during the NFL draft.
Trader Tom kept his record intact Saturday.
For the 11th straight draft, Dimitroff found a willing partner, dealing Atlanta's two seventh-round picks to the Los Angeles Rams for a sixth-round selection used on LSU receiver Russell Gage.
Dimitroff said the offer from Rams GM Les Snead, the former Falcons director of pro personnel, "fell into our laps ... out of the blue."
Falcons coach Dan Quinn, who seemed to enjoy Dimitroff's streak remaining intact, joked that he sent Snead a text just to keep the run going.
Without that call from Snead, Dimitroff said his streak "very well might have ended."
"Honestly Youth Sam Darnold Jersey , I was kind of in this groove where I was thinking 'This is it. We're moving on from the trade,'" he said.
Quinn said it is "fun to watch and see" Dimitroff complete a draft-day deal.
"He is like a quarterback you want to see in a two-minute situation where he doesn't get all frantic," Quinn said. "The clock is running down and he's still talking on the phone. ... It's really in that setting he's at his best."
Dimitroff believed Gage was an important pick for the Falcons, even after the team selected Alabama wide receiver Calvin Ridley in the first round. Gage is expected to play a key role on special teams.
Atlanta sought to add depth behind receivers Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu after losing Taylor Gabriel and Andre Roberts.
The Falcons bolstered their offensive depth by selecting running back Ito Smith from Southern Mississippi in the fourth round before adding Gage in the sixth round.
Atlanta closed its draft by selecting Yale linebacker Foye Oluokun later in the sixth round. Oluokun was a hybrid linebacker/safety at Yale and could get a shot at other positions, according to Quinn.
Smith, a fourth-rounder, is expected to back up Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. The Falcons did not re-sign Terron Ward, the No. 3 running back in 2017.
Atlanta focused on defense on Friday's second day of the draft, selecting Colorado cornerback Isaiah Oliver in the second round and South Florida defensive tackle Deadrin Senat in the third round.
LSU REDUX: LSU's draft connection to the Falcons remains strong. Gage gives the Falcons an LSU pick in the draft for four straight years, following linebackers Duke Riley (2017) and Deion Jones (2016) and cornerback Jalen Collins in 2015. Dimitroff said the LSU connection is just a coincidence.
BALANCED DRAFT: The Falcons had three offensive players and three defensive players among their six picks. Ridley was the first offensive player taken in the first round by Atlanta in Quinn's four drafts.
The Falcons selected defensive players with their first two picks in each of the last three drafts with Quinn, the former Seattle defensive coordinator. The last three first-round picks 鈥?defensive end Vic Beasley Jr., safety Keanu Neal and end Takkarist McKinley 鈥?have helped Quinn reshape the defense. Linebacker Deion Jones Adidas Evgeny Kuznetsov Jersey , a second-round pick in 2016, has played a key role as well.
JUDGE ITO LOOKALIKE: Smith's real first name is Romarious. So why is he called Ito? The answer provides a surprising connection to O.J. Simpson.
Nobody has said the undersized Smith (5-9, 195) runs like the Juice, but a family member said Smith as a baby looked like the judge at Simpson's famous trial 鈥?Lance Ito. Smith, from Mobile, Alabama, was born on Sept. 11, 1995 鈥?when the Simpson murder case captivated the nation.
STILL NEED: One priority not filled in the draft is fullback. The Falcons did not re-sign 2017 starter Derrick Coleman. The team figures to target a fullback among undrafted free agents.
.