Super Bowl 57 seems like a long time ago, right? Since dropping a game the Philadelphia Eagles should have won, we've seen an offensive coordinator leave (Shane Steichen). Jonathan Gannon never left Arizona.
Since J.G.'s exit, Sean Desai, Matt Patricia, and Vic Fangio have all called plays. Philly has also hired Kellen Moore as offensive coordinator and promoted Kevin Patullo after Moore's one-and-done run.
Two seasons that ended in trips to the Super Bowl sandwiched another that ended in a late-season collapse. Several Eagles legends have retired. Admittedly, we shed a few tears when Nick Foles and DeSean Jackson officially hung up the cleats.
We have also seen the passing of the torch, several times over. Before Super Bowl 57, among the leaders in the locker room were Jalen Hurts, Darius Slay, and the veteran 'Core Four': Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, Fletcher Cox, and Brandon Graham.
But, now only one member of that core remains.
Who will step up to fill the void created by the loss of so many Eagles captains over the past two offseasons?
Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox retired during the 2024 offseason. Another of Philly's captains, Darius Slay, joined the Pittsburgh Steelers after the most recent Super Bowl win.
Then, there's Brandon Graham. He announced his retirement on March 19. That begs the question. How does Philly replace all this leadership in the locker room?
A name crossed our minds recently. What are the chances one of the young Philly Dawgs will step up? Honestly, we already have our eyes on two of them. One is Nakobe Dean. Did you notice he stood with the captains at Philly's team meeting before Super Bowl 57?
There was no way the Eagles weren't blowing the Chiefs out in Super Bowl 59 after this!
Posted by Inside The Iggles on Wednesday, March 19, 2025
The other name we wanted to mention belongs to a former first-rounder who took a step forward last season.
Nolan Smith might be Brandon Graham 2.0
We were close to beginning this by stating something cliche like 'They'll never be another Brandon Graham...'. And, in some ways, that's true, but we don't want to say that because, frankly, we hope there's a little B.G. out there somewhere.
Who knows? Maybe finding someone to fill the void he left is doable. Maybe the 'next Brandon Graham' doesn't need to be found. Maybe Philly just needs to invest more in 'the first Nolan Smith'.
Now, don't hear what hasn't been said. Don't read what hasn't been written, but we see a lot of B.G. in the guy wearing the Number 3 jersey.
Look at Nolan, and you'll notice something. This feels like we're watching B.G.'s career all over again. Feel free to stop us if any of this sounds like another Eagle you know.
Like Graham, Nolan Smith is a former first-rounder. The young Philly Dawg heard all of the same complaints that were heaped on 55. 'He's a bust'... 'Slow starter'... 'Wasted draft choice'...
As was the case with B.G., all Nolan needed was proper coaching and a chance. The light bulb came on. He has been a joy to watch and a revelation ever since.
Articulate, thoughtful, and funny... Like Graham, we've never seen Nolan and he didn't have a smile or time to share with everyone. Think about it. When have we not seen Nolan or Brandon smile?
The talent is there. The respect is there. Azeez Ojulari mentioned Smith as someone he had the closest bond with at Georgia with the Bulldogs.
Phenomenal IQ and talent aren't in question. This is a no-brainer in our opinion, and if Smith earned a captain's patch soon, we wouldn't be surprised. Something tells us that day is coming.
