Eagles expressing interest in LB Neville Hewitt
PHILADELPHIA —The Philadelphia Eagles are in bargain shopping mode during this second wave of free agency.
With little cap space to work with, the team would no doubt like to add a veteran presence to the linebacker room, as they have done in recent years with free-agent signings of Corey Nelson, L.J. Fort, Paul Worrilow, and Jatavis Brown.
The Eagles are reportedly targeting a linebacker that fits their tight budget in New York Jets free agent Neville Hewitt.
Hewitt isn’t by any means a flashy player, but with the lack of unproven starters the Eagles have at the position, he offers the team something they lack in terms of experience.
The undrafted free agent entered the league in 2015 as a member of the Miami Dolphins, where he spent three seasons making seven total starts and being a vital member of the special teams unit. Hewitt signed with the New York Jets in 2018 and appeared in a combined 32 starts in the span of the last three seasons, with the organization racking up 248 tackles.
Between Alex Singleton, T.J. Edwards, Davion Taylor, Shaun Bradley, and newly converted linebacker Genard Avery, the five have a combined of 33 starts in the NFL, with Singleton packing all of his starts into a very impactful 11 games last year.
The total starts, however, for the Eagles' returning cast is one less than Hewitt, which gives you an idea of the experience he’d bring to a mostly unseasoned group.
Also, the addition of Hewitt would likely signal a battle with Genard Avery for a roster spot. Avery is currently undergoing the transition from defensive end to linebacker.
Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon figures to be in search of that specific blitzing linebacker, one of the staples of his mentor, Mike Zimmer, while in Minnesota.
Maybe Avery can be that.
Hewitt, who is 6-2, 220 and will turn 28 in April, became a successful pass-rusher on a limited basis in defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ defense the last two seasons, racking up five sacks on 198 pass-rushing snaps while tallying up 30 total pressures the last two seasons combined. He averaged applying pressure on the quarterback every six snaps he was on the field in the same span, according to Pro Football Focus.
Anthony Barr flourished as a blitzing linebacker for Zimmer in Minnesota. Taking Barr’s lost season in 2020 out of the equation, he rushed the passer 212 times from 2018-2019, recording a total of 44 total pressures (14 more pressures than Hewitt’s 30 total the last two seasons, but on 14 more snaps as well).
Hewitt isn’t in the same talent tier as Barr, but, after showcasing similar success as a limited rusher, perhaps Gannon views the player as an ideal fit.
Outside of Avery, who is as unproven as they come and fighting for a roster spot, the Eagles are limited in their options to present Gannon with a pass-rushing specialist at linebacker.
Hewitt on their budget at least gives their first-year defensive coordinator a quick-fix and one less hole on his unit as he looks to establish his new system, though his coverage abilities fall along the lines of the rest of the linebackers on Philadelphia’s roster, so he shouldn't be viewed as any sort of savior.
That's OK, though, neither were any of the other free-agent LBs the Eagles signed in previous years. Most of them, in fact, didn't work out.
Hewitt does figure to offer some upside in a defense that will showcase his underrated pass-rushing ability perhaps more than previous years and is the kind of addition that would give the Eagles a consistent and solid player as Gannon begins implementing his scheme.
Conor Myles is a contributor for Sports Illustrated’s Eagle Maven. Listen to Conor and Ed on Eagles Brawl available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and RADIO.com. Reach Conor at ConorMylesSI@gmail.com or Twitter: @ConorMylesNFL
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s EagleMaven. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
