Hassan Ridgeway Knew Eagles Were Right Fit

Defensive tackle had his season end early last year just as he was beginning to make an impact, but he returns to make the D-line one of the team's strengths

Hassan Ridgeway went first.

The defensive tackle was the Eagles’ first signing on the first day of the legal negotiating period last week.

“Based on the year that I had with the Eagles defense, the people I was around, I felt like one of the best situations for me to be in was to go back,” said Ridgeway during a conference call with reporters on Wednesday. “I liked where the team was headed, the people around me, and what I was able to do. They were a step ahead of everybody.”

Ridgeway could have felt differently about how things ended for him last season.

He suffered a high ankle sprain against the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 20 and that ended his first season in Philly when he was placed on Injured Reserve.

Ridgeway hesitated when asked if he believed he should have been put on IR at the time.

“I did not (feel like the injury was a season-ender),” said Ridgeway. “I don’t know. Doctors, they know more about it than I do. I try to do what they tell me to do and continue on.”

Ridegway was acquired in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts during last year’s draft, with Philly sending Indy a seventh-round pick.

After somewhat of a slow start, Ridgeway was coming on strong. His snaps were on the rise, mainly because of injuries to Malik Jackson and Timmy Jernigan, and he produced two sacks and six tackles in his final three games before the high-ankle sprain.

Last year, Ridgeway’s position coach was Phillip Daniels. This year, his new D-line coach is Matt Burke, who was around the team last year as a defensive special assistant.

“He was around our group and the team a lot,” sad Ridgeway of Burke. “We were able to interact with him a lot. He’s been part of the group. I do have a good sense what he is, but I don’t actually know how he’s going to coach us. It will be new for me.”

Burke will certainly have plenty of firepower to work with, provided all are able to stay healthy.

In addition to Ridgeway, the Eagles have Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Malik Jackson, and perhaps Anthony Rush, who joined the Eagles last year when he was taken from the practice squad of the Houston Texans on Oct. 21.

“This interior (line) is probably, as they say every year, one of the best out there if everybody can stay healthy,” said Ridgeway. “You have a lot of talented people in the same room. There’s going to be a lot of competition.”

Rush played nine games and was on the field for 15 percent of the defensive snaps, making six tackles and three tackles for loss.

“Everybody usually is going to get a chance to go out there and perform and show what they can do,” said Ridgeway. “Obviously some people are going to play a little bit more than others, but everybody knows what their job is on that defense.

“I feel like when I was out there, I was able to show what I was capable of doing. I was disappointed by the injury but not disappointed with how I played.”