Seth Joyner never missed a thing on a football field. The former veteran NFL linebacker (who should be in the Hall of Fame) learned under the best, defensive guru Buddy Ryan. Joyner wore the Clint Eastwood glare of a killer, and then No. 59 would often see where a play would unfold pre-snap and in a kelly green blur blot it out.
As a player, his work ethic, diligence and intelligence was boundless.
That same acumen has followed the 13-year NFL veteran, and Super Bowl champion in retirement.
It’s why when Joyner speaks, you get the truth—whether you want to hear it or not. It’s why fans tend to lean forward and listen.
The three-time Pro Bowler and all-time Eagle great has strong expectations for the 2024 Eagles.
“I’m cautiously optimistic about this team, but there is a lot to unpack, because you have a new OC and DC and a lot of new faces, particularly on the defensive side of the ball,” said Joyner, who this season will be doing a pre- and postgame Eagles show teamed with the highly respected Derrick Gunn and Marc Farzetta on Joyner’s YouTube channel that will be streamed locally on the 6 ABC website. “I expect the offense to get back to form and cause a lot of problems for the rest of the league. With Saquon Barkley added to the mix, and if they decide to implement any kind of running game, they will cause problems with everybody across the board.
“Teams will have to drop an extra guy in the box to be able to stop the Eagles from running the ball, and that will open up the rest of the passing game that they really want to get to. That does not mean you don’t utilize Saquon in the passing game. He is absolutely a weapon against any linebacker.
“Defensively, they look great on paper. I love the new mindset that Vic Fangio will implement. Guys will be held accountable for mistakes and missed tackles. It will not be tolerated. It’s exactly what the doctor ordered for this defense to get back to where it needs to be. Jalen Carter will need to step up his game to the next level, and given Jordan Davis is not that much of a pass rusher, he will have to be a stalwart in the running game, because teams will test their run defense. The Eagles have not been that good against the run the last two, or three years.
“The linebackers I expect will be vastly improved in an area that has been overlooked for a long, long time. They are much improved in the secondary, with Isaiah Rodgers opposite to complement (Darius) Slay. They should have never let C.J. Gardner-Johnson get away last year. He pairs well with Reed Blankenship and everyone is high on the young kid, (first-round pick) Quinyon Mitchell in the slot. They have depth there now.”
Joyner really likes rookie linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
“He is a natural linebacker, with natural linebacker skills and he has been bred for the position the proper way by his father (Eagles’ Hall of Famer Jeremiah Trotter Sr.),” Joyner said. “You look all the way back since Trotter Jr. played for St. Joe’s Prep, to Clemson, he’s been a standout at every level of play. He will earn a ton of playing time, but there is a tough jump from the major college level to the pros. I hope he becomes a starter. It seems to me they love something about Zack Baun.”
Joyner knows the Eagles are young in many spots. The offense will carry the Eagles early on. With Fletcher Cox retired, the defensive line will need a voice, and that could be on second-year Carter, or third-year Davis. Joyner personally believes defensive end Milton Williams can be a force opposite Bryce Huff.
“If the young guys come along fast, anything is really possible with this team, they have the offense to carry them,” Joyner said. “Things will depend on how quickly things come together. I think the Eagles will get off to a slow start. I am not a big fan of not playing starters during the preseason. The Eagles’ starters have not played a real game, with real hitting, since they lost to Tampa Bay in the playoffs on January 15. To think you can get everything installed during the preseason and roll into the regular season clicking on all cylinders, I just don’t buy that.
“I don’t think Fangio really buys that, either. I think he was vetoed on playing the starters during preseason. The schedule is not that hard to be an issue. They can win games on offense and special teams until the defense catches up. There is a lot of moving parts in Fangio’s defense and they will need time to learn it.
“The offense will have to carry them early on. There is enough here to be a contender. They may need to win 12 games to win the NFC East and 13 games to get home field throughout the playoffs. The Eagles could get to the Super Bowl. It’s a matter of how fast they come together. The potential is there for them to win. Then again, it was there last year when they were 10-1 and the wheels came flying off.”
Joyner will be dispensing that insight with Gunn and Farzetta every week this season. Joyner is the hub. Farzetta will set the table, Gunn is connected inside and Joyner has the analytical eye.
“There is this odd belief that I revel in seeing the Eagles not succeed, but I want nothing more than to see the Eagles succeed,” Joyner said. “I would love to see the Eagles win another Super Bowl. It is my job to be truthful. I have to be critical of what I see. Eagles’ fans are smart and they are looking for validation for what they witnessed. If it is the truth, it is the truth. Some people like it. Some people don’t. I have to be true to myself.”
Again, Joyner’s pre and postgame shows will appear on https://www.youtube.com/c/sethjoynershow and 6ABC streaming app. Joyner will also host “The Seth Joyner Show” all season on PHL 17 on 11 p.m. on Wednesday nights, which reruns on 11 p.m. Thursday night on NBC Sports Philadelphia and two more guaranteed reruns on NBC Sports Philadelphia before the week is over.
Joseph Santoliquito is a hall of fame, award-winning sportswriter based in the Philadelphia area who has written feature stories for SI.com, ESPN.com, NFL.com, MLB.com, Deadspin and The Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News. In 2006, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for a special project piece for ESPN.com called “Love at First Beep.” He is most noted for his award-winning ESPN.com feature on high school wrestler A.J. Detwiler in February 2006, which appeared on SportsCenter. In 2015, he was elected president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
