Patriots perspective on Philadelphia’s new edge defender.
After losing multiple defensive linemen to free agency, the Philadelphia Eagles added to their pass rush by signing Josh Uche on Thursday morning.
Let’s learn more about the newest member of Philly’s defense by getting a New England Patriots perspective on him (he played 58 games with the Pats as opposed to just six with the Kansas City Chiefs). Here’s what Matt St. Jean of Pats Pulpit had to say about Uche through answers to my questions.
1 – Can you recap his time with the Patriots?
Joshua Uche came to New England as a project taken in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Michigan. He started as a role player and stayed in that same role through all four-and-a-half seasons with the team, never playing more than 38% or fewer than 30% of defensive snaps in a season with the team. Uche broke out as a pass rusher in 2022 with 11.5 sacks, but he has just 11 total sacks across his four other seasons in the NFL.
2 – Do you think he’s a better fit rushing the passer, playing as a versatile off-ball linebacker, or being used in creative ways to do multiple things?
Uche is a pass rusher through and through. From high school to college to the NFL, he has essentially only played in passing downs. Uche has 908 career snaps as a pass rusher to just 258 in run defense and 207 in coverage in the NFL, per PFF. Dating back to college, he played just one season with more than 100 run defense snaps.
3 – What are his strengths?
Uche is quick with a great burst off the line. He is able to win as a pass rusher with a chop move to get around offensive tackles, and his quickness makes him an asset on line games as well.
4 – What are his weaknesses?
As a pass rusher, he can lose contain and allow QBs to escape the pocket. Against the run, he does not have the size or instincts to consistently make plays. While he wins as a penetrator against the run occasionally, he loses much more often than he wins.
5 – Anything to know about him off the field?
Uche is a great teammate who was well-liked in Foxborough. He isn’t a “rah-rah” leadership type, but he should fit in with everyone. Seems like a genuinely good dude all around.
BLG’s take: With Josh Sweat leaving, Brandon Graham potentially retiring, and Vic Fangio seemingly not keen on giving Bryce Huff a ton of snaps, the Eagles needed to add an edge rusher. Uche projects as more of a rotational role player than a bonafide starter but he’s an intriguing buy-low addition nonetheless. Uche obviously struggled on the Chiefs but he’ll have more time to assimilate to Philly than he did in KC. Also, there’s some hope that Vic Fangio and Jeremiah Washburn can help to get the most out of him. Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, and Uche is a start. The Eagles should still look to add another pass rusher through the 2025 NFL Draft.
