Eagles’ weirdest storyline this season centers on a missing legend

The Philadelphia Eagles are going to be consistent Super Bowl contenders for quite some time. They are looking to repeat as Super Bowl 59 champions this upcoming season,. and they sure have a strong chance of doing so on paper.

But this season will be different than others. That's because they will be without a steady presence on the defensive line. Of course, that's Brandon Graham, who announced his retirement following their Super Bowl win.

Brandon Graham's absence means Eagles won't have steady presence on defense

Graham had been with the Eagles organization dating back to 2010 when he was drafted in the first round out of Michigan. He was a reliable option for the Eagles, as he could start games when necessary or rotate into the game off of the bench.

Graham played a pivotal role in the team's success as of late. Let's not forget, he had the game-winning play in Super Bowl 52 when he recorded a strip sack on then-New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady late in the fourth quarter. That play helped the Eagles secure their first Lombardi Trophy.

In his 15 years, Graham recorded 487 combined tackles (359 solo, 128 assisted), 126 tackles for loss, 76.5 sacks, 22 forced fumbles, and seven fumble recoveries.

Brandon Graham's retirement set the stage for Eagles' defensive line overhaul

As is the case with every Super Bowl champion team, there is a purge of talent the subsequent offseason. Those who played a role in the team winning it all that season usually get paid in free agency. For the Eagles, they won the Super Bowl thanks in part to their defensive line. Predictably, multiple linemen got big contracts.

Edge rusher Josh Sweat recorded 2.5 sacks in the Super Bowl, and hit the open market. He reunited with former defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, who is currently the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. Sweat signed a four-year, $76.4 million contract with the Cardinals in free agency.

Next up to receive a pay day was defensive tackle Milton Williams, who had two sacks in the Super Bowl. Given that the team has Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis on the roster as starting defensive tackles, Williams was going to get the chance to start elsewhere and at a huge raise. The Patriots won a bidding war against the Carolina Panthers, signing Williams to a four-year, $104 million contract.

The last moving piece along the defensive line was Bryce Huff, who never really panned out for the Eagles after he was acquired in a trade from the New York Jets. Huff recorded just 13 combined tackles and 2.5 sacks in 12 regular season games, six of which were starts. In the playoffs, he was a non-factor. Ultimately, the Eagles swung a trade with the San Francisco 49ers to move on from Huff for good.

So for this season, the Eagles are going to rely on Carter, Davis, and Nolan Smith Jr., in hopes that they can each have as long of a tenure as Graham. Even so, the young stars at the line of scrimmage will need to make an impact immediately and throughout the season if they want to repeat as Super Bowl champions.