How to build an Eagles defense with $15

Defensive End: Trent Cole ($3)

Passing up Reggie White wasn’t easy, but given the constraints of our budget, Cole gets our money here. In 10 years with the team, he had 617 tackles and forced 21 fumbles. More importantly, he had 85.5 sacks, second-most in franchise history behind the “Minister of Defense”. 

Would we prefer White’s 124 sacks as an Eagle? Absolutely, but Cole played in 34 more games with the franchise and didn’t leave the team for Green Bay in his prime.

Defensive Tackle: Fletcher Cox ($4)

If you need your defensive tackle to play a bunch of games, Cox is the obvious choice. Among defensive players, only Brian Dawkins and Brandon Graham have played in more games than Cox.

The former 12th overall pick has spent his entire career in Philadelphia and is widely considered a future Hall of Famer. The 32-year-old DT has 486 tackles and 15 forced fumbles in his career and his 65 sacks are the most in franchise history for a defensive tackle.

Linebacker: Jeremiah Trotter ($4)

If you want sacks from your linebacker, then Trotter isn’t your guy. But if you want big hits, and lots of them, you won’t do any better than the “Ax Man”.

In eight years and three stints as an Eagle, Trotter only had 11 sacks. But as a key member of Jim Johnson’s defense, the former third-round pick piled up 691 tackles and earned a reputation as one of the league’s toughest players.

Ironically, former ESPN analyst Todd McShay has Trotter’s son, Clemson linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. going to the Eagles in his 2024 mock draft. Prepare for Eagles fans to lose their minds if this happens.

Cornerback: Troy Vincent ($2)

We’d love to have 34 interceptions and five touchdowns from Eric Allen, but at $5 he’s already beyond our means. Instead, we’ll take Vincent with his 28 interceptions and 118 games played. 

Only six Eagles have more interceptions than Vincent, but none of them are currently the executive vice president of football operations for the NFL. That can’t hurt, right? 

Safety: Andre Waters ($2)

Again, with an unlimited budget, Brian Dawkins would be the obvious choice. Almost nobody hit harder than Dawkins, but with only $2 left in our pocket, we’ll take the only player that did.

From 1984-1995, Waters was one of the NFL’s most feared players in the NFL, and is fondly remembered by many Eagles fans. Waters's post-NFL story is heartbreaking, however, and the tragic effects of CTE eventually led to the end of his life. He was a legendary player, and he would be right at home on this squad.