Bill Belichick praises Eagles' Bryce Huff as an excellent addition

Bryce Huff hasn’t received over many followers since arriving in Philadelphia in March on a three-year, $51.1 million contract. The 26-year-old go rusher, who was introduced in from the New York Jets to switch the disgruntled Haason Reddick, has not recorded a sack, a solo sort out, or perhaps a strain by two video games. But Huff has at the least one fan: six-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Belichick.

Belichick, who's cohosting the Let’s Go! podcast this season alongside Jim Gray, Peter King, and Maxx Crosby, had an fascinating reply when requested this week by his former quarterback, Tom Brady, which NFL organizations outdoors of the Kansas City Chiefs he thinks are working “a bit above everyone else.” Belichick listed the Dallas Cowboys, the Eagles, the Detroit Lions, and the Houston Texans as groups he thinks are managed properly.

“Philadelphia is also in that division, and they’ve also put together a pretty good roster,” Belichick mentioned. “They continue to make great moves like signing Bryce Huff and trading away Reddick and giving that problem to somebody else.”

» READ MORE: After Eagles’ go rush is a no-show vs. Falcons, Bryce Huff concedes ‘I need to find myself in the scheme’

While it has been solely two video games, calling the signing of Huff a “great move” is sort of a take, particularly coming from probably the most revered soccer minds of all time. Belichick doubtless could be acquainted with Huff’s recreation from his time teaching in opposition to him within the AFC East with the New England Patriots. Huff posted his finest recreation of the season final 12 months in opposition to New England, when he logged two sacks, two tackles for loss, and 4 QB hits in a Week 17 win for the Jets.

Belichick’s foray into media this season has been eventful. He makes weekly appearances on The Pat McAfee Show and Monday Night Football’s Manningcast on ESPN, is a panel member on the CW’s Inside the NFL tv present, and cohosts podcasts Let’s Go! and Coach alongside former Eagles de facto defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. This previous week, Belichick labored the Eagles’ Monday night time recreation in opposition to the Atlanta Falcons for ESPN.

Belichick’s go to to Philadelphia will not be with out backstory. The Eagles reportedly weighed the concept of hiring the three-time AP Coach of the Year this offseason earlier than finally deciding to stay with Nick Sirianni for a fourth season.

Belichick, 72, considerably surprisingly was handed over for all of this offseason’s head teaching vacancies however has made it clear he has no want to retire his cutoff sweatshirt and headset simply but — particularly since he wants simply 14 wins to interrupt Don Shula’s NFL report. Eagles common supervisor Howie Roseman and proprietor Jeffrey Lurie stay massive followers of his, and ESPN reported in April that Roseman reached out to Belichick to test in after the coach was fired. A supply near Belichick instructed ESPN that the decision didn't embrace any conversations about him teaching the Eagles.

But after the Eagles squandered a late lead on Monday to Atlanta, with some questionable choices from Sirianni, it begs the query: Could Belichick and the Eagles finally be a match?

» READ MORE: Late-game resolution making within the Eagles’ loss to the Falcons turned up the warmth on Nick Sirianni

For now, that appears a methods away, as Sirianni has a .660 successful share as Eagles head coach, has guided the workforce to a few straight playoff appearances, and is 2 seasons faraway from almost successful a Super Bowl. But the best way issues ended final season, with the workforce shedding six of its final seven video games — together with a listless 32-9 playoff loss to the Tampa Buccaneers within the wild-card spherical — amid inside turmoil and dysfunction, Sirianni is below strain to win now. A number of extra losses, particularly within the method of Monday’s defeat to Atlanta, and the Belichick chatter doubtless will solely get louder.

Lurie, who grew up within the Boston space, has repeatedly spoken of his admiration for Belichick, together with at this 12 months’s NFL house owners conferences. But would he be keen to uproot the framework of the group to accommodate a coach who requires a stage of management and who would herald his personal individuals in terms of participant personnel and training employees? These have been competition factors on the finish of his time in New England, the place Belichick, as veteran Patriots beat reporter Greg Bedard instructed The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane on final month’s podcast episode of unCovering the Birds, “lost his touch with personnel.”

Lurie and Belichick talked briefly on the sphere pregame Monday, as did Roseman and Belichick, and Lurie stays “enamored” with the coach, in line with McLane. The different dynamic Bedard and McLane mentioned on unCovering the Birds is the truth that Patriots proprietor Robert Kraft and Lurie “hate each other” and that Lurie wouldn’t thoughts sticking it to Kraft by hiring Belichick and having him break the wins report and win a Super Bowl in midnight inexperienced.

Belichick, as McLane has famous, additionally was excessive on Jalen Hurts getting into the 2020 draft, and that may very well be one other enticing a part of this job for him. The former Patriots coach is shut with former Alabama coach Nick Saban, who coached Hurts for 3 seasons earlier than the quarterback transferred to Oklahoma for his closing 12 months, and would have carried out his due diligence on the signal-caller in his pre-draft course of. After this week’s Let’s Go podcast, at minimal, we all know Belichick likes the Eagles roster.