The clock is ticking, Eagles fans.
On April 30th, the NFL Draft will kick off from Chicago, as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announces the latest class of NFL talent. To make sure that you're all set for when the Eagles are on the clock for the first time, we're counting down each day with look at each number from 100-1 and the significance that the number holds in Eagles history.
Without further ado, let's continue the countdown …
This past season the Eagles set a franchise records for most points in a single season by averaging 1.96 points per drive. In the end, the team racked up 474 points, eclipsing the record set in 2013 by 32 points. Head coach Chip Kelly has compiled the two most prolific seasons in Eagles franchise history in his first two years at the helm, and that's without a single quarterback starting all 16 games.
The Eagles also saw their points grab a significant boost from the stellar performance of the special teams unit. Brad Smith, Chris Maragos, Josh Huff, Chris Polk and Trey Burton combined for 30 points on special teams touchdowns, and rookie kicker Cody Parkey set Eagles franchise and NFL rookie records in points with 150. The Eagles weren't just receiving points from their high-octane offense; in 2014, scoring was a team affair.
First player to wear No. 96: LB John Sodaski (1972)
Most recent player to wear No. 96: DL Bennie Logan (2013-Present)
Clyde Simmons (1986-93)
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Playing in the shadow of Reggie White, the greatest defensive end in Eagles history, is one of the few reasons that Clyde Simmons isn't as popular a name as the great Reggie when it comes to remembering legendary Eagles defenders. But Simmons was an outlandishly talented defensive end in his own right, spending eight years with the Eagles from 1986 to 1993 and picking up 76 sacks along the way, good for the third-most in team history.
Simmons and White baffled opposing offensive lines; the Eagles' defenses of the late 1980s and early 1990s were some of the best the league has ever seen, and it was because the offensive linemen had to worry about both edges, not just White's side. In 1989 and 1992, Simmons actually finished the season with more sacks than White. In 1992 he led the league in sacks with 19, the second-most prolific sack season in franchise history.
The 9th-round pick in the 1986 NFL Draft, Simmons played for seven more years after his eight in Philadelphia and finished 18th in NFL history in career sacks with 121.5. He may not have garnered a high draft pick, and he played in the shadow of the great Reggie White for his entire Eagles career, but Clyde Simmons was one of the best, most underrated pass rushers in the history of the Eagles, and the history of the National Football League.
