At the end of the season, it was clear the Eagles' defense needed a change. With a new defensive coordinator in Jim Schwartz, the team will be moving in a new direction, one that includes a 4-3 scheme.
During an interview on SportsRadio 94WIP on Friday, Schwartz confirmed the Eagles will be making the switch in the 2016 season and explained what he wants to see out of his players during his first season in Philadelphia.
"Yeah, for sure," Schwartz said when asked if it was safe to say the team would be switching to a 4-3 scheme. "We're not gonna be a two-gap 3-4. I want those defensive lineman to be attacking. I want those guys to be creating and wreaking some havoc and putting pressure on the quarterback.
"They're not gonna be playing at the line of scrimmage and grabbing guys and trying to keep the linebackers clean. I think we have some good guys up front. We can take the handcuffs off of them a little bit and get some more production out of them."
The new scheme is something members of the Eagles' defense were expecting. In fact, many were hoping the team would make this change, including Pro Bowl defensive lineman Fletcher Cox.
"I would be pumped, so excited, if we go back to a 4-3," Cox told Eagles Insider Dave Spadaro on Thursday. "That's what the Eagles drafted me to do. I love rushing the quarterback, getting off the ball and messing up offenses."
