Eagles' Hidden Edge Weapon Unleashed: Injured Stars Clear Path for Ojulari's Midnight Green Rampage!
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Bird Gang, the stars aligned in midnight green as injuries rip open the Eagles' defensive front, handing overlooked free-agent signee Azeez Ojulari the keys to the edge rush kingdom just in time for Week 4's Bucs bloodbath. The former Giants pass-rusher, inked to a savvy one-year, $4 million deal back in March, was buried on the depth chart behind young guns like Nolan Smith Jr. and Jalyx Hunt, logging zero snaps in Philly's 3-0 steamroll. But with Smith's triceps tweak landing him on IR until November, Ojulari's no longer a forgotten man—he's the X-factor for a D that's already top-5 in points allowed (under 17 per game) and primed to feast on Tampa's leaky O-line. As a die-hard Eagles faithful, this feels like Howie Roseman's classic low-buy-high magic, turning a Giants castoff with 22 sacks in 46 games into Philly's next Reggie White revival.
Flash back to the quiet splash: Ojulari, the explosive Georgia Bulldog who terrorized QBs as a rookie (8 sacks in 2021), got derailed by injuries—missing 22 games over three years—leaving him as a situational spark in New York. Training camp? No fireworks, just whispers of a potential cut as vets like Josh Uche snagged rotation spots. Sirianni preached patience for the "right matchup," and now, with Smith's shelf life extended, that's Tampa's vulnerable edges staring down Ojulari's bend and burst. "Whatever the opportunity is, I’ll take it," the fifth-year vet told reporters Wednesday, his eyes lit like a Liberty Bell toll. Practice reps? He's devouring them, flashing that get-off power that netted 6 sacks in 11 games last year despite the Giants' chaos.
The stakes? Sky-high for a win-now Eagles squad eyeing a repeat Lombardi run. Philly's D-line, already feasting with Haason Reddick's 3 sacks, needs depth to sustain the blitz—Ojulari's juice could unlock mismatches, forcing Baker Mayfield into nightmares while Saquon Barkley's ground pound (5.2 YPC) keeps offenses honest. Fan forums are ablaze: "Ojulari's our secret weapon!" vs. injury skeptics, but numbers don't lie—when healthy, he's a QB haunt. With the Birds 4-1 ATS in their last five and 6-1 road ATS, this isn't charity; it's calculated chaos. Sunday's FOX clash (1 p.m. ET) could see Ojulari notch his first Eagles sack, cementing his spot and silencing doubters. Howie knew—now the world will. Fly Eagles Fly: Ojulari's rising, and the Bucs are next!