The Eagles Lost Milton Williams and Josh Sweat — And Jalen Carter Paid the Price

The Eagles Lost Milton Williams and Josh Sweat — And Jalen Carter Paid the Price

Remember when the Eagles let Milton Williams and Josh Sweat walk in free agency? At the time, the prevailing wisdom was that Jalen Carter was good enough to anchor the defensive line alone. That the Eagles had enough depth to absorb the losses.

That wisdom was dead wrong.

The Double-Team Effect

When Williams and Sweat were on the field, opposing offenses had to account for multiple threats across the defensive front. You couldn't just slide protection toward Carter every play because Williams was winning his matchups. Sweat was getting to the quarterback from the edge.

Take those guys away, and suddenly every offensive coordinator in the NFC had the same game plan: double Carter on every snap. Make someone else beat you. And nobody else could.

The result? Carter absorbed punishment all season. The constant double teams didn't just limit his production — they affected his health. When you're taking on two blockers 40+ times a game, your body breaks down. That's exactly what happened.

The Health Connection

This is the part the Eagles front office needs to own. Letting Williams and Sweat walk wasn't just a cap decision — it was a decision that directly compromised the health of their best defensive player. Carter's injuries this season weren't random bad luck. They were the predictable consequence of asking one player to do the work of three.

Former Eagle Garry Cobb made this point clearly: the 2022 defense worked because the talent was distributed across the entire front. Carter, Williams, Sweat, and others created problems everywhere. The 2025 defense asked Carter to be the entire front by himself.

What Howie Needs to Do at the Combine

The NFL Combine starts this week, and defensive line should be circled, highlighted, and underlined on Howie Roseman's board. The Eagles need bodies who can absorb double teams, free Carter up, and restore the kind of rotation that made the 2022 defense special.

Whether that comes through the draft, free agency, or both — the Eagles cannot go into 2026 with Jalen Carter as the only legitimate threat on the defensive line. They tried that already. It nearly broke him.