Greenard lands on PUP to open camp, and the Eagles' pass-rush math gets harder

Jonathan Greenard on the physically unable to perform list is not a minor footnote. The Eagles committed $98 million to him, and he is starting that contract unable to practice while camp is underway.

The depth chart at defensive end lists Moro Ojomo, Jacob Sykes, and Jalyx Hunt at the top three spots — none of them a player Philadelphia paid $98 million to anchor the position. AJ Epenesa is also in the building now, grateful to be here after his situation with Cleveland fell apart, per reporting this week. That helps at the margin. It does not replace what Greenard was supposed to be.

The broader defensive picture is not dire. Zack Baun is a legitimate cornerstone at linebacker, the secondary added Riq Woolen this offseason, and the core of this team is intact. But the January losses to Washington and San Francisco exposed a defense that could not consistently get off the field, and the answer to that was supposed to be a healthy, productive Greenard rushing the passer. PUP means he misses at least the first four games of the regular season if he is not activated before the cutdown.

The Eagles are a contending team. The offense is fine. My read is that the next few weeks of camp will tell us a lot about whether Epenesa and the younger ends can hold things together long enough for Greenard to return — or whether Philadelphia needs to be looking at what else is available before September.