Darryl

Tapp

Tapp suffered the injury late in the game after tallying three tackles, a sack and forced fumble. HC Andy Reid said he isn’t expecting the injury to be a long-term issue, but it seems unlikely that Tapp will be able to take the field when the Eagles visit Atlanta in Week 2.

The absence will be Tapp’s second straight. With Parker joining Tapp on the sideline, DE Phillip Hunt will see an increase in playing time while DT Cullen Jenkins is expected to take some snaps at defensive end. Tapp is more likely than Parker to return in Week 4, though neither are great bets to play against the 49ers.

Tapp has missed the Eagles’ past two games. He was off to a hot start before going down in Week 2, notching three tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. Fellow DE Juqua Parker (high-ankle sprain) “has a chance” to return Sunday. Philadelphia’s 15 sacks are tied for the league lead at the season’s quarter pole.

Coach Andy Reid conceded Monday that both Cole and LT Jason Peters (hamstring) would be “a stretch” to return. Darryl Tapp started for Cole against the Bills and had three tackles, without a sack. Cole’s absence was particularly apparent in run defense, as Fred Jackson, C.J. Spiller, and Brad Smith combined to rush for 136 yards and two TDs, averaging a steady 4.25 YPC.

It was an incentive-based roster bonus, but Tapp’s 2.5-sack, 27-tackle 2011 season left the Eagles off the hook for the money. Jeff McLane of the Philly Inquirer predicts Tapp “will be back” with the club despite his disappointing production and $2.575 million salary. We wouldn’t be so sure, especially if the Eagles find a more promising pass rusher early in the draft.

Projected to be Philly’s sixth-highest paid player, Justice is due $3.225 million with a $4.256 million cap figure. Now that he’s lost his starting job, he has no chance of collecting that money. Tapp is due $2.575 million, a prohibitive figure for a player with just 5.5 sacks in two seasons with the Eagles.

Beat writer Jeff McLane believes Hunt’s untapped potential might give him an edge over Tapp, but that the Eagles may keep Tapp as veteran insurance on young ends like Brandon Graham and Vinny Curry. The X-factor could be salary. Hunt is due $465,000, while Tapp is currently scheduled for an odious $2.575 million.

Parker hasn’t been active since sustaining a high-ankle sprain in Week 2, which can take as long as two months to return from. Darryl Tapp and Phillip Hunt will continue to rotate in his place.

A single broken rib doesn’t always necessarily sideline a player, but with the Eagles down to playing for pride, it’s likely Tapp will miss at least Week 15. A reserve pass rusher, Tapp has tallied 22 tackles and three sacks in 10 games.

Tapp may be cut if he isn’t traded, so interested parties could potentially wait and sign him for cheaper than his $2.575 million base salary after he’s released. The 28-year-old Tapp registered 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble on limited snaps last season. He’s buried behind Jason Babin, Trent Cole, Brandon Graham, Vinny Curry, and Philip Hunt on Philadelphia’s defensive end depth chart.