Bennie Logan Is On the Brink Of A Breakout Year
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — It's been building gradually over these last three years. The learning curve gaining momentum each time Bennie Logan does something spontaneous. The 2013 third-round draft pick out of LSU is reached a comfort zone where he doesn't have to think about what he has to do. The 6-foot-2, 315-pound nose tackle just does it.
Logan is poised to have a breakout year this season as the anchor of the Eagles' young defensive front, flanked by defensive ends Fletcher Cox and Vinny Curry. The trio could arguably be the best young defensive front in the NFL. And at its base is Logan.
"I do feel confident this year; my first two years I did a lot of thinking," Logan admitted. "I made mistakes and sometimes those mistakes haunted me the whole game. I would take them on the sideline with me. I was too worried about being perfect. Now I'm just playing, not thinking. The guys around me do a good job holding me accountable, so I just try my best not to let those guys down. I'm having a lot of fun. I'm weighing around 310, 312. I guess you can say I may be a little quicker.
"I think things are different in my technique and reaching a comfort zone. It takes time to adjust to the NFL. Everyone you go up against is good. I know more and I understand the defense, and that allows to play at the high pace I'm used to. When you have to think about making a play, you're not going to make the play. I'm just playing more and I think another big difference is that I'm not dwelling on my mistakes. You make a mistake, you move on. That's what I've been doing. You can't play this game worrying about making mistakes and being perfect. That was my problem. I'll correct on the sidelines and get ready for the next series."
Logan said he's not looking at a breakout year or anything like that. His goal is simple: Play consistently well.
"If you do that, everything else will take care of itself," Logan said. "We set any real goals as far as breakout year or anything like that. We just go out and play. I think that's been the key to our success on the defensive line. We just play. Whatever comes down the line comes down the line. Our goal is just to have fun. My goal is to be better than the year before and help this team win any way I can. I have more confidence and I understand the defense and my role in the defense. I see and react. It's the way I've played football."
