Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett walks on the field during warmups before an NFL preseason football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Friday, Aug. 18, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

Stephen Brashear/Associated Press

Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Michael Bennett is embracing his new surroundings, as they offer him the opportunity to harass a new group of quarterbacks in the NFC East. 

During Monday’s introductory press conference, Bennett listed off the QBs within Philadelphia’s division, per ESPN.com’s Tim McManus:

“I know Eli Manning is probably watching this and thinking … yes, I’m coming. I know Dak [Prescott] is watching this like, ‘Yeah, he’s coming.’ Yeah, I am. And Alex Smith, he knows he can’t run from me. I told him in the Pro Bowl. It’s definitely going to be a great season and it’s going to be fun to be out here and be able to chase quarterbacks.”

Bennett also compared the depth along the Eagles defensive line to that of the NBA champion Golden State Warriors.

And I think a great defensive line is about the rotation,” he said. “It’s kind of like Golden State, you want to be able to have those guys that can come in and shoot and shoot and score every time”

While it might be a stretch to draw a parallel between Philadelphia and Golden State, which has a case to be among the greatest NBA teams ever, Bennett’s comments aren’t too far off the mark.

The Eagles already had Brandon Graham (9.5 sacks in 2017), Chris Long (5.0 sacks), Derek Barnett (5.0 sacks) and Fletcher Cox (5.5 sacks) on the roster before acquiring Bennett from the Seattle Seahawks. They also signed Haloti Ngata to give themselves even more options along the line.

Last season, the Eagles were one of the best teams against the run. They ranked first in adjusted line yards, per Football Outsiders, and allowed 3.8 yards per carry, good for sixth place.

In Bennett, Philadelphia added a player who has reached three straight Pro Bowls and averaged a little over 7.4 sacks a season since becoming a regular starter in 2011. The 32-year-old should help the Eagles defensive line become one of the elite pass-rushing units in the NFL

Tags: