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Jim Schwartz inherited one of the NFL’s worst defenses and turned them into one of the best in less than two years.

When coach Doug Pederson hired Schwartz to be the defensive coordinator in 2016 Joel Heath Jersey , the Philadelphia Eagles were coming off three straight seasons ranked in the bottom four in yards allowed.

Schwartz changed the scheme back to a 4-3 base and rebuilt the defense using many of the same players left from the old regime. He also brought a swagger that’s reflected in his players.

Three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, two-time Pro Bowl safety Malcolm Jenkins, defensive linemen Brandon Graham and Beau Allen, and linebacker Mychal Kendricks were part of the unit that struggled under former coach Chip Kelly and former defensive coordinator Billy Davis.

But they’ve thrived under Schwartz because his system fits their skills.

”He always puts us in great position to make plays,” Jenkins said.

Schwartz made an immediate impact last season, helping the defense go from 30th in yards allowed and 28th in points to 13th and 12th, respectively.

This season, they ranked fourth in both categories and had the league’s No. 1 run defense.

While Minnesota’s top-ranked defense got most of the attention, Philadelphia’s unit has been excellent in the playoffs.

The Eagles have allowed only 17 points in two games – one touchdown drive was 18 yards following a fumbled punt. They dominated the Vikings in a 38-7 win in the NFC championship game last Sunday.

Now, Schwartz has to devise a plan to stop Tom Brady and the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

”No player stands on his own,” Schwartz said. ”The NFL in general, but particularly the Patriots, you can’t scheme for one player. If you do Bennie Fowler III Jersey , then they have plenty of other players that can make plays. You have to do a good job against their entire offense, and you can’t really make it about one person.”

Schwartz began his NFL coaching career in Cleveland as a research assistant for Bill Belichick in 1993. After three seasons with the Browns, he spent three years as outside linebackers coach in Baltimore and then went to Tennessee. Schwartz served 10 seasons with the Titans, the last eight as defensive coordinator.

He coached the Detroit Lions for five seasons, leading them to the playoffs in 2011. Schwartz was Doug Marrone’s defensive coordinator in Buffalo in 2014, worked as a consultant for the NFL’s officiating department in 2015 and came to Philadelphia after Pederson was hired to replace Kelly.

”I owe a lot to Bill Belichick. He got my career started,” Schwartz said. ”That’s the last thing that we’ll be thinking about in preparation. You think any of our players care that in 1993 I got hired as an unpaid intern? They are just going out and playing.

”We need to come up with a good plan. We need to execute. We need to keep in mind what we’re good at, keep in mind our matchups and all those different things. And if we do a good enough job at that, we’ll be able to come out with a victory.”

Schwartz holds players accountable in meetings, singling guys out if they make mistakes. But he does it in a way where he doesn’t alienate them.

”He cares about winning. That’s what he’s all about, not himself,” defensive end Chris Long said.

Despite Schwartz’s success in Philadelphia, he won’t be leaving for another head coaching job just yet. The New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals were interested Corey Coleman Jersey , but Schwartz wouldn’t confirm whether he interviewed with either team.

”I think it’s not fair to our players or anything else to talk about anything else,” Schwartz said.

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AP NFL website: Jake Butt couldn’t help but get a little nostalgic over the simple routine of putting all his pads on again.

Reasonable. It’s been a while.

The Denver Broncos tight end returned to the field in full gear Tuesday for the first time since tearing his right ACL against Florida State in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 30, 2016.

”I kind of thought about it when I put on the pants. It was like, `Man, I haven’t put on the pads in almost two years,”’ the Michigan standout said. ”It was exciting. It felt good out there.”

Next order of business: Jerseys .

Butt and his family don’t mind having a little fun with their last name. And now that he’s fully healthy, those No. 80 uniforms will be going fast – taken by his clan and completely customized (his father had ”Papa Butt ” on his jersey when Jake was at Michigan).

”We’re ordering in bulk,” Butt said. ”We’re building the `Butt Army’ out here, for sure.”

It was on hold last season as the 23-year-old recovered from the knee injury that caused him to slip to the fifth round of the 2017 draft. The Broncos were hopeful to have him back for the second half last season, but he wasn’t ready and went on injured reserve.

Butt declared Tuesday his knee feels ”100 percent” again. He wasn’t wearing a protective brace when the team donned full pads.

He could be a big boost to the tight end corps. The 6-foot-6, 250-pound Butt won the John Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end his senior season at Michigan. He had three catches for 28 yards against Florida State in the Orange Bowl before tearing his knee.

His recovery has been somewhat slower than he anticipated. The rehab has been filled with plenty of ups and downs.

”It’s not just you’re getting better and better every day. You have some days that are better than others,” said Butt, who had 138 catches for 1 Johnny Unitas Jersey ,646 yards while with the Wolverines. ”In that sense, you have a mental component. But once you’re on the field, for me personally, you’re playing football. You’re not thinking about any bumps and bruises you might have.”

He used the down time in 2017 memorizing his routes and reads. He’s putting it to good use now.

”I had a year to observe how pro football really works,” Butt said. ”Going back to the spring, I really got into the playbook so I can hit the ground running in camp.”

Butt has plenty of competition in camp among a tight end group that’s got deep Big Ten Conference roots. There’s rookie Troy Fumagalli, a fifth-round pick out of Wisconsin. There’s also Jeff Heuerman, a third-round pick in 2015 from Ohio State who’s currently sidelined by a balky knee. Not to be left out: Matt LaCosse attended Illinois, and Austin Traylor went to Wisconsin.

Fumagalli has an easy explanation for the league’s representation.

”Well-rounded,” he said. ”I can’t speak for all of the Big Ten, but a lot of the schools they expect you to be a pass catcher, a pass blocker and a run blocker. They expect you to be well-rounded.”

Butt’s hoping to display that throughout camp.

”You know you can’t come in and take a day off because that next guy up is hungry,” Butt said. ”Everyone in our room is making plays and doing a great job. That’s going to help us in the long run.”

He’s already developing a solid rapport with quarterback Case Keenum.

Then again Bobby Massie Jersey , Butt said that’s not difficult.

”Case is doing a great job connecting with a lot of guys out there,” Butt said. ”That’s the advantage of having a veteran quarterback. He understands where to go with the ball, where to put the ball, what reads to make. We’re trying to take advantage of that.”

NOTES: DE Derek Wolfe briefly left practice Tuesday with what coach Vance Joseph described as a small stinger. ”He’s fine. He came back out. He’s OK,” Joseph said. … OT Garett Bolles returned to practice after taking a hit to the chin. ”When you have these head injuries, any type of a head injury, it’s always going to be on the safe side to check him out,” Joseph said. … CB Tramaine Brock will miss about a week with a hamstring ailment, Joseph said. … OG Ron Leary on his scuffle with LB Todd Davis during practice: ”It’s all love.”

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