Jonathan Gannon and Nick Rallis' familiarity with Sweat from their time in Philadelphia was instrumental in reuniting in the desert. Sweat had his best seasons with Gannon as his defensive coordinator, compiling 18.5 sacks and 22 tackles for loss with Pro Bowl honors during their two seasons together.
"There's some differences than what we did when I was with him to what we do now, but he picked it up quick and hopefully it's for the betterment of him too," Gannon said. "I know he can impact the game, which is one of the reasons we signed him."
Upon his arrival in Philadelphia in 2021, Rallis was instantly impressed with Sweat's motor in the run game. "Holy cow, this guy can set an edge," he said of Sweat. In Rallis' scheme, outside linebackers aren't solely used to blitz the quarterback. They'll drop back into coverage and are also tasked with stopping the run, an area the team struggled in last season, finishing 20th in that category.
Only a few days into mandatory minicamp, it's still a bit too early to sense the changes Gannon alluded towards. Nonetheless, with Gannon and Rallis back on the headset, Sweat is comfortable once again.
Now, they're looking for their big catch of the offseason to catch the quarterback, just as the scheme allowed him to shine during the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
"It was a certain element of freedom," Sweat said. "The scheme, you can play fast, so picking it up was pretty easy. It's not going to take me long at all. It's the same thing."