The Philadelphia Eagles are attempting to build themselves into a Super Bowl contender and they're taking a step in that direction by hiring a player who was on the most recent champion. Chris Long signed a brand new contract for two years after spending 2016 with the New England Patriots.

The defensive lineman had a decent season in New England but soon after the team won the Super Bowl he told his bosses he was going to be looking to play elsewhere. "It wasn't any bad blood," Long told ESPN, "Just football-wise, it was more about finding a positive, and the positive for me, the thing I enjoy the most is playing in a situation that allows me to be proud of what I put on the field every Sunday." He added he felt comfortable telling the coaches shortly after the season ended he wanted to move on and play for another team.

Comfortable in his new defense

Long has said that one of the main reasons he left the Patriots and joined the Philadelphia Eagles, was because of the defensive schemes the two teams use. While he didn't hate the 3-4 defense that forced him to play on the inside more often than not, he's far more comfortable in Philly's scheme.

"If you watch what I did in St. Louis for eight years, that was more like what we do here," Long told ESPN shortly after he signed his new two-year deal. The Eagles would love to see him post the kind of numbers he did in his few seasons with the Rams.

Getting back to basics in a Philadelphia Eagles uniform

Long is the former number two pick from Virginia. During first six seasons, he didn't miss a game and recorded an average of 8.5 sacks per game.

Ankle surgery in 2014 saw him manage to appear in just six games. A year later he was released by the Rams.

Long has said the Eagles are going to see a man who still has plenty left in the tank. It's possible he might even be able to use his new landing spot and contract to return to the kind of player he was earlier in his career. If he can, he'll be a heck of a pickup for the Philadelphia Eagles.