Offensive coaches around the NFL have a name for players like Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox: Game wreckers.

That’s what Cox was before signing a six-year, $102.6 million contract extension last June, and what he has continued to be after switching from a roaming defensive end in a 3-4 back to a defensive tackle in a 4-3 under new coordinator Jim Schwartz.

Like many defensive linemen, particularly ones who play inside, Cox’s worth cannot adequately be measured by statistics because of how opponents scheme to take him out with double-teams and by running away from him, freeing others up to make more game-changing plays than they normally would. As it was, he still wound up leading the team with 6.5 sacks and was second behind Brandon Graham with 18 hurries.

A video review of Cox’s 2016 season, the last of a three-part series, reveals how much he’s lived up to the label he’s earned over his five seasons in the league.

Furthermore, he’s proved to be durable, playing in all but one of his team’s games in his career. The one he did miss came in his rookie season due to a concussion.

An argument could be made, however, that the 3-4 the Eagles played under former head coach Chip Kelly and defensive coordinator Billy Davis better took advantage of Cox’s wide range of talents. While sliding around between all three line positions in their base defense, Cox put together a spectacular season in 2015, with career highs in tackles (104), tackles for losses (16.5), sacks (9.5) and forced fumbles (3).

He followed that up this season with a career-low 53 tackles while playing almost exclusively inside.

Part of that decline can be attributed to the way defensive linemen are supposed to play in this system: penetrate as quickly as possible. That often leaves Cox cut off from running plays that go to the other side, as opposed to his ability to tie up a blocker (or sometimes two) at the line of scrimmage in the two-gap system he played for the previous three seasons. Cox in the previous system would be able to read the run, shed the blocker(s) and make stops.

In this system, Cox and the other linemen have to be careful when allowed to penetrate without an attempt to block them at the line, because it almost always means a quick screen pass over their heads or a sweep around end that leaves them trailing the play, which is exactly what opponents want.

Another component has been different and more difficult matchups. Limited to inside work almost exclusively as the left defensive tackle, it means Cox now gets matched up against Dallas Cowboys All-Pro right guard Zack Martin and Washington Redskins emerging star Brandon Scherff a minimum of four games per year.

Scherff, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, held Cox without a sack or even a tackle in the first meeting. Cox was able to make a few plays the second time around, but only on ones in which he either wasn’t blocked by Scherff or, in the case of a second-quarter sack, was held off by Scherff with perfect technique for more than 4 seconds before making contact.

Cox was similarly neutralized by Martin in both of their meetings, being held to a total of eight tackles, no sacks and two hurries over those two games

Still, Cox’s game-wrecking ability was minimized mostly by opponents’ game plans and certainly not by any deterioration of his skills. Cox is in the prime of his career, and the Eagles were wise to lock him in with a long-term extension, as the following highlights of his most recent season prove.

* In the season opener against Cleveland, he was doubled nine times. On some of the times he wasn’t, he pressured a throwaway, was in on a stop for a loss of 4 yards on a running play, bull-rushed his man to force a scramble out of the pocket by Robert Griffin III, pressured Griffin on another pass and finally sacked Griffin in the fourth quarter.

* Against Detroit on Oct. 9, he was double-teamed on almost every pass rush. One of the rare times he wasn’t, he broke through and chased Matt Stafford right into the arms of Vinny Curry for a sack. Late in the fourth quarter, he beat a double team for a sack on third down that forced the Lions to settle for a go-ahead field goal, giving the Eagles a chance to respond by winning it with a field goal of their own instead of a touchdown. Alas, they couldn’t take advantage.

* Cox had his best game statistically against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 25, recording season highs of eight tackles, 2.0 sacks, three hurries and a forced fumble. It probably was his best game overall as well.

* In a win over the New York Giants on Dec. 22, Cox was double-teamed in pass-rushing situations throughout and did not have many opportunities in the running game because just about every play was aimed to the side opposite of where he was playing. Still, he contributed three tackles, a hurry and a batted pass while helping his teammates get 10 hits on Eli Manning while intercepting him three times.

Cox is so dominant that he sometimes makes plays by beating double teams. When he doesn’t, his presence always makes it that much easier for his teammates to make stops. Sometimes he’s even doubled on three-step drops when the ball is out in less than 2 seconds.

He is the classic example of a player who makes those around him better — and those who come up against him worse.

Twitter: @nickfierro

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