The Philadelphia Eagles have an outstanding starting offensive line, but their depth is questionable, and it will be tested if a starter goes down.
The Philadelphia Eagles finished with the best offensive line in the NFL last season after having one of the worst the year before.
This will be difficult to repeat though since second-year tackle Lane Johnson will miss the first four games of the season with a suspension for PED use.
Left tackle Jason Peters is coming off an outstanding season, and he proved to be an ideal tackle for Chip Kelly’s offense. Peters was rewarded with a four-year, $51.3 million contract extension for his bounceback season.
Left guard Evan Mathis also had a fantastic season and was arguably the best guard in the NFL, being nearly flawless in run blocking. His pass blocking was also great.
Peters and Mathis were both top five at their respective positions in 2013, and so was center Jason Kelce.
Kelce also benefited from Kelly’s presence, and his breakout season was rewarded in the form of a six-year, $37.5 million contract extension.
Right guard Todd Herremans was not as spectacular as the other three linemen, but he was solid nonetheless. However, he will need to improve his pass blocking to become a more complete guard.
At right tackle, Johnson experienced growing pains as a rookie but came on strong at the end of the season. The 2013 first-round pick will presumably retain his role when he returns from suspension.
Allen Barbre is expected to take Johnson’s place after signing a three-year extension, and he has previous starting experience at right tackle even though he struggled there in his time with the Packers.
Dennis Kelly will be the other key reserve at offensive line. He has previous experience at tackle and guard, so his versatility will be a plus.
After Kelly, there are zero linemen with starting experience in the NFL, so depth is a concern for the Eagles. Although they have the best starting offensive line, the depth will be tested if a starter gets injured. Losing Johnson for four games may already be a big enough challenge.
The Eagles are expected to carry eight or nine offensive linemen, but it’s a mystery who will earn the last spots.
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