Philadelphia Eagles Training Camp Position Breakdowns: Offensive Line
For the last couples seasons the football media has hyped and hyped and hyped the Dallas Cowboys offensive line. Little did they know that their division rivals were developing an offensive line that would easily trump them by 2017. This group is special. They’re physical, they’re athletic and they have a bit of a nasty streak. They even lost two starters in 2017 and still kept dominating their competition(Peters to ACL tear, Seumalo to just being awful).
The Eagles had to replace two projected starters last season and their line was still the heart of the team. I love this group and I decided to give them all one long breakdown. Plus, most of these players can play multiple line spots, so doing an interior line post with a tackle post and center post can get a little confusing. Hell, a couple of these players could probably play any of the 5 line spots in a pinch.
Jason Peters- I still can’t believe Buffalo ever traded this guy away, especially right in the prime of his career. Peters is going to be a first or second ballot Hall of Famer. He’s the best left tackle since Jonathan Odgen. He is coming off ACL surgery and he’s entering the declining stage of his career, but even at 75% of his former self, he’s still a top 10 tackle in this league and you know he wants to play in a Super Bowl before he retires.
Stefen Wisniewski- He might be the fifth best starter on this line, but he really was the hero they never expected last year after Isaac Seumalo completely fell apart early in the season. They started mixing in Wis with Chance Warmack, but eventually Wis took over the job and became one of the better guards in this league. He’s also the teams backup center.
Jason Kelce- Speaking of centers, the player we thought could be traded before the 2017 season, may have been the best player in Super Bowl 52. Seriously, watch him the next time you watch that Super Bowl replay. Most plays he was taking on multiple defenders. He was everywhere in that Super Bowl and it was the perfect conclusion for what was easily his best season. He’s developed into the best center in the league. Never the biggest, but definitely the most athletic and grittiest linemen in the league. He makes that zone run attack and screen game work so well in this offense.
Brandon Brooks- Maybe the most underrated linemen in the league. He’s been one of the best guards in the league since 2015 and he’s just now getting the attention he deserves. He’s a 6'5, 330 pound guard who runs about as well as any 300 pound guard. He’s an athletic mauler he is now entering the prime of his career.
“Brandon Brooks might be underrated for the casual football fan, but for the fans that really pay attention, Brooks is an absolute beast.”
- Jacob Brooks
Lane Johnson- The Eagles are a much better team with Lane Johnson at right tackle. They went 5–1 with him in 2016, but 2–8 without him while he served a 10 game suspension from PED use. It’s still unclear if he will eventually take over for Peters at left tackle when he retires, or if the Eagles want him to stay at right tackle since he’s played there for so long.
One thing I would like to see with Johnson this year is using him as the extra offensive lineman. He’s the better choice over Seumalo and the Eagles can put Vaitai over at right tackle in this packages. It gives them a better athlete who can get out on the edge quicker, or attack upfield.
Halapoulivaati Vaitai- It’s pretty rare for a starting left tackle play an entire Super Bowl without giving up a sack, to go into camp as the backup tackle. But that’s where we are until Jason Peters has a setback. Right now the Eagles have three really good offensive tackles. Vaitai will be a long-term starter eventually(probably in 2019), but right now he’ll sit behind a Pro Bowler and a future Hall of Famer. I imagine he’ll get a few snaps each week as the extra lineman in some jumbo sets, but for now he’s the best number three tackle in the league.
Taylor Hart- I had to double check the team page to see if he was still on the roster. Drafted in 2014 to be Chip Kelly’s 5-tech end, now trying to make the transition to offensive tackle for a second straight season. This is a big summer for Hart. He’s competing with three really proven tackles and two more the Eagles just drafted. To make this roster he might have to beat out two rookies the Eagles really don’t want to cut at this point. More than anything, Hart is probably auditioning for another team.
Matt Pryor- I’ll be honest, despite living in Big 12 country, I didn’t know who this kid was when he was drafted. He’s capable of playing guard or tackle and has struggled with his weight in the past(almost up to 400 pounds at one point in college). I love him at guard because of his size and raw power, but I don’t see the necessary foot speed to play on the edge at tackle. I see him as a nice insurance policy for Brooks this season and either his future replacement or Wisniewski’s.
Jordan Mailata- His rugby highlight tape was probably the highlight of NFL Network’s draft coverage. It was similar to the dodgeball scene from Billy Madison. He’s a giant offensive tackle around 6'7, 340 pounds who moves extremely well for his size. He’s also brand new to the sport and will take some time to adjust. I think the Eagles want him to make the roster and stay inactive all season as he slowly picks up the game. Placing him on the practice squad would be risky as any other team could sign him to their roster.
He’ll be a fascinating story all summer. I have no idea what to expect. He could look impressive because of his natural physical abilities, or he might be a total mess. I just don’t expect the Eagles to risk losing him either way. They knew when they drafted him he would be a 2–3 year project.
Chance Warmack- He received a one year extension last season, as he tries to find a long-term role in this league. He never lived up to his first round hype in Tennessee and he really struggled in pass protection last season when he was sharing the left guard role with Wis. Last year he went in as the top backup interior lineman, but this year he’ll be fighting off a couple reserve guards and tackles just to make the roster. He’s right on the border going into camp.
Darrell Greene- Greene is one of those players that could easily make an NFL roster if every team actually kept 10 offensive linemen, but because most just keep 7 or 8, he’s always on the outside looking in. He was an undrafted rookie from San Diego State in 2016 that I thought had a real shot to make the roster back then. Two years later he hasn’t really developed or improved much. He’s a nice 3rd team guard, but as of right now he isn’t a real threat to make this roster. If another team gets really thin at guard I could see him getting picked up. The Eagles just have too much depth for him to have a shot this year, barring a bunch of injuries.
Toby Weathersby- An undrafted rookie I actually gave a draftable grade to, but not a very high one. I thought he was worth a late round pick becasue of his size (6'4, 320, 33 1/4" arms) and his raw power. He played both tackle and guard at college, which is appealing for a team that typically only keeps two or three reserve linemen on the roster.
The issue with Weathersby is his lack of athleticism. He ran a 5.38 40 and a 8.55 3-cone at the combine, well below average, even for his size. He’ll struggle at tackle because of his lack of quickness, so standing out at guard will be key for him. I think with all the depth his best shot is to make the practice squad.
Aaron Evans- We’ve reached the part of the offensive line roster where I’m looking up information on players I didn’t know existed before camp. Evans was the starting left tackle on UCF’s undefeated team last season. He lacks the length to play tackle at this level, so he’s making the transition to guard. He’s really just a camp body right now, but a good summer could help his chances of making a practice squad in Philly or another team.
Ian Park- Another camp body at guard for the Eagles. He started his college career at Northwestern, but transferred to Slippery Rock College for more playing time after he graduated early.
I don’t know a ton about his ability on the field, but he does a mean Halo impression.
Isaac Seumalo- I’ll be honest, I’m pretty down on Seumalo. He has been given every opportunity to earn a starting role at center or left guard, and every time he’s gotten serious reps he has been a disaster. He’s slow off the snap, his hand placement is late and quicker linemen have absolutely torched him.
He can play all five line positions in a pinch, which is exactly what the coaches want from a reserve lineman, but he’s also not good so it doesn’t really matter. He’s a versatile backup who can’t block anyone. Basically he can play any position off the bench, just not well enough to make the roster at this point.
I really hope he proves me wrong, but I haven’t seen any evidence so far that he will. As far as trade value goes, I know fans will want to get something in return for him as opposed to just cutting him, but I don’t another team willing to give up a draft pick for his services.
Jon Toth- A former four year starter in the SEC who started in his final 48 games at Kentucky. He spent most of last season on the Eagles practice squad, but has a much better shot of sneaking on the roster this season as a backup center. Like Seumalo he can play tackle, guard or center. He’s not as athletic as Seumalo, but he’s far more physical and already has better technique.
