Prior Previews
I did the offensive line last because that was the area with the most question marks going into camp. This instinct proved right as it wasn’t until last weekend that we actually figured out who will be starting in the opener. It looks like Jamaal Jackson will be ready to go. Stacy Andrews was traded for peanuts, and the Eagles replaced him with OG Reggie Wells from Arizona, who will likely start the year behind Nick Cole.
Depth Chart
The only part of the starting rotation that is in question is the RG spot, where Reggie Wells could very well take over for Cole once he gets acclimated to the system. Our depth is good at guard, but thin everywhere else (though Herremens is probably the first back-up at OT).
Austin Howard is an intriguing prospect out of Northern Iowa. He is an undrafted FA who impressed in camp and was quickly installed as a back-up tackle. Huge (6’7”, 333lbs) and athletic, he could force himself into the starting line-up next year and beyond if he can improve his technique.
Most Important Player
Jamaal Jackson. Did you see what happened to our OL after Jackson went down last year? The OL was manhandled by Dallas and the team lost 2 embarrassing games scoring only 14 points and allowing 8 sacks. The only other player I would even consider here is Jason Peters (who I think played better than most people think last year) but Herremans is a solid back-up. McGlynn or Cole are big downgrades from Jackson, who is a top-5 center.
Biggest Question
Can these guys stay healthy?
We just got killed by injuries on the OL last year. It’s actually a miracle we went 11-5 considering. Jason Peters was constantly being taken out of games. Todd Herremans missed 5 games. Stacy Andrews couldn’t even get on the field. Jamaal got hurt at the end of the year. The rotations were constantly being shuffled and we all know the more offensive lines play together, the better they usually play. Given that they no longer have McNabb back there to avoid the rush a little bit and Kolb making his first starts, the offensive line play is more important than ever this year.
Division Ranking
1. New York
This has been the best crew in the division for awhile. They play very well together and are above average across the board.
2. Washington
This makes the assumption that 1st rounder Trent Williams will be able to come in and play at a high level right away. Given that recent high picks Joe Thomas and Jake Long have come in and played at pro-bowl levels right away, I don’t think this assumption is far fetched. They also acquired Jammal Brown, who along with Williams gives them serious upgrades at tackle.
3. Philadelphia
Could easily be #2 based on talent alone, but the fact that they haven’t played together a lot and have been moved around all over the place drop them to here.
4. Dallas
The names are there, but this unit played so poorly in the pre-season, you wonder what will happen when the real games start. Dallas scored only 4 points per game in the 1st half of their pre-season games, based in large part due to horrible OL play. Both Marc Colombo and Kyle Kosier suffered knee injuries, and while they should be good-to-go for Sunday, there is no telling how close to 100% they really are.
Final Thoughts
I’m less worried about our OL play than I was a couple weeks ago. Jackson being back for the opener is huge. Trading Andrews away was the right thing to do and hopefully Wells can come in and do a better job. Austin Howard’s emergence gives us some depth at OT (what exactly would we have done if he hadn’t come out of nowhere) and Justice and Peters look like they should provide at least average bookends.
We know we have immense talent at the skill positions on offense. It’s up to this unit to give Kolb enough time to throw, and McCoy the holes to run through to maximize that talent.
Still very worried and think it will be the most cited cause for our 7-9 season. While it might do OK pass-blocking with the quick hits in this offense, we will once again have no holes to run and Kolb will get hammered when he needs more time.
Anybody to fantasy football? This is my first year and I am picking 2 tonihgt in a 12 team league. So I have the 2nd, 23rd, 26th, 47th, and 50th picks in the first 5 rounds. Who would you target with the first 5 picks?
Our league is 2 RBs, 2 WRs, QB, TE, K, Def for starters.
The O line is going to be better then last year, which might not be saying a whole lot.
I’m still surpised the Eagles passed on drafting lineman in the draft. I thought they might grab 1 or even 2 in rounds 3-5. Luckily the undrafted OT seems like he might be worth a 4th or 5th rounder if the draft was done over again.
Also…Im glad andrews is gone. Shawn was one of those headcases that ruined everything. Its a shame bc he was so good. Andrews 2 was making a lot so it’s good to get him out for even a last day draft pick.
S Andrews joins the list of philly sports starts headcases. Lindros, Cunningham, Schmidt were all affected by their own mindset.