July 15, 2017
On July 24, there will be football again, as quarterbacks, rookies, and select veterans will report for training camp. Leading up to camp, we'll be taking a look at each positional group. Today we'll preview the interior offensive line.
First, here's a look at the depth chart at guard and center:
Eagles interior OL | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
LG | Isaac Seumalo | Allen Barbre | Dallas Thomas | Aaron Neary |
C | Jason Kelce | Stefen Wisniewski | Josh Andrews | Tyler Orlosky (R) |
RG | Brandon Brooks | Chance Warmack | Darrell Greene |
After an offseason of speculation, it would appear that the Eagles will hang onto Jason Kelce for at least one more season, barring a trade, which now appears unlikely. Kelce did not play well in the first half of the season in 2016, but his play picked up significantly late. As any Eagles observer is aware by now, Kelce's athleticism allows him to do things in the screen game and the outside run game that other centers couldn't dream of doing, but his lack of bulk is a major hindrance against much bigger defensive tackles.
On one side of Kelce is Brooks, who was something of an underrated free agent signing last offseason, even with his battle with depression, which caused him to miss two games. When he played, Brooks was quietly among the best guards in the NFL last season. He and Lane Johnson pair to form perhaps the best RG-RT combination in the league.
On the other side of Kelce will likely be Seumalo, who got the first crack at the starting LG spot during spring practices. Seumalo played LG, RG, and RT his rookie season, and showed promise as a potential long-time starter in the NFL, with the versatility to play multiple positions should other guys along the line go down. He could become a valuable asset to the Eagles for the foreseeable future for the flexibility that he allows.
As for depth, the Eagles are loaded with it along the interior of their OL. Barbre, Wisniewski, and Warmack have a combined 167 career starts. I would imagine it's unlikely that there's another team in the NFL that can boast that much experience among their interior OL backups.
As for the deeper depth along the OL, the player to watch is center Tyler Orlosky, who was a highly rated prospect by some heading into the 2017 NFL Draft, but did not get drafted. He sat out spring practices with a strained MCL, but it is expected that he will be ready to go for camp.
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