Roster Thoughts: Where’s the Beef?

 

The following is a continuation of a pre-training camp series view of Eagle roster thoughts, here for the Offensive Line.  “The Ugly” here would consistently be “Player has a significant injury effecting performance, availability or both.”  Also, projections can be extreme (Example, who could have predicted Carson Wentz would be as bad as he was in 2020, historically bad).  I am trying to consider realistic forecasts.

The Starters: Lane Johnson (Right Tackle), Isaac Seamalo (Right Guard), Jason Kelce (Center), Landon Dickerson (Left Guard), Jordan Mialata (Left Tackle)

Lane Johnson: Bad- Lane Johnson just turned 32.  One would expect he is nearing the end of his prime (Although his play on the field belies this).  Johnson has missed games, either via injury or, more recently due to managing his medication for anxiety.  After twice testing positive for performance enhancing assistance, Johnson has that issue under control, but he must remain vigilant or will receive a lifetime NFL ban.

Good- For multiple years, he has been a top 10 NFL tackle, and continues to be arguably the best Right Tackle in the NFL.  At 6’6” and 317 pounds his power and mobility are unquestioned.  His football IQ is off the charts.  He is a team leader.  He consistently plays at a Pro Bowl level, occasionally achieving All-Pro caliber (He was 2^nd team All-Pro in 2021).  Inevitably, he will fall just short of Hall-Of-Fame consideration, still rarified air. 

Isaac  Seumalo- Bad- Suffered season ending Lisfranc injury vs the first Cowboy game last year.  His replacement at Left Guard, Landon Dickerson, will not be usurped, as the young 2^nd round pick created instant chemistry and dominance on the left side.  Seumalo will need to move to the right side while he returns from a serious injury, replacing perennial Pro Bowler Brandon Brooks (who did not play last year due to injury, then retired after the season ended).  Isaac not only missed 13 games last year, but missed half the 2020 season with a knee injury.  Seumalo has consistently graded as a good, but not excellent guard, a step down from Brooks, and will face competition from young upstarts Jack Driscoll and Sua Opeta to win the job on the right side.

Good- In limited snaps last year, Seumalo got his highest Pro Football Focus grade, scoring as a tie for the NFL’s 11^th best guard.  He brings tremendous position versatility, having  played every position on the offensive line for the Eagles except Left Tackle, and does so beyond competently.  Words that describe his play would include consistent and reliable.  Seumalo is a veteran, but is chronologically speaking in his prime for an offensive lineman  (turns 29 in October).  He is in a contract year, so is highly motivated, but faces an uphill climb to earn a 3^rd contract from the Eagles given their less expensive depth/quality at his position.

Jason Kelce- Bad- He’s undersized, and that’s been the knock since he’s been drafted.  He’s always been most challenged by huge defensive tackles like Vita Vea.  At 34, he has already worked with the Eagles to choose his replacement, 2^nd round pick Cam Jurgens.  Kelce will turn 35 this season, the age Chuck Bednarik retired. 

Good- He’s a team leader.  He has been selected the best Center in the NFL (All-Pro) 4 times in 5 years, starting in the Super Bowl season (2017).  The year he was “only” a Pro Bowler (2020), the offensive line suffered massive injuries, running out 14 different line combinations that season.  Kelce was the constant, the anchor, the rock.  In that “down year” he was merely a Pro Bowler rather than All Pro.  He is likely destined to enter the Hall of Fame, and is one of the most popular athletes in Philadelphia history.  The last Eagle Center to retire at age 35 was Bednarik, who won the NFL championship with the Eagles in his final season before going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Landon Dickerson- Bad- A high 2^nd round selection in 2021, Dickerson fell into the 2^nd round due to a college career loaded with injuries.  Can he remain healthy?  This is the most question.  He is a better run blocker than pass blocker at this point, so he’ll need to improve on his qb protection as he gains experience. 

Good- After missing all of camp in 2021 per his last college injury, he was not activated till 8/30/21, yet was thrown in week 2 when Brandon Brooks went down for the year.  Drafted at center, he played both Left and Right Guard with in 2021 for Philly with increasing success as the season wore on.  His total grade for the season was well above average, with anticipated improvement as the chemistry grows between he and left tackle Jordan Mailata.  At 6’6” 340, he is part of an intimidating force on the Eagles left side,.  Dickerson brings an aggressive dominating energy, a desire to impose his physical will upon opponents.  Alongside Mailata, this is especially menacing.     

Jordan Mailata- Bad- Mailata, a 7^th round pick with no NFL experience, did not come to the Eagles with a pedigree.  The former rugby player had never played football.  On top of that, he missed his first 2 seasons with back issues, something that will require attention even if he stays healthy.  He is a huge man that will constantly need to monitor his weight.  Although incredibly athletic for his size, Mailata still occasionally has issues with speed rushers, though he reduced his 2020 sacks allowed from 7 to 3.5 in 2021. 

Good- Once getting the opportunity to play in 2020, he did well, and after a phenomenal 2021 training camp was awarded the starting Left Tackle role and a 64 million dollar 4 year contract extension, already considered perhaps the best current NFL contract bargains.  He was snubbed from the pro bowl, but was clearly one of the NFL’s best Left tackles.  Still, when Lane Johnson had to miss a few games, Mailata was happy to switch sides for the benefit of the team.  This flexibility is important.  He just turned 25, is not yet in his prime, and is continuing to improve.  While he is one of the NFL’s biggest men at 6’8” 380, he carries his weight well with below average body fat.  On the left side he and Dickerson have not only developed rapid chemistry… They combine as perhaps the most intimidating offensive line tandem in the league. 

The best 2^nd string line in the NFL : Le’Raven Clark (Right Tackle), Jack Driscoll (Right Guard), Cam Jurgens (Center), Sua Opeta (Left Guard), Andre Dillard (Left Tackle):

Le’Raven Clark- Bad- He tore his Achilles in late 2020, so only became actively available to the Eagles 9 months later in August 2021.  He initially only made the Eagles practice squad last year, and was not elevated to the 53 man roster till late in the season.  He does not handle speed rushers well. 

Good- He has a 3^rd round pedigree (drafted by the Colts in 2016).  Apparently a mirror of Dillard’s skills, he can handle power rushes.  He is a pretty good run blocker.  He ranked tie for 59^th amongst Tackles in Pro Football Focus grading last season, a back-end starters grade ahead of almost two thirds of the 150 or so tackles graded. 

 

Jack Driscoll- Bad- Driscoll needs to stay healthy.  In his first 2 seasons since being drafted in 2020, he has missed extensive time both seasons with injuries, including a pair of season enders (MCL in 2020, ankle in 2021). 

Good-  He received his initial NFL education not only from premier offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, but was mentored by perennial Pro Bowler Brandon Brooks.  He has position versatility, being able to play both Guard spots as well as Right Tackle.  As a 4^th round pick his draft pedigree is good… The Eagles know offensive linemen, so drafting one in the 4^th round is high praise for a players NFL future.  Driscoll is on his way… His Pro Football focus grade last year ranked him as the NFL’s 20^th best guard, far superseding his backup role.  

Cam Jurgens- Jurgens is the only one of the “top 10” Eagle Offensive linemen with no experience.  He is a rookie.  Jurgens comes into the league undersized.  Like his mentor Kelce, Jurgens will need to watch out for big opponents who will try to use his inferior size against him.  He can exacerbate this weakness with less than ideal hand placement. 

Good- Jurgens comes to the Eagles with an excellent 2^nd round pedigree (The last Eagle OL taken there was just last year, when Landon Dickerson had phenomenal success).  Hand picked by Jason Kelce, he brings off the chart athleticism for the position, an ability to generate power using technique and above average core strength and balance, and excellent mobility/speed to get to the 2^nd and 3^rd levels of a defense.  Jurgens has 2 of the best mentors in the business… Wunderkind OL coach Jeff Stoutland and future HOF Center Jason Kelce.  He “has a junkyard-dog mentality so plays with outstanding effort thoughout games,” per a bleacherreport scouting report.  Sounds like his mentor?  One can only hope!

Sua Opeta: Bad- Opeta did not have the measurables or college success to get drafted.  He was a Rookie Free Agent signed by the Birds in 2019.  He came out undersized (6’4” but 305) and lacking shuttle/cone drill athleticism. 

Good- Some of his measurables from school were subpar, but others were excellent.  He did 39 reps (225 lbs.) on the bench press, phenomenal power for his size and weight.  He also showed explosiveness with a trio of top 10% performances in the vertical jump, broad jump and 40 yard dash.  That has translated to his play, where he can get to and block on the 2^nd level.  He has experience with 5 starts in 2 seasons against quality competition.  He has shown an ability to read the opposition mentally that transcends his limited experience.  Last season, especially, he performed well, grading equivalent per Pro Football Focus as tie with the NFL’s 13^th best guard (in a small sample size).  Opeta will a restricted free agent next off season, so will be a highly motivated player seeking a second contract. 

Andre Dillard- Bad- Dillard at this point is a first round disappointment for the Eagles.  He lost a training camp battle to Mailata in 2021, which is no shame given the quality of player Mailata has become, but Dillard’s camp was subpar in the face of that competition.  Last year he started 5 games when either Johnson or Mailata were unavailable, although he has been limited to the left side after previous poor performances at Right Tackle.  His five 2021 relief starts on the left proved a mix of good, OK and bad.  While quite deft on his feet to handle speed, at 6’5” 310 last year he has till this point proved vulnerable to power rushes.  In the Eagles playoff loss to Tampa Bay, Dillard was not the first tackle off the bench when Lane Johnson got hurt.

Good- Dillard brings a deserved 1^st round pedigree, and his 2021 PFF grade was 45^th of 83 graded Offensive Tackles, not bad from a bench player when one considers the starting tackles in the league should comprise the top 60.  He is in a contract year, and has showed up to camp with an upgraded physique to handle the bull rush.  Motivated for his next contract and maturing into a stronger frame through hard work, Dillard may be the best Tackle on an NFL bench in 2022.

The best of the rest: On the OL, It’ll be a fight just to make the Eagles 2022 practice squad- Brett Toth (Left Tackle), Josh Sills (Left Guard), Jack Anderson (Center), Kayode Awoskia (Left Guard), Jarrid Williams (Right Tackle), Bill Dunkle (Either Guard spot),  Of this group, Anderson, with both center/guard versatility, has the best spot to get to the 53-man. 

Brett Toth: Bad- Coming out of school as a Rookie Free Agent at 6’7” 291, Toth required significantly more mass and musculature.  Playing for Army, he was raw and inexperiencd even for an NFL rookie.  He has been on the bubble in Philly, bouncing between the practice squad and the roster.  He tore his ACL in the Eagles final game in Dallas, so after knee surgery will be on the Birds PUP list for at least part of 2022. 

Good- Even though entering the NFL undersized, he never played soft and in fact came out with physicality as part of his game.  He has appeared in 9 games over his 2 NFL seasons.  He is athletic and has received a modicum of experience with the time to physically mature.  We’ll see how long the Eagles keep Toth on the Pup list… Certainly they’ll wait till he’s ready, and perhaps beyond to stash him for another season. 

Kayode Awosika- Bad- A 2021 Rookie Free Agent, he spent  most of the season on the practice squad.    He is an unlikely candidate to make the 2022 53-man roster given the talent ahead of him.  His spider chart showed he is undersized, with below average shuttle/Cone drill skills. 

Good- He got the 2^nd most guaranteed RFA money among Eagle ’21 RFA’s.  His spider chart showed he had above average to excellent speed, Vertical explosion and strength.  He was activated off the practice squad for the last 2 games of 2021, and has shown flexibility to play left or right guard. 

 

Jack Anderson- Bad- Now a 2^nd year player, per his draft scouting report from Dane Brugler at the Athletic, “he plays too upright and his lack of length lowers his margin for error. He projects as a potential backup guard/center in a zone-based scheme.”  Per Lance Zierlein at NFL.com, Anderson’s “two biggest issues are his core strength and his lack of control. He needs to stay within himself and attack with a more workman-like attitude rather than rushing. He has a tendency to over-step his lateral blocks and open the back door for quick losses. True two-gappers have a tendency to gain control and put him in a position to hang on ... He's a backup-caliber guard who could see time as a low-end starter at some point”

Good- A 7^th round selection by the Buffalo Bills in 2021, the Eagles stole him when Brandon Brooks went down and kept him on their roster the remainder of 2021.  Brugler’s Athletic scouting report also mentioned Anderson “is strong and nimble with the mean streak desired for trench work.”  Zierlein’s report also mentions that Anderson is a “Guard prospect with good size and foot quickness. He has toughness in his field demeanor… He has lateral reactive athleticism that should benefit him if bad habits are coached out of him. His hand placement and hand strength improve his chances as a base blocker.”  He played a bit in 2021 at Guard and Center, mostly a Special Teamer in his rookie year.     

 

Josh Sills- Bad- A Rookie Free Agent likely fighting for a spot on the practice squad.  Per Dane Grugler at The Athletic, “He must play with better control to counterbalance his aggression... Needs work in pass pro.” 

Good- Sills has good size at 6’6” and 322 lbs.  Also per Grugler at The Athletic, “Sills is one of the few players in this draft class with college starting experience at all five offensive line spots.”  He had a 6th round draft projection per NFL.com  that belied falling to Rookie Free Agency.  He comes to the NFL as a college player who was “a physical, body-moving run blocker.”

Bill Dunkle- Bad- His Spider chart showed below average explosive and speed traits, along with average strength.  Basically, his athleticism is limited, as is his expected upside (per Lance Zierlein of NFL network).  He lacks desired range for a run blocker and needs work on his pass sets.  He has issues with footwork and technique that Stoutland will have to address. 

Good- His spider chart showed good size (6’5” 330).  Per Chad Reuter at NFL.com, “William Dunkle ranked as the #2 RFA Interior lineman with a 5th Round Grade.”  He was a proficient run blocker and allowed 0 career sacks in 3 years at SD state.  NFL Draft buzz stated he’s a “solid positional run blocker who flashes the nasty demeanor and killer instinct scouts covet.”  He’s tough, aggressive and has a high football IQ, and his size and strength also give him a shot.    

Jarrid Williams- Bad- Coming out of school as an Eagle Rookie Free agent, per Tommy Lawlor on Igglesblitz he needs to work on his hands uasage and pad level.  He has almost no shot to make the Eagles 53-man roster this season. 

Good- Williams was the top-rated Miami Hurricane football player in 2021.  He has excellent size at 6’6” 322 pounds, and received very good PFF ratings of 81.1 as a pass blocker and 83 as a run blocker.  Jeff Stoutland approved him as a prospect.  That’s always a good sign!  Per Tommy Lawlor on Igglesblitz, he is an agile athletic blocker. He is a likely developmental prospect fighting to earn a spot on the 2022 Practice squad. 

Eagles Lessons:  The Eagles value the Offensive Line as th heart and sole of their team.  They invest in it accordingly, and have been ranked this year with the best O-Line in football.  They are accordingly the NFL’s best at picking and developing offensive linemen, likely largely due to the heavy influence of one of the best O-Line coaches in the NFL, Jeff Stoutland.  They have done well making productive players out of undrafted rookie free agents (ex: Nate Herbig, now with the Jets), and turning late round picks into stars (ex: Mailata, Kelce).  The Birds will not only manage their 53-man roster and practice squad to maximize the protection of the linemen in their current development pipeline, they’ll also scour the waiver wire to improve that pipeline (ex: Jack Anderson last year).