The Philadelphia Eagles offensive line was hampered by injuries in 2012. Three starters missed significant time but all three will be back in 2013. Jason Peters missed the entire season with an Achilles tear. Todd Herremans was sidelined after week 9 with a dislocated bone and ligament damage in his right foot which sent him to the injured reserve for the remainder of the season. Jason Kelce, the starting center, suffered tears in his MCL and ACL in week two and that put him on the shelf for the rest of the 2012 season. All three linemen have been deemed healthy and have not shown anything to the contrary in training camp.
It will be a big improvement to have all three back as well as the hiring of offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland. Stoutland, previously the offensive line coach for the highly touted Alabama Crimson Tide, was handpicked by head coach Chip Kelly in order to implement his fast paced offense with the line. Some changes have been made to the line. Lane Johnson was a first round pick and was almost immediately inserted with the first team in training camp. Todd Herremans will move to the right guard position after spending two years at tackle. Prior to 2011, he played guard for four seasons from 2006-2010.
Evan Mathis, the only healthy one during 2012, will be manning the left guard position. Mathis agreed to a five year contract extension worth $25.5 million with $7 million guaranteed on March 17, 2012 and has proved his worth since then. Mathis could have been selected for the Pro Bowl last year due to his outstanding performance. However, he was snubbed but will continue to be one of the best, athletic linemen in the league. If we stay the course of athletic lineman, Jason Peters, has been reported as completely healthy. An Achilles tear is a difficult injury to come back from but Peters is attempting to regain his Pro Bowl caliber play after two tears. All reports are expecting Peters to revert to his previous standing as one of the, if not the, best tackle in the game.
The backups are a different story and the Eagles could go fishing for some veterans if players do not step up. One guarantee to make the 53-man roster is Dennis Kelly who filled in for 10 games in 2012. He does not have the skill set to become a Pro Bowler but he proved his capability as a backup. Danny Watkins is a name to keep an eye on. Watkins was drafted by the Reid regime in the first round of the 2011 draft as a 26-year-old. Since 2011 he has done nothing but disappoint. Hopefully, a scheme change, a coaching change, and Jeff Stoutland being in his ear all of training camp will light a fire under his butt. The Eagles are in need of a solid backup at the center position and Dallas Reynolds has the inside track due to his experience last season.
As the preseason plays out we will have a much better understanding of who will make the 53-man roster. If I had to guess, the third preseason game will be a tell-tale sign of who Chip Kelly is leaning towards with the second team offensive line and Kelly will keep between eight and nine lineman.
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