Eagles Don't Need Another Lineman

For as much as so many people around town claim not to like Andy Reid, an awful lot of you are starting to think like him.  I've seen more blog comments and message board posts in the last couple weeks saying that the Eagles "need" to go after a high-round offensive tackle in April's draft based on some variation of the common theme that Runyan and Thomas are old and Winston Justice sucks.

And hey, it's not just the local guys:

19		OT	Jeff Otah	Pittsburgh	Sr.	6-6	339
The Eagles have plenty of options here, from taking safety Kenny Phillips as Brian Dawkins' eventual replacement, to nabbing the highest-rated remaining receiver (DeSean Jackson, Devin Thomas or James Hardy). But with their offensive tackles both having some age issues, Otah gives them a much-needed injection of youth at one of the game's most vital positions. Trading up for a higher-ranked tackle or receiver might also be a possibility if Philly can get some team coveting displaced starting cornerback Lito Sheppard.

That's from Sports Illustrated's Don Banks, in his most recent mock draft.  There's a fair amount of gypsy fortune-telling here -- the Eagles will definitely take a safety or a receiver or a lineman just like today will be eventful and you will meet someone of possible future importance -- but the bottom line is Banks is on board the O-Line train. 

Now, if we've learned one thing about Andy Reid, it's that we should never bet against him taking a lineman in the first round.  So I'm not going to go way far out there saying it won't happen, to minimize the chances I get Asanted again.

But what I will say is that the Eagles have far, far bigger needs than they do at offensive tackle, for the following reason:

Thomas and Runyan are both still playing pretty well.  Tra Thomas has been something of a revelation the last couple seasons.  He's become super-committed to his fitness and while he doesn't have quite the physical skills he used to, his technique is superb.  He's certainly not getting any younger, but keep in mind he's less than a year older than the Cowboys' Flozell Adams -- who just signed a brand new six-year contract to stay with Dallas.  Thomas could still be here in four years, long after everyone else has written him off. 

Runyan is a little tougher to evaluate.  Last year was not a good year for the big guy.  I was actually amazed how much of a free pass Big Jon got last year in the local media.  But how do you fairly judge him when he had to play almost the entire season at well under 100 percent due to the "glute" injury he suffered slipping out of the cold tub in October?  Runyan had trouble practicing, you know he would have struggled working out, and while he never made excuses, he talked a couple times last year about how much pain he was playing with.  That affects you.   

Here's the thing about Runyan.  Honestly, I don't think he's planning to play much longer.  If the Eagles win the Super Bowl this year, I think he'd definitely call it quits.  And whereas before last season I thought Thomas was the guy who could be losing his job soon, it now looks like Runyan might be out sooner.

So there's soon to be a hole on the line, which is ok because...

Winston Justice is going to be a very good NFL tackle.  I've been banging this drum for almost a year now and I'm going to keep doing it.  Yes, Justice got undressed against the Giants.  We all know that.  But did you watch the Super Bowl?  How did the Patriots' Pro Bowl left tackle Matt Light look against Osi? 

Not too good.

I know it's the Philly way to completely turn on a high draft pick the moment he demonstrates he's not going to be an All Star the first time he touches the field/court/rink, but come on.  It was one game where he got off to a rough start, the coaches did nothing to help him and things just kept snowballing.

The thing to watch with Justice is his feet.  They're amazingly quick.  And did you know that he ran a 5.15 40-yard dash (pretty good for a lineman), put up 38 reps in the 225-pound lift (very, very good) and posted a vertical jump of 39 inches (insane for a 320-pounder).

The athletic ability is all there, Justice just needs to keep working, working, working on his technique.  He had his "Ah-ha" moment last year against the Giants -- I have a feeling that now he's down to business.

But say something happens to Justice, like a freak car accident, then the Eagles...

Go to Plan B, which is to unleash Shawn Andrews on the outside.  I think it's an interesting question as to where Andrews has more value.  Do you want him inside at guard, stopping middle pressure, blowing up holes in the running game, and racing to the second level to pick off linebackers?  Or does he just have too much athletic ability not to be on the outside?  (Would love to hear the coaches talk about this.)

So we have Thomas and Runyan ... and then Justice and potentially Andrews ... but if none of that works out ...

Then just put Todd Herremans back at tackle.  Herremans is always going to be a bit of a positional tweener.  They say he plays a little tall at guard, but he may not have the best quickness and arm length you want at tackle.  I don't know.  All I do know is that he was a small school All American at left tackle in college and when he had to step in and play that position as a rookie, he more than held down the fort.

I think Herremans is another good example of the double standard for Philly fans.  We claim we get on everyone equally, but when it's Jon Runyan struggling with an injury and not playing at his previous level we give him a pass.  When it's Todd Herremans playing on a bad knee he had to have surgery on during the season all anyone wants to do is toss him out the back door.

Herremans may not have the physical skills needed to be a top-top guy like Andrews, but he's going to be starting on this Eagles' offensive line for a long time -- just maybe not at guard, which is ok because...

The Eagles have Andrews' clone (without the speed) Max Jean-Gilles ready to step in at guard if either Herremans or Andrews moves outside.  Last year, when he got a chance to play against the Saints, he was described by Andy Reid as: "dominant, just absolutely dominant, in the run game.  The pass game, he started off slow and then he picked it up and really for three quarters there he was real smooth."

- - - - - -

So please, offensive line is the one position where the Eagles actually have all depth they need (ok, you can throw in quarterback, too).  Can you honestly argue that the Eagles are better off making that position a priority over safety, tight end, receiver, cornerback (if Lito goes), or even the defensive line?  And I know everyone's all excited about the young linebackers, but if they had a shot at Dan Connor, I'd jump at that upgrade too.

There are plenty of holes to plug on the talent assembly line.  Offensive tackle isn't one of them.

Comments

[BFH]

I'm with you. One big luxury this team has is line depth.

No one in the front office is giving up on Winston Justice yet. Andrews and Herremans are both flexible and have at least one capable backup in Jean-Giles.

No reason to invest big first round money before you get a look at the guys you have. Take a look at what the Giants' did with David Deihl -- former guard. He certainly was never rated as a big-time tackle, but he did a decent job for them this season and was excellent as a run blocker.

I would love Kenny Phillips, if he's still available. He has a nasty streak, plays extremely hard, and has great range.

And I actually think that wide receiver would be a good choice for the Eagles as well, despite it's obvious risks and the team's terrible history drafting that position.

[Gabe from BountyBowl]

So it looks like you're not on the "completely paranoid that Thomas and Runyan -- who've been taken for granted for years -- are going to suddenly collapse due to age and accumulated fatigue and leave the Birds with a disaster at the tackle position in a division with some serious pass rushers" team?

I'm kind of on that team. But I'm willing to listen to reason.

Also, I'm never disappointed when the Eagles draft gigantic dudes. No one ever got fired for picking the biggest one available....

[Tracer Bullet]

I'd RATHER the Eagles took Phillips or a CB in the first round (I'm not wild about any of the WRs at that spot) but I BELIEVE they'll take Otah or Williams. Big Red hasn't taken an OL in the first round since Andrews and you just know he's aching to do it now. He probably keeps a sticky copy of Vandy's media guide hidden in the bathroom.

[jkreck]

The reason for the offensive lineman in the first round is this. This is the deepest draft ever at tackle. There are 5 first round tackles if a guy is there with that kind oftalent you have to take him. Its tough to find good offensive lineman

[Me]

This draft is also incredibly talented at running back. We don't need one of them in the first round either.

It can't just be a supply question -- it also has to be about need.

The Eagles have two guys on the bench roght right now with serious talent. Justice was considered to be a first-round guy and MJG was a monster at Georgia, he just had questions about his fitness/desire. Neither one of those guys has had more than spot duty in the two years they've been here.

Do we really want to add another guy like that when there are certainly more obvious needs?

[jkreck]

Who would you go with at 19? There are NO first round receivers in this years draft! You take the talent when its there. If we can get a lineman/CB this year that may not play but will be a pro bowler down the road why would you not take him. The only glaring need is safety. Do you reach for a guy just to fill a hole or do you draft a sure thing?

[Me]

That's a fair question. I think history has shown that the Birds will trade up or down to get the guy they want at the (draft) price they want to pay, so there's no reason to assume they'll stay locked in a #19.

Here's my deal. The Eagles are set up to win right now. McNabb and Westbrook might defy the odds and hang around forever, but in truth I think there's a good, solid, two-year window to bring home some hardware.

Picking an OT basically means you're bringing in a guy who won't be contributing for at least one year, and maybe more. I understand building for the future, I really do, but it seems to me like right now is an opportune time to push those chips into the middle of the table. You mention cornerback, and while the position seems pretty stocked right now, if they trade Lito and picked a guy in the first, then you're talking about someone who would be playing right away, at least in the nickel.

Safety is another position where the immediate need is pretty obvious. And there may not be any first-round TEs available, but that doesn't mean we couldn't position ourselves to get one in round two.

I'm also not as sold on the young linebackers as everyone else seems to be. They're good players, but nothing about Gocong or Gaither has ever screamed "Future Pro Bowler." And you can never have too much pass rush.

None of this is to say that the guy they take at tackle wouldn't be a solid player. With their track record with linemen, he probably would be. My only point is that there are bigger needs _now_ that you could address with that pick to try to win a Super Bowl _now_ while you still have Westy and McNabb.