The run-up to football season is less than a week away. Rookies and selected veterans report to Lehigh University on Tuesday, and if you’re like me, you can hardly contain yourself. While the team has been a model of consistency over the past decade, this season could go either way as the youth movement is in total effect.
Besides David Akers and Trent Cole, most of the team are young guys with a few years or less under their belts. While some are high-ceiling talent that we’ve caught flashes of brilliance from, like Brent Celek, DeSean Jackson, and Stewart Bradley (who seems to be a musical kindred spirit with me), many are just now being put into a position to make a name for themselves.
The obvious story is new starter Kevin Kolb, but before we take a ride down that street, it’s important that we look at the Birds’ offensive line. It was a mild to major problem last year, and it remains a question mark going into training camp.
Center Jamaal Jackson will likely not be 100% healthy in time for the Week 1 battle against the Packers at the Linc. When he went down at the end of last season, it effectively killed the entire line and highlighting his importance.
Jackson’s leadership is necessary for a fit and fighting unit, one that is going to need to rally around the new starting QB. While he is still recovering from his torn ACL, Nick Cole will likely slot in for him.
While Cole has played both guard positions, he is a natural fit at center and has the makings of a silent leader, one who leads by example. And while he is snapping the ball, we’re sure to see either Max Jean-Gilles or Stacy Andrews at right guard.
Despite his demotion last year, I like Andrews to win the starting job. He’s going to be out to prove himself, and as well, the Eagles are going to want to justify the large contract, although it’s been recently restructured. His base salary drops from $2.95 million to $1.15 million after a disappointing ’09 campaign.
Twitter superstar Todd Herremans will be manning left guard without a doubt. He may be coming off of foot surgery to correct a stress fracture, but his OTA performance indicates he’s ready to go.
Left tackle will be an absolute shoe-in as well, with beast Jason Peters all but a lock. The 6’4″ 340 lb Pro Bowler will provide the security that Kolb needs in the pocket.
Lastly, the oft-maligned but recently resurrected Winston Justice will have no problem laying claim to a spot at right tackle. While his first couple of years with the squad were difficult, something got into him last season and he simply applied himself. It’s a story of redemption, one that showed his coaches that he is serious about being a starter.
In November he was awarded with a 4-year contract extension worth $18.15 million. Justice may not be totally there yet, but this season should prove to be his league-wide coming out party.
While this looks like a decent O-line at first glance, we’ve all seen the effect that injuries can have on the unit. If they go injury free and Jamaal Jackson comes back healthy, then the Birds will be in great shape.
But what if Jackson takes longer to come back? Even worse, what if one of the stalwarts goes down?
The depth chart indicates that there may be some answers on the bench. King Dunlap has bulked up and could be a reasonable alternative at tackle, while Mike McGlynn provides insurance at center. Other names, like A.Q. Shipley, Dallas Reynolds at guard or Fenuki Tupou could be possibilities, but in reality, the team is lacking the depth they need in this very demanding area.
On one hand, training camp could solidify this unit, but it could also expose weaknesses as well. If this happened during training camp, this would actually be a very good thing since it gives the team time to address their needs.
We’re five days away from the fun. For those of you frustrated by the Phillies, it couldn’t come at a better time.
