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Who makes the Eagles roster: Offensive line

The Eagles have to narrow their roster to 75 players by next Tuesday and to 53 by Sept. 3. Here's a look at each position as final cutdown day looms:

Aug 23: Offensive line
Aug. 24: Defensive line
Aug. 25: Linebacker
Aug. 26: Wide receiver/tight end
Aug. 29: Running back
Aug. 30: Defensive back
Aug. 31: Quarterback/specialist

OFFENSIVE LINE

LIKELY TO KEEP: 9

WHO STAYS

Jason Peters, Jason Kelce, Brandon Brooks, Allen Barbre, Isaac Seumalo, Stefen Wisniewski, Matt Tobin, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Andrew Gardner

Lane Johnson's impending 10-game suspension means that one lucky soul who otherwise wasn't likely to make the 53-man roster will get a reprieve. That is, assuming, the Eagles don't swing a trade or pick up a castoff when teams trim their rosters on Sept. 3. I have Andrew Gardner as the ninth man right now – or Halapoulivaati Vaitai if the last spot is the least likely lineman the Eagles will play in case of emergency. I came very close to keeping undrafted rookie Dillon Gordon on the team (and still might change my mind). He's a virtual shoo-in to make the practice squad. The question is whether the Eagles feel secure enough to hide him there. Gordon, mostly an unheralded blocking tight end at LSU, has popped on film. There are likely a few teams willing to gamble and pluck him off the Eagles' taxi squad and onto their 53. Gordon, who has practiced at guard and tackle, has position versatility, too. The Eagles have increasingly used him as a fullback.

But with Johnson likely out until late November, the Eagles will need some experience on the bench, especially if they keep Vaitai on the active roster. Gardner has struggled at tackle this preseason. He did fine at guard last season and even opened the season as the starting right guard over Matt Tobin until a season-ending foot injury. Gardner clearly feels more comfortable inside. But he'll need to be comfortable at both tackle and guard if he's to make the team as a reserve. Gardner also recently took a paycut, which indicates that the Eagles are preparing for the possibility of keeping him. Vaitai has looked very raw. If he wasn't a fifth-round draft pick, the Eagles might be inclined to store him on the practice squad. They still might. But they should have room on the roster for the 6-foot-6, 320-pound project.

As for the starting five, as it stands now, Jason Peters opens the season as the Eagles' left tackle for the seventh season out of the last eight (he missed 2012 with a torn Achilles). Peters missed a week or so of camp with a quad injury, and the Eagles have been extra careful not to push the 34-year old during camp. He spends about 10 minutes at the start of every practice going through a specialized stretching routine. Peters looks about as heavy as he ever has looked, but he said he consciously came in at around 340 pounds. The Eagles would probably be satisfied if he was healthy enough for 12-14 games.

Jason Kelce begins his sixth season as the opening-day starting center. He had a dismal start to last season, but rebounded down the stretch. Nevertheless, he has something to prove this season. The Eagles went out and signed a right guard in Brandon Brooks who should help Kelce in the interior. Brooks missed the first two weeks of camp with a hamstring injury. He hasn't exactly stood out, but I will reserve judgment on the vet until the season starts. Allen Barbre shifts from left guard to right tackle in place of Johnson. Barbre hasn't hidden the fact that he is more comfortable inside. He was slated to replace Johnson for the first four games of the 2014 season, but he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the opener.

The No. 1 question mark heading into the season is whether rookie Isaac Seumalo can hold the fort at left guard. The Eagles are giving the third-round pick every opportunity, even though Stefen Wisniewski has significantly more experience (77 career starts). This isn't a repeat of the Danny Watkins situation from five years ago. Seumalo is a football-smart rookie – unlike Watkins. But he is far from a finished product and the Eagles might have to be willing to accept some blunders in the early going if they're committed to starting him from Day 1.

Wisniewski would be the first guard off the bench and Kelce's backup. He isn't flashy, but he's reliable, particularly as a run blocker. Tobin, who has looked more at ease at tackle than at guard, will back up Peters and Barbre, at least until Johnson returns.

WHO GOES

Lane Johnson, Dillon Gordon, Josh Andrews, Barrett Jones, Darrell Greene

Johnson won't count against the 53-man roster when and if he gets suspended. He has to stay away from team facilities until he's reinstated. Even when he does return, it might be tricky to slide him back into his spot after so much time missed. Josh Andrews has hung around the Eagles – either on the 53-man roster or the practice squad – the last two years. He's capable, but Wisniewski has all but made him expendable. Barrett Jones was added in the middle of last season, but his days here appear to be over. The Eagles gave Darrell Greene the most amount of guaranteed money for an undrafted rookie, but he has paled in comparison to Gordon.