Question marks surround knee surgery for Eagles' Justice

Eagles right tackle Winston Justice will have surgery Tuesday to "clean out" his left knee, according to a team spokesman.

If that's all that's needed, Justice should be fine for the 2011 season. But if anything more is found, the Eagles will have to face even bigger questions about protecting Michael Vick's blind side in 2011.

Renowned orthopedist James Andrews will perform the surgery in Alabama. A report in the Wilmington News Journal said it's possible that Justice could need microfracture surgery, depending on what the knee looks like Tuesday.

But an Eagles spokesman called reports about the next step "speculatory," noting that it's impossible to know for sure what else might be needed until after the surgery.

Justice hurt his left knee in Week 13 against the Houston Texans. At the time, coach Andy Reid said it was a hyperextension; Justice wrote in his Daily News column that an MRI exam showed no structural damage.

Justice, who in 2009 signed a four-year contract extension, missed two games and struggled as the season wound down. He was benched late in the Eagles' wild-card loss to the Green Bay Packers after drawing three penalties on two plays.

He did not respond Monday to a request for comment.

Even with Justice in the lineup, the Eagles struggled in pass protection last season.

Regardless of his condition, the team is likely to look for help on the offensive line in the draft or through free agency after they allowed the third-highest sack total in the NFL last season.

Last year, the Eagles did not disclose defensive end Victor Abiamiri's microfracture surgery, then used two of their first three draft picks on other ends.

Assistant coach exits. Less than two weeks after being named assistant offensive coordinator, James Urban has left the Eagles to move to Cincinnati, where he will coach the Bengals' wide receivers.

Urban had been the Eagles' quarterbacks coach for the last two seasons, although offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg handled much of the coaching at the position. When Urban was moved to his new job, the team said it would give him the opportunity to work with a variety of positions.

Doug Pederson, a longtime NFL backup and Eagles offensive quality-control coach, was named as quarterbacks coach at the same time as Urban's move to assistant offensive coordinator.