Newest Eagles expect smooth transition to offensive line

A MAIN TOPIC of discussion this week around the Eagles has been the patchwork offensive line, and how it might fare Monday night in the Indianapolis Colts' retractable dome.

That story line took a twist yesterday when Wade Smith and Dennis Kelly revealed they were splitting first-team practice reps at left guard. This came after coach Chip Kelly praised Smith's quick grasp of the offense yesterday, speaking before Smith's third practice since signing with the Eagles on Tuesday.

Chip Kelly was asked whether he'll have to do anything different offensively, with Dennis Kelly subbing for injured Evan Mathis and Andrew Gardner subbing for injured right tackle Allen Barbre, who was subbing for suspended Lane Johnson.

"You're gonna have two new guys in there, but we feel comfortable with those guys, because they've been in our system," Kelly said. "If we're gonna play Wade, I think, dealing with Wade the last 2 or 3 days, he's got a real good grasp of what we're trying to do. He's a highly intelligent football player. Just really kind of pleasantly surprised when you sit down and visit with him and talk football with him - he's got a real good knowledge of what we're doing, so I don't think it's going to affect how we're calling plays or what we're going to do on game night . . . If we sustain another injury or two, that could become an issue, but right now we don't anticipate that."

Smith, 33, was signed this week after Barbre went on injured reserve and Mathis went on with IR with a designation to return. He was a Pro Bowl guard with the Texans two seasons ago, but wasn't re-signed there this spring and was cut by the Seahawks last month.

It still seems likely that Kelly starts, but it also now seems quite likely that Smith dresses, ahead of undrafted rookie tackle Kevin Graf, and it seems Kelly might not be given a wide margin of error.

Chip Kelly indicated that unless one of his offensive linemen has a nagging injury, he will continue to dress seven, as most teams do, instead of eight. Presumably, the sub o-linemen will be Smith and backup center David Molk, who was pressed into duty at guard Sunday, amid widespread o-line carnage. Matt Tobin (ankle) still has not practiced and won't be playing Monday night.

"They haven't said anything directly," Dennis Kelly said. "Obviously, Wade doesn't have as many reps as the rest of the offensive linemen in this scheme, so we're doing everything we can to be sure that if he has to go in, he's ready."

Kelly definitely is treasuring what should be his first start since the 2012 season finale. He underwent preseason back surgery last year, made it back to practice early in the season, but has never been active for a game under Chip Kelly and offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland.

"It's good, obviously, after the back surgery to get the shot, and show that you still have it. To be able to play on 'Monday Night Football' is exciting, to be able to play in a real game is exciting," Kelly said.

Dennis Kelly agreed with Chip Kelly that Smith has "picked it up very quickly . . . He's picked up all the little things, too. He's getting everything thrown at him, whereas I've had 2 years, things added here and there, tweaked here and there, and he's had it all at once . . . He's done the extra work to catch up. He's a good football player. He's good physically, he's good with his hands."

How the reconstituted line will play Monday might be the biggest Eagles variable, if you believe quarterback Nick Foles will put behind him the opener's strange first-half sleepwalk. If Gardner, making his first NFL start at age 28, and Kelly, starting (presumably) at left guard for the first time, can sync well with left tackle Jason Peters, center Jason Kelce and right guard Todd Herremans, the three-point underdog Eagles would seem to stand an excellent chance of winning. But the line is a huge variable.

"It's a lot" to learn quickly, Smith agreed. "But at the same time, it's not my first rodeo."

Smith seems best suited to zone-blocking schemes, such as what the Eagles run. "Zone blockers have to be athletic and smart. I think that's two of my biggest attributes," Smith said.

The Eagles might have less trouble with offensive line synchronization in a loud environment than some teams, since they rely on signals relayed visually from the sideline. Of course, the snap can still be affected. Really fast defensive linemen on artificial turf seem to do especially well when lined up against inexperienced blockers who aren't afforded that extra jump off the ball they have at home, listening to the signals.

Herremans said the Eagles were a good silent-count team last season. Of course, last season, the same five offensive linemen started every game.

"It's kind of a standard routine for us," Herremans said. "Some of the o-linemen actually get off the ball better on the silent count, because we practice it . . . I wouldn't say it's an issue at all, actually."

Chip Kelly said he feels comfortable with Trey Burton as an emergency running back. But he said if Chris Polk's hamstring situation lingers beyond this week, the team won't be relying on the fourth tight end's versatility indefinitely.

Polk acknowledged he suffered a setback last week, "just a little tweak," pressing to get ready for the opener, which he sat out.

The new changes in the NFL drug policy won't affect Lane Johnson's four-game suspension, Chip Kelly said yesterday, echoing team player rep DeMeco Ryans' words from earlier in the week. Only penalties for marijuana and Adderall apparently are being changed. Johnson has not said what he tested positive for, only that it was something he took for a medical condition. Evidently, it wasn't marijuana or Adderall.

Chip Kelly talked about adding Frank Kosman, a former senior ACC replay official, to the Eagles' staff to help him decide which plays to challenge.

"Just wanted to get better at every aspect," he said.

Kelly was 3-for-7 on challenges last season and lost one in the opener against Jacksonville.

"I analyze everything after the season, how do we improve on what we did the year before," Kelly said. "I thought that was the way to go."

Kelly mused that the available replays vary quite a bit, especially for road teams.

"It's very, very interesting that we never get an opportunity sometimes" to see a replay before the next snap, he said. "We're not going to guess on what we saw."

Kelly alluded to two games last season in which timely replays were not available to the Eagles, and calls that should have been challenged weren't.

Fletcher Cox said he was fined a little less than $16,537 - not for the alleged horse-collar tackle that really wasn't, but for hitting Jacksonville quarterback Chad Henne above the neck area, on another play. Cox said he's appealing . . . Wide receiver Josh Huff (shoulder) remains sidelined.