Eagles Notebook: Eagles again draft no offensive linemen

IN THE entire Delaware Valley, Allen Barbre, Matt Tobin and Andrew Gardner might have been the three guys happiest with the Eagles' 2015 draft, when it wrapped up Saturday evening.

Barbre is the journeyman guard who was penciled in as Todd Herremans' replacement when the team's longest-serving offensive lineman was sent packing in February. Barbre will turn 31 next month. Tobin and Gardner are the top backups who were pressed into service last season, when injuries decimated the o-line.

Somehow, the Eagles managed to emerge from the three-day draft without having selected an offensive lineman for the second year in a row. This is a first in franchise history, and a huge vote of confidence for the incumbents. The agents for the four undrafted rookie o-linemen whose signings the Eagles have announced no doubt experienced little trouble convincing their clients this was the place to go.

This also is the kind of thing that could lead to disaster not too far down the road, as Chip Kelly was quick to note in his wrap-up news conference.

"I think we're excited about the group we have to go play this season. We do have to address it as we move forward in the future," Kelly said, after explaining that the Eagles wanted to draft for the offensive line, were close to doing so in the second and fourth rounds, but the value didn't quite line up.

"In each round, they were taken before we had an opportunity to pick," Kelly said. "We're going to stick to our board."

The key area seemed to be Saturday's fourth round, when the Eagles were picking 113th. The three teams right in front of them all took o-linemen - Minnesota picked Pitt's T.J. Clemmings, New England chose Florida State's Tre' Jackson, and Washington selected Alabama's Arie Kouandjio. The Eagles then traded their pick to Detroit for a third-rounder in 2016. They used an extra sixth-rounder they received in an earlier trade with Miami on Kansas corner JaCorey Shepherd, one of three corners taken among their six draftees. Kelly said this was needed to correct past neglect of the position.

If you're going to rely on undrafted backups anywhere, the o-line is as good a place as any to do so, especially for a team such as the Eagles whose blocking scheme means some players are useful to them who wouldn't be good fits elsewhere. You can develop o-linemen more easily than, say, quarterbacks. Jason Peters, one of the franchise's all-time greats, entered the league as an undrafted tight end in Buffalo.

This probably only becomes a crisis in 2015 if the relationship between the Eagles and left guard Evan Mathis can't be salvaged. Mathis, who turns 34 in November, is scheduled to make $5.5 million this season and $6 million next season, but since 2013, he has been unhappy with his contract. The last two offseasons, the Eagles have authorized agent Drew Rosenhaus to seek a trade.

One thing we've learned about Kelly, that was reinforced in the draft - he wants people on his team who are "all in," completely focused on team goals. Kelly did not sound happy with Mathis when he was asked about the status of his two-time Pro Bowler.

Kelly said whether Mathis will be here for mandatory minicamp or training camp "is a question for Evan," and when asked about a Mathis trade, he said: "Evan has been available to trade for two years now, and we've never had a trade offer for him."

If the Eagles end up parting with Mathis this year, on top of Herremans, it's hard to envision their o-line not taking a step backward.

Blog: ph.ly/Eagletarian