Eagles' offensive line is built for now

The state of the Eagles' offensive line can be understood by looking at who starts at left tackle. Jason Peters, a 34-year-old, 13-year veteran who might one day give an induction speech at the Hall of Fame, is still protecting the quarterback's blind side.

Even though that quarterback will be a rookie, Peters' presence suggests the line is built for this season. When factoring in left guard Allen Barbre, center Jason Kelce, right guard Brandon Brooks, and right tackle Lane Johnson, the Eagles are not waiting for 2018 with this group. It's designed to help keep the quarterback healthy and be a stabilizing force for an offense that lacks explosive players.

The five projected starters combined for 317 career starts. Two are over 30 years old. All have at least four years of experience in the NFL. If the Eagles are in a rebuilding stage, it's not reflected in their meeting room.

"It's very beneficial to have five guys who've been working with each other," Peters said. "We've got good chemistry right now, and I just hope we've got Lane to kick the season off."

That chemistry is expected to be disrupted if Lane Johnson is suspended 10 games for a second violation involving performance-enhancing drugs, as expected. But the suspension had not yet been levied, and the Eagles were entering the season with Johnson as the starting right tackle.

Johnson is supposed to be a cornerstone player for the Eagles. The No. 4 overall pick in 2013, he has started every game he has played with the Eagles and signed a five-year, $56 million contract extension during the offseason. The deal reflects that he'll eventually be the left tackle. But he's not there yet because of Peters, who said he's not the only one confident he can still play at a high level - others are, too.

"What's been most impressive to me about Jason is at his age, just the quickness he still possesses and the athleticism he still possesses," offensive coordinator Frank Reich said. "That's probably why he's going to be one of the all-time greats, and he'll go down as one of the all-time greats and be in the Hall of Fame."

Next to Peters, the Eagles retained Barbre as the starter after he started 16 games last season. Barbre would slide to right tackle during Johnson's suspension. The fact that he's even in the lineup illustrates the team's win-now approach with the offensive line.

Barbre was supposed to compete with veteran Stefen Wisniewski and rookie Isaac Seumalo to be the starting left guard, but the team has kept him as the first-teamer since the spring. Barbre, 32, started his first full season last year.

Johnson, Kelce, and Brooks are all in their primes. The Eagles structured their contracts so they could be starters for an extended period if they remain healthy and play at a high level. Brooks and Kelce are under contract through 2020, and Johnson has a deal through 2021.

One decision where the debate of now vs. later is applicable involves who will start at left guard during a Johnson suspension. Seumalo received the initial nod before a pectoral injury opened an opportunity for Wisniewski. Seumalo was the team's third-round pick and is under contract for four seasons - he would seem to be a player who could be a part of the line's future.

Wisniewski, 27, has started all 77 games in his career, but he's with the Eagles on only a one-year deal. He signed with the expectation that he would have a chance to compete for a starting job before spending most of the summer backing up Brooks at right guard.

The Wisniewski-vs.-Seumalo question is the dilemma of a team trying to be competitive while clearly building for the future: Do the Eagles start the experienced veteran, or the rookie who could be a long-term starter?

"I'd be lying if I told you I wouldn't be disappointed if I was a backup," Wisniewski said.

Even with the age on the line, the young depth on the roster is different from past years. The Eagles went two seasons without drafting a single offensive linemen; they were the only NFL team to do so. The Eagles emphasized the line in their predraft scouting and in their selections this spring. Seumalo was the top pick after Carson Wentz, and they added Halapoulivaati Vaitai as a developmental tackle in the fifth round.

If that wasn't enough, the Eagles also kept undrafted rookie Dillon Gordon and 25-year-old interior lineman Josh Andrews on their initial 53-man roster, giving them 11 offensive lineman. That number might not stick, but it was Howie Roseman's way of trying to keep an eye on the future of a position that has lacked up-and-coming players.

"We wanted to make sure that not only now but going forward, we weren't cutting guys that we have to use a third-, fourth-, and fifth-round pick to replace," said Roseman, the Eagles' executive vice president of football operations. "It was an area of emphasis, and it's important to put your actions where your words are."

In doing so, the Eagles also moved on from veteran backups. Dennis Kelly was traded to Tennessee, and Andrew Gardner was released. Both have been starters with the Eagles. The end result is a starting lineup that is clearly built for this season, but a depth chart that allows the Eagles to try to develop future starters.

The Eagles' starting offensive line might look different -- and be younger -- if they had invested in the position in the draft in recent years. But during Chip Kelly's three seasons with the Eagles, Lane Johnson was the only offensive lineman the team selected. During Andy Reid's 14 seasons, the Eagles averaged 1.8 draft picks per year on offensive linemen, and they drafted 10 in the five years before Kelly's arrival.

The Eagles selected two offensive linemen this year. Of course, some of the Reid-era busts didn't help _ remember Danny Watkins? _ and that's why the pipeline wasn't present when veterans starters such as Todd Herremans and Evan Mathis aged.

Here are the linemen the Eagles have drafted since 2004:

2016: 2 (Isaac Seumalo, 3rd round; Halapoulivaati Vaitai, 5th round)

2015: 0

2014:0

2013: 1 (Lane Johnson, 1st round)

2012: 2 (Dennis Kelly, 5th round; Brandon Washington, 6th round)

2011: 3 (Danny Watkins, 1st round; Julian Vandervelde, 5th round; Jason Kelce, 6th round)

2010: 0

2009: 2 (Fenuki Tupou, 5th round; Paul Fanaika, 7th round. Note: Eagles traded a first-round pick for Jason Peters.)

2008: 3 (Mike McGlynn, 4th round; Mike Gibson, 6th round; King Dunlap, 7th round)

2007: 0

2006: 2 (Winston Justice, 2nd round; Max Jean-Gilles, 4th round)

2005: 3 (Todd Herremans, 4th round; Scott Young, 5th round; Calvin Armstrong, 7th round)

2004: 4 (Shawn Andrews, 1st round; Trey Darilek, 4th round; Adrien Clarke, 7th round; Dominic Furio, 7th round)

zberman@phillynews.com

@ZBerm