Who makes the cut: Offensive line
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Who makes the cut: Offensive line
Jeff McLane
The three-week slog through training camp is over as the Eagles left Lehigh University on Tuesday and returned to Philadelphia to resume preparations for the season. Practices resume on Thursday at the NovaCare Complex as coach Andy Reid continues the process of weeding out the players that won’t make the 53-man roster.
In 12 days every NFL team must pare its roster from 90 players to 80. Over that span – excluding weekends – we’ll take a look at each position and predict who stays and who goes. Final cuts are on Aug. 31. Here's the lineup:
Wed, Aug. 15: Offensive line
Thur., Aug. 16: Defensive tackles
Fri., Aug. 17: Cornerbacks
Mon., Aug. 20: Running backs
Tues., Aug. 21: Wide receivers / tight ends
Wed., Aug. 22: Linebackers
Thur., Aug. 23: Safeties
Fri., Aug. 24: Quarterbacks / Specialists
Mon., Aug. 27: Defensive ends
We start our journey on the offensive line where there are fewer questions than a year ago when Howard Mudd remade the group. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a little haze after the starting five.
LIKELY TO KEEP: 8-9.
WHO STAYS: Demetress Bell, King Dunlap, Todd Herremans, Jason Kelce, Dennis Kelly, Evan Mathis, Justin Vandervelde, Danny Watkins.
WHO GOES: Mike Gibson, D.J. Jones, Alfred McCullough, Dallas Reynolds, Steve Vallos, Brandon Washington, Thomas Welch.
If they can, the Eagles will keep only eight offensive linemen. I think that’s the number because whoever is the backup interior lineman will also be asked to swing at both guard positions and center. That is essentially the one spot up for grabs and it looks like any one of four could claim it. I’m going with Vandervelde – a 2011 fifth round pick -- right now, although I could change my mind when I select a final 53. The second-year linemen did not play well in the preseason opener, so he has to show something over the next two weeks. His competition – especially Dallas Reynolds – did not fare so well either against the Steelers. Reynolds has been taking most of the repetitions with the second team at center, but he hasn’t come close to putting a stamp on the spot. Gibson and Vallos have more experience than either and could leap ahead of both, but they haven’t really stood out yet. This battle still has a ways to go.
Kelly is a project, but the Eagles like what they see so far. He’ll remain on the roster. Dunlap is currently starting at left tackle, but I think the Eagles will likely work Bell back up to the first team by the opener. Dunlap is a versatile backup having started at both tackle spots and left guard in the NFL. It’s tough to get a read on Washington. He’s been out for a while with a concussion. He looks destined for the practice squad.
good one bedpan, needed a laugh.— camasbud- WITH THE TEAM BEING SO MISMANAGED BY LAURIE/REID AND THE GUYS PAID TO COVER THE TEAM BEING BARELY COMPETENT, THERE ISN'T MUCH A FAN CAN DO BUT HAVE A LAUGH OR TWO. YOU KNOW THINGS ARE BAD WHEN SOME OF THE COMMENTERS (E,G., CHARLIEGARNER, NUGGET, GUYGUY, SEWELL, AVGWHTGUY, BABY GORILLA AND A FEW OTHERS) KNOW MORE ABOUT THE NFL THEN TEAM MANAGEMENT AND THE PAID SCRIBES. — bedpan
- bedpan=moron— DogBiscuitthedope
- DogBiscuitthedope < MORON. STOP EATING THE GREEN DOG BISCUITS AND BE A MAN!!!! — bedpan
- And where have you gone Winston Justice.— watsonmr
- Soem of you need to get a life ... so do I if I read your idiotic comments ...— petergou
- That beard gives Kelce an extra 10 pounds and helps obscure the view of D-linemen.— urbnasty
- #62 Jeremiah Johnson— cm3737
- Pre Season games???— dwilly
- I need to see Vick get the ball out quicker on the blitz. I'd also like to see a hurry-up package installed that he can call at certain points in the game. This would help the O-line a lot. It doesn't help that Vick is only 6' tall. He has trouble seeing the whole field, misses open receivers, and gets too many balls batted. Left tackle is a problem. If King Dunlap is the best the Eagles can do at LT, they are in trouble.— cletisvandam
- Most guys do the roster in one article. But you guys are so devoid of good article ideas that you have to stretch it out for two weeks. Shel Kapadia who was the only really good writer you had has already written two articles - each projecting the whole 53 man roster. He will do this several more times before the final cuts are made. I guess there is some institutional reason why the newspaper writers are so inferior to the bloggers. Why don't you write an article as to the reasons for that. It would be interesting, I think to a lot of your readers.— izzylangfan
- --izzy- - Got to disagree with you here; this year the roster position battles are so tight (and competitive) that it’s nice to see them broken out and nuanced for folks to read in detail. I haven’t had a chance to watch as much of the Training Camp footage as I would have liked, so to read up on the individual battles that are taking place daily is a plus.
Don’t know if you’ve had a chance to catch any of the news on the Giants’ D-Line troubles, but they are decimated along their front D-Line – Love that! So our choices at DT/DE could matter within our own division. I do however miss Shel.
— Laughingaloud123 - Reading every word in caps is annoying. Capping some words for emphasis, like TommyGunn did, is appropriate.— P Even
- i predict our o-line will be number 1 this year just you wait and see— forbes_rory
- Not in love with kelce, mathis is only here because danny watkins can't play...this line is in trouble from what i have seen. at least foles can take a hit, maybe a bit of foreshadowing during the pats game.— otown philly fan
