There’s been an understanding amongst most Eagles fans and media members who cover the team that the Birds would address their problems on the right side of the offensive line early in the draft. Philly.com talked to Reid today at the NFL owners meetings in New Orleans this morning and he said some things that lead us to believe that right guard position will be a focus of the draft.
Reid expressed confidence in right tackle Winston Justice and his backup King Dunlap. There had been questions about Justice because he had been benched after a couple of penalties during the second half of the Green Bay playoff game.
“I’m comfortable with Winston,” Reid said. “You know what was pleasantly – not a surprise – it was a pleasant improvement was King Dunlap. I thought he really improved and showed that he’s a legitimate contender for that spot.”
Reid said there would be a competition of sorts for that starting right tackle position, but seemed to lean toward Justice as the starter.
“Listen, I’m going to tell you there’s always competition,” Reid told the Philly.com reporters. “So I’d tell you, yes. But I think Winston ended up playing hurt last year and still did a pretty good job. There’s always competition. I think that’s one spot that there’s a good 
competition for.”
You could tell that Reid didn’t endorse anybody at the right guard position. According to Philly.com, Reid mentioned Mike McGlynn as a candidate for the right guard spot and Dunlap.
“King could play right guard,” Reid said. “Michael might hit him in the back of the head. We’ve put him in there and he did very well.”
I don’t think Andy really feels comfortable with either McGlynn or Dunlap starting at the guard position.
McGlynn at right guard would hamper the Eagles screen game. A team like the Eagles which loves to run screens, need to have good athletes at the guard position. McGlynn is too slow to get out in front of LeSean McCoy and block quick defensive players in the open field.
Dunlap is too tall and doesn’t have enough strength and drive in his lower body to withstand the bull rushes he will see at the right guard position.
All this sounds like the right guard position is going to be addressed in the draft.
This article is very interesting. I will say this that all of the screen plays the eagles ran mostly were from the peters/heremans side and teams began to pick up on that, when the eagles had a stellar oline teams didn’t know which side the screen was coming from. So the eagles may very well address the oline in the draft I just doubt that they will address it with the 1st ovr pick. Maybe if they get two first rounders or maybe in the 2nd round but the very first pick I highly doubt it.
Andy is a offensive line guru, he prides himself on turning undrafted Free agents into legit starter on the oline, making key trades or signing highly regarded olinemen (Jason peters, jon runyan). So I don’t really worry about the offensive line andy does good with that, guys just need to stay healthy
good point EBG
Pouncey please
for the record- The eagles screen game is an after thought anymore. They dont do it as nearly as often as they used to and its a shame. Back in the day they used a little shuffel (or is it shuvvel) pass down near the endzone. They need to use it more and use it all over the field too. That should basically be their run game since they wont run. They need to run some small screens to the flats too. Maybe they dont do it anymore cause of their current roster… i dont know… but it needs to be fixed.
Competition for a starting job signals an absence of a player with true starting caliber talent at the position.
@med776 or the presence of 2 true starting caliber players
On the RG factor, of course McGlynn isn’t in the running. He will be the C. Make no mistake about that. He will “beat” JJ in camp and that will be it.
Well, Justice and Dunlap is as good as gone. Reid said that he is confident with them, which means that he is looking to replace them. That is how Reid has been doing it as of late.
Comfortable my ass. You know he’s going to draft an OT for the right side. End of story.
rtb, I hope you are right!
Pouncey would be a fine pick. Strong and mobile. It would be refreshing to actually pick a guard to play guard. Carmini would be my second choice.
I would say Pouncey’s the 1st Choice and then Carimi..
If both are off the board already, then I see the Eagles trading down, perhaps to the Raiders who don’t have a 1st Round Selection..