Eagles head coach Andy Reid revealed during his series of interviews after picking Baylor offensive lineman, Danny Watkins, that he’s not totally committed to Watkins playing right guard for the football team. Reid said Watkins may wind up playing left guard. The coach emphasized the rookie’s versatility in that he’s able to play either guard position and possibly each tackle position in the future.
Putting the rookie at left guard would mean shaking up the Eagles offensive line. Reid didn’t commit to it, but he admitted to leaving the door open to the possibility.
This shake up would mean that the current starting left guard, Todd Herremans would be moved to the right tackle position in place of last year’s starting right tackle Winston Justice. This could be the line up on the offensive line, if the CBA gets done and the team undergoes any OTA’s (Official Team Activities) or mini-camps, because Justice can’t workout right now.
Justice, the Birds starting right tackle a year ago, underwent knee surgery a month or so ago, but he’s still not running on the leg. He’s rehabilitating it and says it’s coming along well, but there’s no telling when he’s going to be ready to play.
Reid has said that Justice, whom he benched in the playoff game against the Green Bay Packers, will have to compete for the starting
right tackle spot with backup, King Dunlap. Now talk has surfaced regarding Herremans making the move form left guard to right tackle.
Earlier this week and last week, I talked to Herremans and he said nothing about moving from left guard to right tackle, so I don’t think Reid has made his mind up about it.
There are numerous versions regarding Justice’s benching during the Green Bay game. Some say the main problem with Justice during that game was the fact that he was playing on an injured knee and couldn’t brace himself to withstand a bullrush from Pro Bowl outside linebacker Clay Matthews. Others say Justice just isn’t good enough to get the job done over there and the benching during the playoff game was merely evidence of that fact.
This will be one of the questions going forward.
stupid idea…Herremans is staying at LG…..we dont need another hole on the interior line.
Jott, a whole on the exterior is worse. With watkins and mcglynn, or watkins and justice at guard, which is easier than tackle, we could potentially be better off than having justice at RT… I will trust what mudd does
justice not that good without the bum knee, this watkins pick gives eagles needed versatility, he might end up at tackle as well, solid, smart pick, but schill, why do you always “trust”, you are perfect sheep for eagles propaganda, obama care, etc
Jott, where would the hole be? They have mcglynn, peters, herramans,watkins,jamaal jackson (coming off injury) they now have depth… I don’t see the hole Jott
I’ve never been that high on Justice and I suspect that Andy is more comfortable with Herremans playing his natural position which is tackle and keeping Watkins on the Left side would make the transition to guard easier for him. People need to remember that if we had kicked Herremans out to RT last year we would have had to play MJG and Nick Cole at both guard spots. I think everyone can agree that McGlynn did a nice job at center last year which even during training camp I thought he he did enough to win that starting center position from day one. JJ went down early in the season so we didn’t have the flexibility along the O Line because McGlynn had to step in and play center. Now is a different story. I don’t know how you can keep McGlynn off the field when JJ returns to center. The most logical place would be his natural position Guard. I personally feel a whole lot more comfortable with the Oline situation knowing that McGlynn knows all the line calls as does Herremans. The Right side is entirely more stable than it was a year ago.
No Way,
With the foot problems Herreman’ has had the last couple of seasonsm, his mobility and lateral movement has been limited .H erremans is a Guard, now in an emergency, he could slike of for a game or 2 but I think it was pretty evident last year that wehenever Peters/Dunlap was injured, It was back-up OT K Dunlap comign in and playing the OT position..
I think the 2011 OL Looks like this
LT Peters, LG Herremans , C Jackson , RG Watkins RT Justice
(If Jackson is still hurting or out of shape, then McGlynn in for Jackson)
IF W Justice loses confidence and doesn’t play well in camp
then LT Peters, LG Herremans, C Jackson, RG McGlynn, RT Watkins
Idk why everyone is so overly concerned about the oline… andy does good with that as well as cleaning a dinner plate, but time management, playcalling,press conferences are his weak spots… everybody relax
eagles still lack a playmaker in this defense. There is not ONE difference maker on this defense. In this league no one wins a championship with out a guy who dominates. The kids we drafted could be good but whats the chance of them coming in their rookie year and dominating? This draft to me is so irrelevant cause I dont think they bought in any guys that can make a huge difference. The key to our season lies in free agency.
To Verde,Viinchi.
I think you are forgetting about the ‘Canadien Clipper” DE Phillip Hunt..
He will end up with a team leading 12 Sacks this 2011Season
CB Samuel is the Eagles Difference maker,but they need to add anotheron in the secondary and along the DL..
To J Hart
Didn’t this Eagles OL gave up almost 50 Sacks last year with one of the most athletic/best scrambling QB’s ever to play the game behind it..
How many do you think Vick escaped from that most QB’s would not have,
At least 2-3 more times a game at least, this Eagles OL could have given up 75 Sacks which is crazy bad….
AR most important statement came last night. He eluded to when FA occur we will be active. I believe our starting RT probably isnt on the team right now. There is noway the Eagles go into this season”hoping” MV7 blind side is protectected. Thats the #1 priority on this whole team.No MV7 = no wins. There are 500 FA and I gotta believe a mid level up grade over Justice will be brought in. Also our starting RCB isnt on the team eithier. Asomugha is probably their target. IMO I believe Marsh is Samuels replacement in 2 years. I look for a starting RT, RCB and another dlineman(possibly Babin) to be our FA aqusitions.
I believe cb nnamdi is coming to philly and saint RT jermon bushrod are eagles targets in free agency and keep eye out for Vikings de ray Edwards…
Paulman, Dont we still have that guard Wells from Arizona? I know he couldnt get on the field last year but i believe thats because when he did they put him at RG, I know at Arizona he was a LG and was very productive, I think if they make this move with Herremans they should keep Watkins at the position they drafted him for (RG) and try Wells or somebody else at LG, I’d really wish they dont even try this and leave things the way they are, As the saying goes, If its not broke dont fix it !
Jamaal Jackson is coming back and the Eagles will probably pick up another offensive lineman.
See Crystal ball Andy is usually 1 – 3 years behind the need curve.
It took at least 3 years or more to get the WRs the fans and eventually McNabb Demanded.
It took a couple of years of superslow Reno Mahe and a opening season lost to address Kick Returner.
Every diehard Eagle fan knew last year we should have drafted an offensive lineman after the 2 Dallas nightmares. (not crystal ball) he saw something else.
Every diehard Eagles fan knew that putting faith in Ellis Hobbs and Torn ACL guy in the secondary was a mistake. (not crystal ball) he saw something else.
You start a left handed QB and you have a scrub who could not start his senior year for Auburn and a bust protecting him at right tackle. First play of the Green Bay play-off game should summarize that decision.
So this year Crystal ball will address the things Every fan saw was needed last year. At least he’s cutting down his response time. Of course the firing of most of you coaching staff will knock a little of that stubborness away.
Crystal Ball will put together a good offensive line this year. Vick is his meal ticket to staying in Philadelphia. That’s why they drafted that 80 year old offensive lineman. His 30th birthday will be about the time Vick will be burned out in Andy’s get the QB killed, “no play action threat” offense.
Herrimans not moving to tackle the eagles will pickup jermon bushrod from the saints, herrimans will stay at LG with Watkins at RG…
Paul, I’ve considered all the stats but throw them in the garbage. They had inconsistencies bc there were injuries all along the line… the biggest injury they had was at the center spot jamaal jackson that was a huge blow…now there all relatively healthy
Look at the effect losing a center had on the steelers… the center does a lot on that line and that’s where all our trouble began… that’s not to say they won’t get a RT in FA
ActionJackson10, That sounds good to me, I can live with that!
To Andrews,
Eagle OL that are free-agents and not under contract are the Following
Reggie Wells, Nick Cole and MJ Gilles,
I only see the Eagles offering a Contract to 1 pf these players and it’s probably MJG since he can play left and right Guard,.. Nick Cole has that continual Knee Swelling issue and has eaten himself out of shapre and out of a postion.. If he were Healthier and in better condition, I think the Eagles would keep Cole since he can also play Center, but he came into camp last season as the probable Starter for Center (due to Jacksons injury) and was out of shape, not ready enough to handle it and then injured his knee..many in the organization were very disappointed that COle didn’t sieze the opportunity that was in front of him so Cole is done and Wells really struggled to pick-up the Eagles Offense and Pass-Protection schemes for Eagles to offer him another contract and he’s over 30 years old now ..
Look for the Eagles to Draft another C/G Type of player..Maybe a Brandon Fusco from Slippery Rock or S O’Dowd from USC or a T Barnes from Missouri or even that Center from Syracuse .. J Jackson is on his last legs and may have 1-2 Seasons left and I am not even sure about that…
Hart-“Idk why everyone is so overly concerned about the oline”
are you kidding me? did you watch vick run for his life last year? Did you see kolb get smeared every time he dropped back? RCB was the #1 problem last year- the right side of our Oline was #1 b.
im hoping we are draafting all of this for depth. The birds should grab a CB when FA finally arrives. My guess is that the birds already have a wink wink deal in place. It appears that our buddy McNabb will be moving to MN with the wink wink deal the skins and vikes have. Man i cant wait till this mess is over.
If Kold played all 16 games, He would have been sackd 60-70 times..
Not only Center, but RG was a revolving door for most of the Season,
Blame injuries, schemes, or just plain talent, but the bottom line is that the C/G and even RT by the end of the season were very inconsistent, thoguh I did see McGlynn improve as the season went along at C while the RG and RT got worse. I also would not be so quick to assumet that J Jackson at CEnter is goign to return 100%. The man hasn;t played a down since early Dec of 2009 (except for the 1st Quarter of the last seasons opener when he s rushed into service and not in shape to play by Coach AR and then tore his Pectoral Muscle in overcompensated for his injured knee) I was very hardh on Coach AR for rushing C J Jackson back last year and I think it was the downfall of their OL and I think Coach Reid felt he had to do it since NIck Cole didn’t sieze his opportunity and came into camp in poor shape physically and mentally but that’s another story for another time
I think they will draft a Center in the late rounds to groom for the future and possibly have McGlynn switch to Guard down the road
It’s already been talk about in NFL circles, when free agency starts eagles will go after jermon bushrod from the saints and nnamdi from the raiders.. I do remember eagles saying that they will have impact offseason to improve there team, all this stem from being Beat by the greenbay packers…
@ Paulman if that were to be the case with Herremans (foot) then there would be no decision to make regarding the LG position. Reid would have shut down immediately the talk of Watkins at LG but he do that at all.
Analogy: It’s like giving Castillio a shot on Defense. He wasn’t going to do that unless he had a coach of the same caliber to step in for him on the O line. Why would you take Herremans and move him from a position that he’s played well at a high level and move him to tackle if you don’t have a suitable backup at that position? You immediately weaken the interior of your o line. They now have the flexibility to do it. Herremans foot is an issue but he got through all of last season and it could be behind him. It’s no different than Justices knee issue. Can’t play tackle without bending your knees.
Action, I keep hearing the same two names too… that would upgrade two key positions RT and Corner…
Paul, drafting a center makes sense… thiis would b the yr they do it
Good points Tberry
It could also be a way of Coach AR of motivating Herremans too..
He’s been a good solid player over the years and has returned a lot of good football for being a 5th Round Pick from a Div II school in Michigan.
But like with any player, sometimes as the Coach ,you have to plant the seed that their will be competition for your position to bring out your A game..
Stevo I said that bc andy does a great job there, every yr. He can spot a olineman a mile away, just like he can spot a buffet restaurant a mile away..
By the start of the season the starting oline will be legit, itt always is… he can’t control injuries
im not so sure Jhart. Andrews did not really pan out. Justice is up in the air. Peters has been solid but not the best LT in the game. The other drafts have been mostrly backups. Bringing Stacy andrews did nothing for us. I wouldnt say our oline has been that great over the years. When we had Runyan and Co we were good but that wasnt all andys doing..
@ Paulman agreed. I think overall they have some player that they can work with. Watkins and McGlynn are upgrades over Cole and MJG. If you can grab Fusco today I think you have some players that can be the building blocks for an excellent O line.
Stevo, you better believe that andy is the one that picks these guys, he’s a former olineman he knows what it takes to play the position. Andrews sisters were out of his control, peters is one of the best LT in the league, was he not a probowler again?
i was wrong about Runyan- he signed under andy. But tra was a pre reid draft pick. Im sorry but i do not think weve had dominant Olines for the most part. Do you really think Justice is amazing? Peters made the pro bowl but does anyone here really even think the pro bowl is a true award? I dont. He has alot of false starts.
Im not saying that andy cant pick olineman… and i do like the pick this year BUT.. lets not make it sound like they lead the league in rushing yards and that our QB’s never get hit.
and dont give me this crap about andy not being able to control injuries. he keeps signing these guys with cronic probs. Stacy Andrews for example was a bad idea if you dont have someone to back him up when he goes down. JJ… has had probs for years… maybe its time we dont expect him to recover. Im not trying to slam andy but lets not call him the god of the Oline either. Ill give you Andy and qb’s but lets settle down about the oline. Threy sucked this past year.
im glad Mudd is here and i think we will be better. They need depth… and not depth that can rotate everything. Im tired of hearing that our RG can also play C and if needed RT. Its a great idea but these guys are not studs at anyspot. Just ok anywhere. The left side is tied down. I like the new RG. Now go and get a RT. Keep Justice around because we know there will be injuries.
Casey matthews is Philadelphia eagle!!!!!!
I told you guys eagles was going draft him…
I DON’T GIVE A HOOT ABOUT ANYONE ELSE WE GOT THE GUY I TARGETED FOR MONTHS GUYS OUR DEFENSE WILL BE GREAT HE’S A WILDMAN JUST LIKE HIS BROTHER
LMAO…He is not Clay
Eagles might have drafted David Akers replacement
The birds have an A in my eyes so far there addressing every need they had… they now got one of the most accuratekickers in the draft alex henry
We will fill big needs in free agency RT jermon bushron and cb nnamdi… We drafted mikell replacement and David Akers replacement lol…
Alex Henry guy is good kicker and he is from cold weather team…
heard on WIP Jason Babin is following Washburn to Philly when free agency begins…. thus, they didnt address DE in the draft…. WOW…
I can’t believe they took a K in round 4 when Devon House is on the board.
the Eagles did address every need except DE, however, just because they filled those needs, doesnt make it a successful draft… Jarrett & Marsh are not playmakers.
Jarrett is definitely mikell replacement Curtis marsh will be are nickel cb, nnamdi will come in and start for us… I thing eagles are done drafting little cb that trend is changing quickly…
@jott we drafted the best kicker coming out for a reason and eagles are seeing that they need get bigger at cb…
Jott, your the bearer of bad news… debbie downer status… both can play jarrett and marsh… f outta here man check there stats man,
These giants fans gotta stay off this site
I think a rb is coming off the board in round 5 for eagles…
So i guess everyone is done crying about the mauler we got on the o-line. I love the safety we drafted. Saw him play a few times and dude lays lumber. Nice angles and recognizes the routes quickly. Marsh is a nickel in a year or two. They’ll let Lindley start first. Matthews…how did he make it too the 4th?
If you don’t like this draft there having your not looking big picture. I dont care if they drafted a kicker. Akers is ghost.Guess there goin FA for pass rush guys?Whadday athink?
Here is the list of guys I know eagles will target in free agency cb nnamdi, RT jermon bushrod and DE ray edwards…
Great draft. My personal favorite pick was casey matthews. Had a great senior bowl week, instinctive, aggressive, will get bigger and stronger as he goes… this draft is a A grade so far
Kevin kolb trade is already in place next year 1st round pick, things may work out in are favor because next years draft will have way better players coming out…
There goes rb that I called in 5th round..