2019 Eagles Preview: Interior Offensive Line
This preview will be combining the guards and the centers. The Eagles have two pro-bowlers in this position group in center Jason Kelce and right guard Brandon Brooks.
While Brooks is currently nursing a torn Achilles, an injury that occurred in their playoff loss to the Saints in January, the hope is that he will be ready by week 1. Along with two high-end starters, they have a solid starter in left guard Isaac Seumalo and quality backup option in Stefen Wisnewski. Behind them is second-year guard Matt Pryor, who impressed in training camp last year but struggled in the pre-season.
Brandon Brooks
Brooks is entering the 4th year of his 5-year 40 million contract he signed in 2016. He has been well worth the money, as he made the pro bowl the past two seasons after an up and down first year where he admittedly struggled with anxiety. Heading into 2019 Brooks is still recovering from his torn achilles mentioned earlier. So far so good in his recovery, though. He tore it just over 6 months ago but has already returned to practice on a limited basis. Many expected he would begin camp on the PUP (Physically unable to perform) list, but alas that was not the case.
While it is a positive sign Brooks avoided the PUP, he still has a long way to go to be ready to play in a real game. At the time of this writing the Eagles have had 4 training camp practices and he has yet to participate in team drills. Brooks has stated all off-season that he expects to play in week 1, but, as a team with Super Bowl aspirations, it would not be surprising if the Eagles held him out the first couple weeks of the season to try to keep him fresh for a stretch run in the playoffs. Once he does return, the Eagles are hoping he can return to his pro bowl form. Luckily, the guard position is one of the easier positions to return from this type of injury since it doesn’t rely on the same quick-twitch movements that the skill positions do.
Jason Kelce
Kelce was a warrior last year, as he started all 16 games but dealt with 3 major injuries. After the season ended Kelce admitted that he played through a grade 2 MCL sprain, a broken foot, and a torn ligament in his elbow. Because of these injuries Kelce did not play as well in 2018 as he did in 2017, when he was named first team All-Pro by the Associated Press. He was still rated highly by PFF, who gave him the highest rating for all centers in the NFL with an 83.6 grade. Although, he had a grade of 93.9 in 2017. Kelce, who is now 31, is fully recovered from his previous ailments and is expecting to have another banner year.
There was a report in the off-season that Kelce was contemplating retirement, but he ultimately decided to return with a fresh 3 year deal keeping him under contract through the 2021 season. Kelce admitted that he will be year-to-year going forward, but with the new contract the Eagles are hoping he’ll stick around until the end of it. Earlier in his career there was fear that Kelce was an injury risk. He missed 14 games with a torn ACL in 2012, and in 2014 he missed 4 games with a sports hernia. Since 2014, though, he has been an iron man and played in every game, including playoffs.
Isaac Seumalo
Seumalo bounced back nicely in 2018 after having a poor 2017 season in which he got benched after week 2. He was by no means a high end starter, ending the season with a 62.1 grade, but he showed improvement. The Eagles rewarded him in the off-season with a modest 3 year extension keeping him under contract until 2023. While Seumalo likely won’t be a pro-bowler like Brooks and Kelce, he is a valuable piece to have on an offensive line. The reason for this is because he is good enough to be a starter at guard, but can also slide out to tackle without being a complete liability. He is not someone you’d want as a full time starter at tackle, but when the Eagles have suffered injuries at the position he was able to play right tackle at a passable level.
The 4th year product out of Oregon State was originally drafted to be the center of the future for the Eagles, but since Kelce has shown no signs of slowing down Seumalo has found a home at guard. Some still believe the center is Seumalo’s best position, but he has yet to play a regular-season game at the position for the Eagles. When he has practiced there the one issue Seumalo had was with snapping the ball- which one would say is an important part of being a center. Luckily he won’t have to worry about a switch to center for at least a couple years, since Kelce has *knocks on wood* proven he can stay healthy.
Stefen Wisniewski
Wisniewski, the 30 year old product out of Penn State, is entering his 4th consecutive season with the Eagles. He was released this off-season in a cost-saving move for the team, but they ended up bringing him back on a 1 year deal for less money. Once a starter at left guard, he has a pretty defined role as a backup at this point. He will backup both guard spots and also Kelce at the center, should any of them suffer an injury. The reason why the Eagles like Wisniewski is because he has starting experience at both guard and center. So, they feel comfortable with him slotting in at either position depending on where he is needed. With 101 career starts under his belt, Wisniewski is pretty much a finished product in terms of his development.
At 6’3 and 305 pounds, he is a little undersized for a guard, which is where he has mostly played in his Eagles career. Because of his size, Wisniewski is more of a technician than a mauler in that he wins with footwork, hand placement, and positioning over pure strength. Wisniewski replaced Seumalo in 2017 when the latter was benched and was the starter to begin the 2018 season before the opposite happened with Seumalo replacing him.
Matt Pryor
Pryor, the second-year player out of TCU, was drafted by the Eagles in the 6th round of the 2018 draft. He is listed as a tackle on the Eagles website, but so far he has mostly practiced at guard so for the purpose of this exercise he will be considered a guard. Pryor was one of the most impressive players in training camp in 2018 but was unable to continue that success into the pre-season. Once the season started he was essentially out of mind to the fans and the media, as he was inactive for almost every game during the 2018 season. Heading into 2019, even if Pryor does play well in the pre-season, it will be tough for him to see the field during the regular season.
The 5 starters are entrenched, with 3 quality backup options as well in Wisniewski, Big V, and Andre Dillard. Pryor is more of a name to keep in mind for the future than he is for the 2019 season.
Featured Photo: Frederick Breedon/Getty Images
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