Thursday, January 24, 2013
Eagles going OT at No. 4?
By Tim Kavanagh
Even though the Philadelphia Eagles won the first big battle of the offseason -- securing Chip Kelly as their next HC -- the war is far from over. For instance, they need to sort out their QB position -- will they keep Michael Vick? Is Nick Foles a viable triggerman for Kelly's offense? Should they sign Darron Thomas away from the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL? -- but there's also that sticky problem of the offensive line.
As a result, there are some who believe that investing their first-round pick (No. 4 overall) may be the route that the club takes in Kelly's first draft with the organization, and that the pick could specifically be used on a prospect at offensive tackle.
Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes that both LT Jason Peters and RT Todd Herremans will be 31-years-old this year, which isn't old by human being standards, but is a little old by NFL player standards. In addition, Peters is attempting to return from an Achilles tendon injury that wiped out the entirety of his 2012 campaign; he could come back in fine form, but that's no guarantee.
Two potential options for the Eagles at No. 4 are Texas A&M's Luke Joeckel and Central Michigan's Eric Fisher, provided that their old HC Andy Reid doesn't grab their guy at No. 1 overall for his new team. Another idea would be to take interior OL Chance Warmack, who some believe is the best prospect in this year's draft class. Warmack doesn't have the capability to slide outside, but it's not like the Eagles were exceptionally strong on the interior of their O-line last season either.
While the QB debate may draw more headlines, the Eagles' refurbishing of their O-line may wind up having a bigger effect on their results in Year One of the Chip Kelly Experience.
