Eagles will look to improve O-line through draft

Thursday, February 24, 2011
Posted: 7:25 p.m.

By Reuben Frank
CSNPhilly.com

INDIANAPOLISThe number just looks ugly49 sacks allowed.

Looks ugly, sounds ugly.

It recalls images of devastating hits on Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick. Of pass protection that often seemed to be at its worst at the biggest moments of the season. Of a line that played worse and worse as the season went on, allowing six sacks in that crushing loss to the Vikings and three more in the wild-card loss to the Packers.

Those 49 sacks allowedonly three teams allowed morematch the most by any Eagles team since 1998 and provide a road map for the Eagles offseason.

They have to get better up front. And they know it. Even if they wont quite say it.

Theres no area the Eagles need to improve as much this offseason as the offensive line. This is a deep draft for offensive linemen, and considering that there likely wont be a free agency period before the draft in late April, common sense alone says the Eagles have to address guard and tackle in the draft.

Early in the draft.

They have no choice.

Eagles General Manager Howie Roseman met with the media Thursday afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium on Day 1 of the NFL Scouting Combine and came close to tipping his hand on the Eagles plans.

We want to make sure we get the best talent on the offensive line, Roseman said. We have some guys who are scheduled to be free agents, its an area we didnt really address last year on the offense and we talked about the quality in the draft.

Thats obviously another position in terms of our priorities. We believe in building along the offensive line.

There are a few ways the Eagles believe they can get better up front. First of all, the addition of new offensive line coach Howard Mudd should pay immediate dividends. During his 12 years coaching in Indianapolis1998 through 2009the Colts allowed fewer than 19 sacks per season. No other NFL team gave up fewer than 28 per year during the same span.

Theres also the hoped-for development of Vick, who at times during the 2010 seasonhis first as a starter since 2006got himself in trouble by holding onto the ball too long, hoping to make big plays and absorbing sacks instead of distributing the ball quicker to his underneath receivers.

But those changes by themselves arent enough. They just need better players. Thats why the Eagles will almost certainly take an offensive lineman in the first two rounds of the draft in April.

I think the talent level overall (on the offensive line) is probably better than has been the past few years, Roseman said. Its deep. You've got some guys who are versatile, who can play tackle or play guard. The more guys that are versatile and athletic (the better).

The frustrating thing for the Eagles is that the last two years have been the two highest-scoring seasons in franchise history. At times, theyve been unstoppable.

The Eagles were fifth in the NFL with 429 points scored in 2009 and third with 439 points this past season. Only the Patriots, Chargers and Saints have scored more points than the Eagles over the past two seasons combined.

Yet the Eagles are 0-2 in the playoffs during that period, scoring just 14 points against the Cowboys and 16 against the Packers in their wild-card losses.

Roseman said Thursday that the Eagles were planning to address offensive line in last years draft, but despite having 13 picks, they didnt take a lineman because there just wasnt a value pick where they were drafting.

The need has to be met with value, he said. We looked back and found that some of the mistakes weve made have been that we reached. We found guys that maybe werent the best players but we thought we had an area of need. Look at last years draft, and maybe we went in with the intention of taking an offensive lineman or two and the value just didnt meet. And you look back at those things and try to get better.

The Eagles actually havent taken an offensive lineman in the first three rounds in their last four drafts, since they took Winston Justice in the second round in 2006. In Andy Reids first eight years as head coach, the Eagles selected four offensive linemen in the first three rounds.

So the position has clearly been shortchanged lately. And thats why the Eagles have ended up with a borderline guy like Nick Cole in the starting lineup for the last two playoff games.

The Eagles needs on the line?

Theyre set with Pro Bowl pick Jason Peters at left tacklehes been very good when healthy. Todd Herremans is steady and consistent and will almost certainly be at either left guard or right tackle. Jamaal Jackson is 100 percent healthy after a couple injuries and will get the first crack his old center spot.

So it leaves one guard spot and one tackle spotor two guard spots if Herremans is at tackle.

Holdovers Mike McGlynn, Justice and King Dunlap could be in the mix, but after ignoring the O-line in last years draft, its tough to imagine that theyll do it again.

On the offensive line, youve got five guys, Roseman said. Its differenttheres no other spot on the field where you have five guys. So its always going to be a priority for us to make sure weve got it set.

E-mail Reuben Frank at rfrank@comcastsportsnet.com

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