Philadelphia Eagles: Run, don’t walk to claim Stefen Wisniewski
Could the Philadelphia Eagles get some offensive line help from an old friend?
Hey, have you heard that the Philadelphia Eagles‘ offensive line is, like, really bad? Yes? Oh okay.
…
Since Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season, the Eagles have had a lot of offensive line combinations. With nine players having already earned at least one start through the first eight games of the season, with some, like Nate Herbig and Jordan Mailata, having been forced to switch positions from one week to the next.
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While this isn’t an Eagles only problem, as seemingly every team in the NFL is struggling mightily with a ton of injuries in this very weird 2020 season, it has pressed a ton of players into much larger roles than anyone initially expected, for better and worse.
For a player like Herbig, Mailata, and 2020 fourth-round pick Jack Driscoll, this uptick in snaps has given fans hope that the Birds may finally have a deep bench of reserve linemen if they ever find themselves back at full strength, but it’s also highlighted that some players maybe shouldn’t be relied upon to play at the game’s highest level.
I mean, does the name Jamon Brown mean anything to you?
Assuming Lane Johnson returns with a clean bill of health for the Eagles’ post-bye week bout against the New York Giants, and Doug Pederson does the right thing and optimizes his offensive line for the second half of the season – My dream lineup? Jordan Mailata, Nate Herbig, Jason Kelce, Jason Peters, Lane Johnson – the team could be in good shape to finish out the season on a high note.
But wouldn’t you like to have a little peace of mind?
Well, what if I were to tell you that a player with a ton of experience in the Eagles’ zone-blocking offensive scheme just became available and could potentially be had on a bargain?
Interested? Well, allow me to elaborate.
Seven-ish months removed from signing a two-year, $2.85 million deal with his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers, Stefen Wisniewski has officially been waived to make room for trade deadline addition Avery Williamson. As you probably recall, Wisniewski was a starter on the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII roster, spent three seasons with the team, and played in 51 games with 27 starts. Though Wisniewski never quite established himself as the sort of transformative building block deserving of a long-term deal, the now-31-year-old was the perfect personification of a starting NFL offensive lineman.
Need proof? Look no further than the 2019 Kansas City Cheifs. Much like in Philly, Wisniewski initially started out the season as a reserve but took over down the stretch and started the team’s final five games, including Super Bowl LIV.
Had Wisniewski not suffered a chest injury in the Steelers’ season opener, he’d likely still be with the team, but honestly, Pittsburgh’s loss is our gain… hopefully.
Yeah, as pointed out by our friend Mike Kaye from NJ.com, Wisniewski is going to have to pass through waivers and could conceivably be stolen by some team picking ahead of the Eagles Dante Pettis-style. If that happens, well, then that happens, but who is to say it will? At worst case, why not just throw in a claim just to be safe?
Yes, I know the Eagles’ cap situation is dire moving forward, but Wisniewski is only owed roughly $525,000 for the rest of the 2020 season and $1.425 million in 2021. Even if the Eagles want to pinch pennies to the most comical degree, that number is incredibly easy to sneak under the cap with little to no fuss needed.
Even if Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata/Andre Dillard/Jac Driscoll form an ideal tackle pairing, Isaac Seumalo and Brandon Brooks return at full strength, and Jason Kecle holds off retirement for one season longer, adding a veteran lineman with guard/center versatility for less than Jalen Reagors’ average annual salary is a pretty no-brainer call for a team with playoff aspirations fortunately placed in the worst division in football.
Heck, if nothing else, Wisniewski could serve as the perfect mentor for Herbig as he rapidly becomes one of the team’s top interior options.
Next. Is it time to worry about Miles Sanders’ durability?. dark
In an ideal world, the Philadelphia Eagles wouldn’t need Stefen Wisniewski. This, unfortunately, isn’t an ideal world. While hopes may once again be on the rise considering just how bad the rest of the division looks, the Eagles will once again have to weather a ‘serious’ injury before we know it, and should that happen again on the offensive line, I know I’d rather see number 61 shuffle into the offensive line over Matt Pryor, Sua Opeta, or Jamon Brow… another player anytime soon. Huh, I guess Avery Williamson was able to help the Eagles down the stretch after all. Funny how things work out.