Philadelphia Eagles: Debating if the O-Line is good, or on the downtrend

Conclusion

So which argument is the more valid one?

There’s something to be said about a fully healthy Philadelphia Eagles offensive line being one of the better ones in football, but you can pretty much apply that same logic to every single NFL team, at whichever position group of your choosing. Injuries are a very common part of the National Football League, and typically the healthiest teams are the ones still standing by the time the postseason rolls around. When you possess a line full of oft-injured aging veterans, you’re putting yourself behind the curve before the season even begins.

The Eagles injury issues along the O-Line weren’t just exclusive to last year either. Brandon Brooks has now suffered three season-ending injuries in his Philly career, Lane Johnson’s ankle has been operated on multiple times over the past two years, and Jason Kelce has been flirting with retirement due to nagging pains for a few seasons now as well.

Banking on Dillard seems like a risky tactic to employ due to his extreme limited NFL experience, and while Mailata was a fun story who outperformed expectations, he still ended up allowing far too much pressure to reach the QB to be considered a steadfast option at left tackle.

Jalen Hurts’ ability to escape the pocket and move around should help the team’s aging offensive line out a bit, but it’s simply hard to imagine this specific group making it through a full 17-game season without experiencing at least one or two major injuries. Obviously I hope everyone stays healthy, but based on this unit’s track record, that’s an unlikely scenario.

While I did point out that the Eagles have some better depth along the O-Line this season compared to last, one major injury to the likes of Johnson/Brooks/Kelce would put them right back into the “below average” conversation…right where PFF has them graded. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯