Heading into their Week 6 contest against the New York Giants, the Philadelphia Eagles will not have their starting left guard, Landon Dickerson, in the lineup as the veteran is expected to miss the next 1-2 games after picking up an ankle injury in last week’s loss to the Denver Broncos.
Dickerson has been battling injuries since training camp, ranging from a knee to a back and now an ankle. While Eagles fans would rather have him on the field healthy, they know that he’s not 100 percent right now and would rather have him get rest.
Without Dickerson, the Eagles will likely turn to Brett Toth, who took over for him in last week’s game at left guard. However, if they’re looking to add more depth to the offensive line, a familiar face just hit the open market.
Sua Opeta Is Now Available After Getting Cut by Tampa Bay
According to Greg Auman of FOX Sports, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers released veteran guard Sua from the practice squad on Tuesday. Some Eagles fans are vaguely familiar with Opeta, who spent four years with the organization (2020-23), appearing in 38 games for the team.
During his stint with the Eagles, the 29-year-old offensive lineman played tackle for three years and one year at guard. In Opeta’s lone year at guard in 2023, he appeared in 13 games and made six starts.
Opeta’s PFF grades weren’t overly spectacular as he had a 50.5 run block grade and a 57.9 pass block grade (h/t PewterReport.com). However, considering the former undrafted free agent spent the first three years of his career at tackle, it left room for improvement.
After his tenure with the Eagles ended, Opeta took his talents to Tampa Bay, where he did not play over the last two years. His first year with the Buccaneers was spent on IR. This year, after being re-signed in the offseason, he spent some time on the PUP list and was cut at the end of the preseason to get signed to the practice squad.
Looking at the Eagles’ depth at guard, they have Toth, who has started in two regular-season games back in 2023 when he was a member of the Carolina Panthers. Philadelphia also has Matt Pryor, who looked horrible in Week 3 at right tackle, but is better suited at guard.
And when it comes to the practice squad, the Eagles only have one center/guard option in Jake Myers. That said, if Philly is looking for familiarity, given the offensive line’s injury concerns and performance, signing Opeta to the practice squad and releasing another player might not be the worst option.