Eagles add OT

The Eagles wanted to add a top shelf OL in the draft. Things didn’t work out so they added a pair of late round prospects for the interior of the OL. They did not draft an OT. The team did add one on Sunday.

Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland was a proponent of signing Mekhi Becton. And if and when he passes his physical, Becton officially will report to Stoutland U. https://t.co/hrj9cx9WMa

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 28, 2024

Becton was the 11th pick in the 2020 draft. He started 13 games as a rookie and showed promise. He only played one game over the next two years due to injuries. He also had weight issues. Becton got back in shape last year and was projected to be the starting RT out of camp. He started the first two games there, but got moved to LT due to the starter on that side getting hurt. Becton started 16 games for the year.

He did not play well. Becton had 12 penalties and was credited with allowing 12.5 sacks. That sounds terrible, but you have to remember that sacks have a lot to do with the QB. Obviously the Jets didn’t have good QB play last year. Playing in a good offense with a good QB should make a big difference for Becton.

Jeff Stoutland sees a big OT with 30 NFL starts under his belt. He sees a player with good natural ability.

https://twitter.com/Eaglesfans9/status/1784722760876400861

Stoutland is the best OL coach in the league so he should be able to help clean up some of the issues. He knows Becton needs a lot of work. Becton can learn from Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson, a pair of very good tutors. This is a huge opportunity for Becton. If he plays well, some team could look at him as a starter in 2025. If Becton struggles with the Eagles, his career may be over.

The key to this whole situation is that Becton isn’t coming to Philly to start. He will battle for the #3 OT job. That takes some pressure off him and allows him to learn and develop. Still, there is no guarantee this move will work. In a league desperate for OTs, Becton was unsigned for a reason.

Howie Roseman loves to talk about how the Eagles are always looking for help. He and the front office never feel like there is a final roster. Always look for ways to improve. Howie admitted the top part of the draft didn’t go quite as expected. He was surprised that the Eagles didn’t come away with an OL earlier than the fifth round. The team added bodies for the interior, but lacked a swing tackle. So they went and got Becton.

Fred Johnson was the top backup at OT. He looked good last summer, but he hasn’t started since he was with the Bengals in 2021. Would you trust him if one of the starters got hurt? The Eagles signed Darian Kinnard after the season and he could be the backup RT, but he’s only played in one NFL game.

While Becton isn’t a sure thing, he has talent and experience. That makes him a player worth taking a chance on.

*****

If you want to feel good about the Eagles draft class.

https://twitter.com/RNBWCV/status/1661743260250050561

https://twitter.com/SharpFootball/status/1784364888170598771

This Eagles draft class ranked…

– 5th best value based on the consensus board
– 2nd in RAS scores
– 3rd in production

So basically, the Eagles went after elite athletes who produced at a high level and fell lower than expected.

That plan feels sensible to me… https://t.co/hm25ADRbcP

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) April 28, 2024

We won’t know if the players work out for a few years, but Howie Roseman got good value with his picks. He moved up and down the board to try to get the most out of every situation. When a premium player like Cooper DeJean was available, go get him. When the Eagles didn’t love the board and got an offer that included a third rounder for next year, take the deal and move down.

Howie did a great job of managing the draft.

I’ll write more about the players on Tuesday. The Becton news took precedent for today.

Just because everyone is saying good things about the draft doesn’t mean the class will turn out as expected. This is just an intial reaction to what the Eagles did.

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