Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Changes

Posted July 19th, 2026 | No Comments »

Modern sports are all about change, both on and off the field. Coaches and GMs come and go. Players come and go. Heck, this is even true at the college level these days. Changes, changes, changes.

Teams that handle change well can have continued success. I talked about Howie Roseman’s ability to replace O-linemen in my last post. Reuben Frank went a step further, talking about Roseman’s ability to replace star players at various positions.

But the over-riding trend is that Roseman knows exactly when it’s time to move on from veterans. And he’s been remarkably successful replacing the stars who do leave.

That’s the only way a team can have this kind of sustained success and keep winning year after year. The Eagles and Bills are the only teams to reach the postseason in each of the last five years, and the only way that happens in a salary-cap era is if the G.M. has the ability to replenish the roster with elite talent year after year.

Roob goes through the numbers and talks about guys who leave not having as much success post-Eagles. I didn’t realize how few players had success after leaving.

Handling change goes beyond the GM. It takes a whole organizational commitment. You need the college scouting staff to find young talent to replenish the roster. You need good pro scouts to make sure free agency is another good source of outside talent. Ownership has to be willing to spend money, on both staff and players. You also need the coaching staff to embrace young and/or new players.

The Eagles check all of these boxes.

Some people are concerned this offseason because the Eagles lost AJ Brown, Jaelan Phillips, Nakobe Dean, Reed Blankenship and Jahan Dotson. Roseman anticipated the players moving on and had contingency plans for them. That doesn’t mean all the moves will work as planned. Roseman has been around long enough to know there will be misses. Andre Dillard didn’t work out as Jason Peters replacement. Bryce Huff didn’t pan out as a difference-making pass rusher.

You can’t be afraid to miss.

You just keep looking for answers.

Jordan Mailata turned out to be the star LT of the future. He was All-Pro in 2024 and is regarded as one of the best OTs in the league.

Jalyx Hunt looks like the pass rusher they hoped Huff would be.

Hunt is an ascending player who could become a star if he continues to grow his game from where it is now.

Roseman didn’t want to lose some of these guys, but you can’t afford to keep everyone. Roseman knew the financial realities involved and prepared accordingly. We’ll have to wait and see how these changes pan out. Based on Roseman’s track record, the Eagles should be in good shape.

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Did you watch the 3rd place WC game between France and England? It turned out to be far more compelling than I anticipated. Jimmy Bama as well.

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This is good news.

Lemon has a chance to be an impact rookie so him having a healthy summer and getting a lot of practice reps is critical.

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Investing Up Front

Posted July 17th, 2026 | 1 Comment »

I’m currently reading Les Bowen’s excellent Illustrated History of the Philadelphia Eagles. It is a fantastic book. The Eagles have a compelling history and Les is a great storyteller. He covers a lot of ground, but keeps it easy to read, which is the sign of a great writer. Highly recommended.

One thing occurred to me as I went through the 80’s and 90’s. Dick Vermeil had a good OL and got the team to the Super Bowl. Buddy Ryan did not have a good OL and went 0-3 in the postseason. Rich Kotite had a good OL in 1992 and won a playoff game. Ray Rhodes had a mixed OL and won a playoff game in 1995. Andy Reid then made the OL a team strength and had tremendous success, in the regular and postseason.

Good things happen when the Eagles have a good OL.

With Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens seemingly healthy, the Eagles are projected to have the best OL in the NFC. The Eagles should be in good shape this season. What about the future?

Jordan Mailata – 29
Landon Dickerson – will turn 28 in Sept
Cam Jurgens – will turn 27 in Aug
Tyler Steen – 26
Lane Johnson – 36

Mailata, Jurgens and Steen could all start for the next 3 to 5 years if they stay healthy and things work out financially. The Eagles know Dickerson will be retiring in the next year or two. Johnson will probably do the same.

The team hopes Markell Bell is the RT of the future. Drew Kendall could be the LG of the future. Or Micah Morris. But neither is a sure thing. Dickerson was a Top 40 pick. Those guys were mid-round selections. Morris has NFL tools. He just needs to consistently play to his potential. The Eagles also have Myles Hinton, Cameron Williams and Willie Lampkin in the mix. Those guys have all flashed potential. This will be a critical summer for them, to make the team and show they can play at this level. The Eagles know you need more than just five starters. You need depth.

I think the Eagles will target a guard early in the 2027 NFL draft. That doesn’t necessarily mean first round, but likely Day 1 or Day 2. Dickerson’s injury history means he won’t be around long. Steen might not get re-signed when he hits free agency. The Eagles will likely need a talented player to add to the mix.

The thought of having to replace these key players in the short or long term can seem daunting. But it is important to remember that Howie Roseman learned from Reid and believes in building up front, investing in the OL. Roseman successfully replaced a HOF LT in Jason Peters and a HOF center in Jason Kelce. He has replaced multiple Pro Bowl players aside from them.

I’m sure many of you will point to the fact that Jeff Stoutland was instrumental to developing those players. And that is true. He is the best OL coach in team history. But that doesn’t mean the team is lost without him. Chris Kuper might prove to be a good replacement. If not, the Eagles will go looking for someone else. All the while, Roseman will continue to add talent to the OL group. That’s not going to change no matter who the coach is.

I think it is important to realize that the OL doesn’t require HOF players to be good. Eagles fans have been spoiled by having some elite players. They are a luxury, not a necessity. Buffalo and Denver have very good OLs. Neither would appear to have any future HOFers.

There are no guarantees of course, but I think the Eagles will have a good OL as long as Roseman is the GM. The Eagles have an organizational commitment to the OL that goes beyond Stoutland or whoever the head coach is. They invest draft resources up front and then spend big to keep players around as long as they can. If the draft involves too many misses, the team isn’t afraid to go after a top free agent or make a trade for someone. They don’t just hope for the best. The Eagles are proactive and aggressive about finding answers up front.

It will be interesting to see what difference Kuper and Sean Mannion have on the OL, good or bad. We’ve heard a lot of positive things this spring, but the real test will start in the fall.

The focus on the OL isn’t going away and that should help the group to stay good even with a changing lineup in the coming years.

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