Miles Sanders

Miles Sanders missed the spring so it feels like he’s flying under the radar right now. Sanders is very talented and can be an impact player for the Eagles, even if he’s not the starter.

Watch some Wendell Smallwood clips.

Although the numbers weren't great overall, the #Eagles looked good running it in the first half (10 carries, 47 yards, 1 TD).

Here's a simple Inside Zone to Wendell Smallwood- nice job on the doubles. #FlyEaglesFly @MattBowen41 pic.twitter.com/qj01lUEBWU

— NFL Matchup on ESPN (@NFLMatchup) October 12, 2018

Shot 6 – The two RBs most involved in this #Eagles offense on Sunday were Wendell Smallwood and Darren Sproles. Here are a couple of plays from both and how they impacted both the run and pass games. #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/qoIQ6zQt9o

— Fran Duffy (@FDuffyNFL) January 8, 2019

Smallwood is tough. He runs hard. He’s got some burst. But he doesn’t have great vision and he doesn’t make guys miss.

Now take a look at Sanders. This is college tape vs NFL tape, but you can still see the traits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-FnUXkojn8

Sanders has good vision and is elusive on the second level. That helps him to break long runs. I think those traits will be keys to his success in the NFL.

Smallwood is the superior receiver and blocker right now. Those are areas where Sanders must develop. With Duce Staley’s coaching, I think he’s got a good chance in both areas.

If Sanders does pan out as hoped, he will add a new dimension to the Eagles offense. He has the kind of big play ability that the running game hasn’t had on a consistent basis in recent years. The Eagles were 29th in the league last year in runs of 20 or more yards. They only had seven.

For the sake of comparison, Jordan Howard had five on his own. Howard is not exactly known as a speedster. The combination of Howard and Sanders should move the Eagles up considerably when it comes to runs of 20 or more yards.

The Eagles did lead the league in runs of 20 or more yards in 2017. They were back down at 21st in 2016. The potential is there. The O-line will open holes and get things started. It is up to the RBs to get the job done and make plays.

Adding a talent like Sanders to the backfield will go a long way to boosting the run game.

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Young OL

The Eagles have a really talented offensive line. Jason Peters, Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson are as good a trio as you’ll find in the league. The Eagles are lucky that they also have good backups and some interesting rookies.

Here is an interesting practice video from PE.com.

You can’t tell a lot from that, but it is fun to see Jeff Stoutland in action. OL coaches are always entertaining. He seemed excited by three players, Big V and rookies Nate Herbig and Casey Tucker. These were isolated moments, but they were still interesting.

Big V moved to OG this spring so I’m sure Stoutland has paid very close attention to him. If Brandon Brooks is delayed in coming back from his injury, Big V could be in line to start. Stefen Wisniewski could also start. The coaches would likely let them battle for the job. Big V is bigger and stronger so don’t rule him out. He could win the job.

Vaitai has started 17 regular season games, but none of them at OG. He has plenty to learn. The spring practices were critical for him, giving V a chance to adjust to his new position and get constant feedback on the spot.

As for the rookies, Herbig is a guy I had mixed feelings about, but he is a Pederson/Stoutland type of OL. They like big, thick, powerful blockers. Check, check and check. Herbig is 6-4, 334. The question is whether he’s athletic enough to do all the movement blocking the Eagles like in the run game and if he can be a consistent pass protector.

I don’t think Herbig has a great chance to make the team, but that’s due more to good OL depth than anything he’s done. If Herbig plays well this summer, the Eagles will have to figure out what to do with him.

Tucker was signed when Chris Long retired and a roster spot opened up. Tucker played at Stanford and then transferred to Arizona State for his final season. Tucker is 6-6, 315 and has the kind of nasty disposition the Eagles love in their blockers. He’s got some fun highlights.

Casey Tucker sleeper #NFL #NFLdraft2019 #OL pic.twitter.com/IbDmnXAXYy

— Lisa Tucker (@LTucker8) April 25, 2019

With Big V playing OG and Jason Peters getting plenty of time off this summer, the Eagles needed someone to help eat up reps.

Tucker is a limited athlete so he’s a major long shot, but he’s at least got Stout’s attention.

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It was also fun to see Jordan Mailata in action. His athleticism jumps out in videos like this.

Most OL are more football players than athletes so they are at their best with the pads on and live hitting. Mailata is still learning football so he jumps out when he’s moving in space. The challenge for Mailata will be showing he’s becoming a football player and not just an athletic project.

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Jimmy Bama started his dumpster fire series today. These are always fun.

https://twitter.com/JimmyKempski/status/1143214773863112704

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