The mystery of Shawn Andrews continues. It is a troubling routine, one that has been all too familiar with a player who has All-World ability. One day he is on the field and the next day he is watching in shorts, from the sidelines, his status for Sunday's season-opening game in Carolina a question mark. What gives? Who knows?
This much is certain: With Julius Peppers and the Panthers waiting, the right tackle spot for the Eagles offense is very much a concern right now.
On the same day the Eagles worked out veteran Jon Runyan, Andrews missed practice with a back injury. That is all we know. Nobody talked about it on Thursday, other than Winston Justice, who was paparazzi-ed by reporters and television cameras after taking all the reps at right tackle following the workout. And what could Justice say? He doesn't know if Andrews will be on the practice field on Friday or if he will play on Sunday. Justice is just out on the field, doing his job, responding to the call from the coaching staff.
Bizarre, really bizarre. And another hurdle to leap over with the opener just a couple of days away.
Is Andrews going to play against Carolina? Well, it certainly isn't a good sign when a player who didn't take a single snap throughout the preseason and who has practiced seven days since the Organized Team Activities ended in June misses work 72 hours before the first kickoff of the regular season. Football is a game of trust, of knowing that the man next to you is going to be there, so how can the Eagles count on Andrews to be fine to go for Carolina?
More important, how can they rely on him to be on the field throughout the season? A two-time Pro Bowl player at right guard, Andrews hurt his back last year in the second week of the season and didn't play again. He hasn't taken a meaningful snap since last September and time is whittling down to the kickoff in Carolina. He has a back injury that isn't ready to go away any time soon.
In the meantime, the Eagles believe in Justice, who had a good preseason until he suffered a strained pectoral muscle in the preseason game against the Jets. Should Justice get the call at right tackle, you wonder what that would mean to the scheme. Would the Eagles leave him alone out on the edge, as they likely would be more inclined to do with Andrews? Would the Eagles use more two-tight end sets and shorten up Donovan McNabb's drops and hope to minimize the damage from Peppers and his defensive mates?
No doubt Justice is clamoring to earn some respect after his disastrous starting debut in 2007 against the Giants. A second-round draft pick in 2006, Justice has seen limited time, has just one start, and has not in his time here inspired the coaches to award him a starting job outright. Give Justice credit, though. He has worked hard. He has kept his mouth shut. He has waited for his chance to play, and to prove himself.
Of course, this situation is not all cut and dried. There is so much drama up front now, after years of stability and continuity. Tra Thomas was always the left tackle. Every week. Runyan was the right tackle. Every week.
Who is the right tackle now?
Runyan worked out for the Eagles and reportedly has a handful of teams interested in seeing him and perhaps talking contract with him at some point. Runyan has been diligent in his recovery from a nasty micro-fracture knee surgery and he is, apparently, ready to play.
Where does Runyan land? Could he come back here and play right tackle?
There are a lot of questions about right tackle at precisely the wrong time. The Eagles have always invested in the offensive line and have always valued the men up front. This off-season was no different. They signed Stacy Andrews in free agency and moved him from right tackle, where he played with the Bengals, to right guard. They traded for Jason Peters, a two-time Pro Bowl left tackle in Buffalo. They tendered guard Nick Cole at a high level. They expressed their confidence in Shawn Andrews, making him the starting right tackle. It all looked so good on paper.
Now? Left guard Todd Herremans is out for the opener, at least, and Shawn Andrews has a back injury that kept him out of practice 72 hours before the opening kickoff.
Nobody is crying about it on the football side. That isn't the way the Eagles run things, to their credit. Line coach Juan Castillo is going to work with what he has, and he is going to do a good job with whatever group of five he has on the field. Still, this is foreign territory. How do the Eagles respond?
