There is nobody in the NFL world who loves Training Camp more than Eagles' offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, who relishes the opportunity to work with talent at every level. The Eagles currently have 18 offensive linemen on the roster and Stoutland's task is to make every one of them better – from All-Pros like right tackle Lane Johnson to Laekin Vakalahi, an International Pathways Program player who had never played the game until he joined the team in the spring (see Jordan Mailata, only with less experience).
So, this is fun and purposeful for Stoutland. The Eagles are, as usual, loaded in the offensive line room. They have stars in Johnson, left guard Landon Dickerson and left tackle Mailata. They have youth in players like Cam Jurgens, a third-year man who moved from his natural center position to play well at right guard last season, and now has moved back to center to have the first chance to replace the retired Jason Kelce. They have a second-year player like Tyler Steen, who earned playing time as a rookie and now will have a chance to expand his role as an interior linemen. They have experienced and talented veterans new to the team like interior lineman Matt Henessy and former first-round draft pick (Jets) Mekhi Becton. They have a huge tackle in Fred Johnson, who has been around the NFL for a handful of seasons and who impressed the Eagles so much last summer that he earned a new contract.
There is so much more here, and that's the exciting part. Brett Toth, for example, has been with the Eagles for parts of four seasons. Trevor Keegan and Dylan McMahon are 2024 draft picks. Another handful of players are rookies with promise and talent.
New to the Nest: A lot of players are new to this offensive line room, as usual, but the ones who are at the most prominent level are veterans Henessy and Becton, who arrived via free agency, and Keegan and McMahon, the draft picks. All four are going to have a lot of eyes on them as the Eagles have competition for playing time on the interior and strive for reliable depth throughout the offensive line. Versatility is going to be so critical.
Bird Talk: "These guys are your family. That's the way I do it with the players and I'm not saying I'm the only (one), I'm sure other people do this too. I just want the players to be a little more engaged, like dive in deep and become all in. That's what we do around here." – Jeff Stoutland
Notable Stat: Stoutland enters his 12th season with the Eagles and has coached a Pro Bowl player in each of his 11 seasons here. Three Eagles – Kelce, Johnson, Dickerson – were named Pro Bowl players in the 2023 season, marking the sixth time Stoutland has sent three linemen to Pro Bowl recognition in a single season.
Under the Microscope: How do the Eagles replace Kelce? Jurgens played brilliantly as a rookie in the preseason at center, and then made a very impressive move to right guard last season. He's ready for the moment, but he doesn't bring the experience Kelce had to the table, so what does that mean?
Who wins the right guard position? The Eagles love competition and there will be some at that spot in Training Camp, with Steen, Becton, Henessy, and the rookie class taking reps.
Finally, how will the room fill out with depth and, additionally, how will the Eagles prepare some of the young players they will no doubt keep on the practice squad? We've seen how the offense reacted in past seasons when Johnson, for example, was injured. The Eagles want great depth, and they have the talent here to develop in the next couple of months.
