Eagles Bring In Veteran Help At OG

PHILADELPHIA - The Eagles added more depth on the offensive line before the team's mandatory minicamp begins on Tuesday, signing veteran Matt Scharping.

Scharping, 27, was a 2019 second-round pick of Houston, No. 55 overall out of Northern Illinois where he was a three-time All-MAC selection. He has played 79 career games with 33 starts, all of those with Houston during his first three seasons.

Scharping spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons with Cincinnati as a backup but started the Bengals' three postseason games after the 2022 campaign in place of an injured Alex Cappa.

Scharping has experience at both guard spots (1,389 careen snaps at left guard and 686 at right guard), and has even played a handful of snaps (12) in 2023 at center. He's also played three snaps at left tackle and a number as an extra tight end over the years so offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland likely sees value in the versatility.

The Eagles have been working with second-year hopeful Tyler Steen, a college tackle at Vanderbilt and Alabama, as the first-team right guard at OTAs with oft-injured free-agent signing Matt Hennessy backing Steen up. First-year player Jason Poe has been working with the third team.

Rookie fifth-round pick Trevor Keegan has started the spring at his college position as the third-team left guard behind Pro Bowl selection Landon Dickerson and Darian Kinnard, a futures signing who was a 2022 firth-round pick of Kansas City.

Before the signing was announced Stoutland spoke highly of Steen, 23, who started one game during his rookie season.

"I really like what he's doing," Stoutland said of Steen, the 65th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. "I really like his stuff. I know it's individual stuff [in OTAs] but we demand quickness, effort, straining. I've seen definite improvement in his strength and power, his quickness, his ability to play with low hips. I thought he played high last year. I think he's put in a lot of time in the weight room. I can see it."

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