Eagles Are Better Off Making Just One Change On The Offensive Line

Jeff Stoutland used to have a philosophy when making an offensive lineman change. Moving two offensive lineman in the wake of one injury creates more problems.

Granted, Stoutland isn't the Philadelphia Eagles offensive line coach anymore. The philosophy still remains the same.

The Eagles can't overreact to the Landon Dickerson injured reserve stint by making two changes to the offensive line. Philadelphia is considering switching center Cam Jurgens over to guard and having Drew Kendall play center.

The only position Kendall has ever played in an NFL regular season game is center. That opportunity came in Week 18 last season as Kendall started at center in place of Cam Jurgens (the Eagles were resting starters). Kendall performed well in his 62 snaps, allowing one pressure in the game -- a 2.2% pressure rate allowed per dropback.

The Eagles drafted Kendall to be a center, but Stoutland cross-trained him at guard. The results paid off as Kendall earned the No. 3 guard spot this summer. He was the top option when Landon Dickerson and Tyler Steen needed a play off, and is the top candidate to start in place of Dickerson while on injured reserve.

If Kendall can play guard, why move him back to center? Jurgens has played guard before, occupying the right guard spot in the 2023 season while Jason Kelce was still at center. he's never played left guard in an NFL regular season game.

Flip-flopping the two doesn't make much sense.

Eagles can't overreact to one game

Jurgens didn't have a good Week 1 at center. He had two holding penalties in the first half of the Eagles' win over the Commanders, on top of a pressure allowed in 34 pass-blocking snaps. The Eagles were fortunate one of the penalties didn't stall a touchdown drive.

As the game progressed, so did Jurgens. he was significantly better in pass protection in the second half, even if the run blocking didn't improve much. Chalk this up as one below-average performance in the first game in a new offensive system.

Jurgens has been a Pro Bowl center for both years he's played the position in the NFL. New syystem or not, why move him? The Eagles didn't play Jurgens at guard in training camp.

Whether the Eagles feel Kendall is more comfortable at center or not, there's little incentive to move Jurgens for a greater reward. Moving Jurgens to guard isn't going to optimize the Eagles' offensive line, especially after one performance.

That's an overreaction, something many outside the Jefferson Health Training Complex would do.

See what you have with Kendall at guard

Kendall earned the oportunity to play guard with how well he played at both guard spots this summer. While Kendall is stronger at right guard, he was very good playing left guard in Game 2 of the preseason against the New England Patriots.

That gave the Eagles confidence they could play Kendall at left guard in a regular seaosn game if they had to do that. Based on how Landon Dickerson's injury progressed, their forward thinking was spot on.

Dickerson tried to play his way through a knee injury and it ended up hurting him and the Eagles. He looked like an offensive lineman whose body has been beaten down with multiple surgeries over the year, not able to withstain the rigors of a 17-game season -- and this was just Week 1.

The Eagles have to look into the future at left guard, just in case they do decide to make a tough call on Dickerson -- or he decides to call it a career. They'll get to do that at the minimum of four games with Kendall, or perhaps more based on Dickerson's words from Monday night.

This is the perfect evaluation to see what they have with Kendall as a guard. The Eagles could do this at cneter too, but that's also not helping the 2026 Eagles win football games.

At the end of the day, that should be the focus. Play Kendall at left guard and keep Jurgens at center.

Don't overcomplicate it.

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