One Eagles Coach Who Is Not A Coordinator Under Most Pressure To Turn Around Unit

Jeff Stoutland is arguably the greatest assistant coach in Philadlephia Eagles history.

There have been a lot of good assistant coaches to come through the Eagles organization. None have made the impact Stoutland did with the franchise.

Stoutland had a Pro Bowl player on his offensive line in all 13 seasons with the Eagles -- the longest streak for any team since the merger in 1970. Since Andy Reid arrived in Philadlephia in 1999, the organizational philosophy was to build throug the trenches -- even long after Reid and the Eagles parted ways.

The best way to win games was to protect the quarterback and get after the quarterback. Build between the trenches and make that the backbone of your team. The Eagles have won two Super Bowls and won four NFC Championships since the 2000 season using that philosophy.

Why should it stop now that Stoutland departed?

The Eagles have a new offensive line coach in Chris Kuper, who has the hardest task of any coach on the team. Replacing a franchise legend is never easy.

Ask Chip Kelly how easy it was to replace Andy Reid? Sean McDermott to Jim Johnson? Marion Campbell to Dick Vermeil? Nick Skorich to Buck Shaw?

This is a tough task for Kuper in year one with the Eagles, but has task is to get the offensive line back to an elite level. Is there going to be a drop off even with all the talent at his disposal?

The standard is the standard

The Eagles offensive line has consistently been dominant over the past decade, the backbone of the team going to three Super Bowls over the last eight years. The unit was the reason the Eagles won Super Bowl LII and dominated in Super Bowl LIX -- producing future Hall of Famers Jason Kelce, Jason Peters, and Lane Johnson.

Last season was the worst the offensive line has even been under Stoutland. As good as a coach as Stoutland was, injuries played a crucial role in the downfall of the offensive line.

Lane Johnson missed the final six games with a LisFranc sprain. Landon Dickerson battled knee, back, and ankle injuries throughout the year while Cam Jurgens fought a back injury over the course of the season.

The Eagles fell to No. 7 in Pro Football Focus' offensive line rankings, but they played more of a unit in the mid-pack. Even with the drop form No. 1 to No. 7, the talent indicates the Eagles have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.

This is a top-5 offensive line when healthy, and the Eagles had a solid season from Tyler Steen with Jurgens and Johnson injured. The Eagles are expected to be amongst the best of the best offensive lines in the game.

If this unit takes a step back, Kuper will be the No. 1 target. If the unit is elite again, Kuper won't get teh credit he deserves. A lose-lose situation.

Player performance matters

Lane Johnson has been one of the elite offensive linemen in football for obver a decade, arguably the best tackle in the game. What if Johnson has a drop off in performance this season?

It won't be becuase of his age right? Johnson is 36, but has played at a high level throughout his mid 30s. A drop off in performance will be directed to Kuper and his coaching, fair or not.

While performance lies on the players, it's the coach who gets blamed. A tale as old as time.

If Johnson or Mailata have worse seasons this year, Kuper will be the first target. If Steen doesn't improve, Kuper gets the criticism. What Kuper has going for him, the players like him.

This will be difficult for Kuper to navigate, especially if any of the stars take a dip in performance. Hard to replace a legend.

Player development

The Eagles have a lot of young offensive linemen on the roster, especially on the interior.

The guard situation is a free-for-all, while Markel Bell is the long-term plan at tackle. Kuper will get major points if Bell and Micah Morris -- the Eagles' first two draf picks under him -- become players.

If Bell develops into a franchise tackle and Morris a starting guard, the credit will go to Kuper. Same with any work with Drew Kendall, Hollin Pierce, Myles Hinton, and Willie Lampkin. These are all players the Eagles have developed over the past year, starting with Stoutland.

Player development will significantly help Kuper in his new role. Kuper has been an offensive line coach in the past, and he was not retained by the Vikings after last season.

At the end of the day, it's up to the players to perform. But Kuper plays a role in developing them.

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