Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Athlon Sports
Eagles' 1,688-Pound O-Line Is Massive - And Elite
By Wil Riggs,
1 day ago
The Philadelphia Eagles head into this season with one of the best offensive lines in the league. With the addition of former first-round pick Mekhi Becton as the starting right guard, the Eagles now have one of the biggest.
With a staggering 1,688 pounds combined in the five-man trenches, the Eagles should be able to open massive holes for running back Saquon Barkley. ... with the shuffling of bodies matching up in a winning way.
Veteran right tackle Lane Johnson spoke about Becton’s move from tackle to guard.
Dec 31, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson (65) reacts against the Arizona Cardinals at Lincoln Financial Field.
"I think he's always had the tools," Johnson said. "He's had really quick feet. He's learned fast, so it's a little bit different. Playing tackle to guard, the guys are on you now, so you have to be pretty violent with your arms and your hands.
"Good thing about him is he's got some really long arms."
With an offensive line of this size? It will in theory wear down defenses the later it gets into games. If the Eagles are able to get out to a lead early, you can bet offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is going to call a steady diet of running plays to Barkley (and Jalen Hurts) in order to milk the clock on the ground.
"I just hope I don't get my feet stepped on," Johnson said of the big fellas bunched together. "You get all three of us on one side, you better have some answers. I don't think any can move on Mailata and the size of Mekhi, they're exceptional movers."
Will Becton be the starter at guard? That still remains to be seen, but Tyler Steen has battle injuries throughout training camp, opening the door for Becton to claim the position.
The Eagles have one final preseason game before turning their attention to their season opener in Brazil against the Green Bay Packers on Friday, Sept. 6.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Comments / 0