In what’s becoming an unfortunately common occurrence, the Philadelphia Eagles lost one of their best players to injury. Right guard Brandon Brooks reportedly tore his Achilles, ending his season before it ever began. Brooks is one of the best guards in the league and his absence leaves a large void on Philadelphia’s offensive line. Howie Roseman and company will need to do their best to replace Brooks, and they have a few options available.
How the Philadelphia Eagles Can Replace Brandon Brooks
Option 1: Next Man Up
The Eagles annually have one of the best offensive lines in football, and guard is arguably the least important position on the offensive line. Brandon Brooks is elite, but Philadelphia could get by with a league-average guard. The only question is: do the Eagles have a starting-caliber replacement on the roster?
The most likely candidate to replace Brooks is rookie Jack Driscoll. Driscoll is a fourth-round pick that spent his collegiate years as a tackle but is better suited for guard at the NFL level. He’s one of those guys that always managed to produce despite a relatively underwhelming build. He’ll need to add some muscle and learn the subtle nuances of the guard position in a hurry.
If Driscoll isn’t up for the task, the Eagles could turn to Matt Pryor. Pryor, a sixth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, played a whopping 79 snaps last year. He looked adequate in that small sample, but he’s a massive unknown with a relatively low ceiling.
The Eagles obviously have a better idea of what these two are capable of than I do. However, from the outside looking in, “next man up” isn’t the best strategy. Philadelphia should look to either free agency or the trade market to fill their hole along the offensive line.
Option 2: Free Agency/Trade
The best guard left on the open market is easily Larry Warford. Warford, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, spent the past three years as a key piece of the New Orleans Saints offensive line. The Saints are one of the few teams with a consistently great offensive line, and Warford was a big reason for that success. He’s entering his age-29 season, so he should have plenty left in his tank. A one-year deal would make a lot of sense for both sides.
If Warford is too expensive, the Eagles could go for more of a cost-effective starter. As previously mentioned, Philadelphia doesn’t need an elite guard to have a good offensive line. Josh Kline isn’t the player he once was, but he’s fine as your fifth-best offensive lineman. Ditto for guys like Mike Person and Ronald Leary – they’ll probably sign for close to league-minimum and should give serviceable results.
If the Eagles truly want the best guard possible, they could target New England Patriots left guard Joe Thuney. Thuney is currently on the franchise tag, and New England only has $650,989 in available cap space. If New England and Thuney aren’t close on a possible extension, the Patriots could be willing to cut their losses and trade him. This is admittedly an unlikely scenario for the Eagles, as they’d have to give up a draft pick and sign the two-time Super Bowl champion to a massive extension. However, it is within the realm of possibility.
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