Dickerson out, Eagles need a guard

Landon Dickerson landed on injured reserve after a poor Week 1 performance against Washington. The Eagles must find a replacement for their left guard position before Sunday's game against Tennessee.

Drew Kendall is the obvious choice

Second-year lineman Drew Kendall was unanimously expected to replace Dickerson. He impressed in Week 18 last year and showed significant improvement in training camp and preseason.

Kendall's college position was center

Kendall played center at Boston College and has been cross-training at both center and guard since being drafted. He has no NFL game experience at guard yet.

Jurgens stays at center

Quarterback Jalen Hurts confirmed that Cam Jurgens would remain at center, meaning Kendall would slide to left guard rather than Jurgens moving to guard.

“I've been working with Cam. When Cam has his off days in camp, [Kendall] fills in. But, yeah, Cam.”

Fred Johnson spotted at left guard

On Thursday, veteran Fred Johnson was seen taking reps at left guard during individual drills, raising questions about whether the Eagles might use him instead of Kendall.

Johnson's guard experience is old

Johnson played guard in college at Florida and early in his NFL career, but has zero career snaps at left guard. His last significant guard work was in 2020.

Johnson has more overall experience

Johnson has played 1,870 career snaps total including playoffs, while Kendall has only played 89. That experience gap could matter in a tough matchup.

Simmons is a major concern

Jeffery Simmons is the best interior defensive lineman in the NFL. The Eagles might not want Kendall's first meaningful start to come against him.

Kendall had the better camp

Kendall crushed training camp and preseason, showing clear progression from his rookie year. Johnson didn't have a strong camp, even at his regular tackle position.

Kendall is the future starter

Kendall is a potential future starter for the Eagles, while Johnson is likely just a reserve. Playing Kendall makes more sense for long-term development.

Johnson reps are likely insurance

The Eagles probably showed Johnson at left guard to get him reps as a backup option in case Kendall, Jurgens, or Steen get injured, not as a serious alternative starter.

Kendall should get the start

Everything points to Drew Kendall starting at left guard against Tennessee. He's ready, he's the future, and the Eagles trust his development.

“I mean, Kendall is just ready. Play him.”