Tra Thomas is patiently waiting for the Eagles to make him an offer he can't refuse

If there is one thing that I agree with Andy Reid on, it’s the importance of the offensive line.  Football games are won and lost in the trenches.  The Offensive Line has long been strength of the Eagles, and we have used both the draft and Free Agency to add talent.

The 2009 off-season brought a lot of questions to the line, none of which have been addressed (yet).  Both starting tackles from last year are unrestricted free agents.  Jon Runyan had a fairly serious knee surgey, and I expect him to re-sign once he gets himself healthy.  On the left side, Tra Thomas is expected to resign with the Birds, but that has yet to happen upon posting.  On top of the questions at Tackle, former first round pick Shawn Andrews missed the entire 2008 season while battling depression and a lingering back injury.

With such uncertainty at a critical position like Offensive Tackle, the Eagles would be wise to address the position in more ways than one.  Restricted Free Agent Nick Cole signed a 2nd round tender today, so he will be back in Green next year.  The Eagles have already been linked to Ravens Guard / Center Jason Brown, and I’m sure Andy Reid and Co. plan on aggressively pursuing the top Free Agents along the Offensive Line.

Click here to check out all the 2009 NFL Free Agent Offensive Linemen by position

The 2009 NFL Combine kicked off yesterday with Offensive Linemen and Tight Ends completing positional drills, bench pressing and running their 40’s.  Offensive tackle has been a position of strength for the Eagles over the past few years, starting two Pro Bowl level players in Jon Runyan and Tra Thomas.  However, both are aging and impending free agents.  Runyan is currently recovering from knee surgery and the rumor is currently floating that Tra Thomas will resign, but a young competitor at tackle may need to be added to the mix.

Although it isn’t flashy to draft an offensive lineman high in the draft, every good offensive in football has one thing in common: a good offensive line.  Here’s a look at some of notable offensive tackle performances from the NFL Combine:

I would love to see Jason Smith blocking for #5, but he may end up being the 1st player selected in the 2009 draft

• Jason Smith - At 6′5″ 309 pounds, Smith sure looked the part and is a pretty nasty finisher on tape.  Smith moved around well in positional drills and had an impressive overall workout.  Despite an average 5.22 40, he threw up the 225 pound bench press 33 times.  Smith looks like an impact player I would love to draft, but Smith will gone long before the Eagles have a chance to draft him, even if we combined both 1st rounders to move up. 
• Michael Oher - Has popped up as a potential target for the Birds in round 1, but had an uninspired Combine workout.  21 bench reps decent for a guy with long arms, but his 5.32 40 didn’t do anything to help his cause.  There are some question if Oher is a tackle or a guard, and the “boom or bust” talk seems to follow him but he looks like he may be worth the gamble.  
• Eugene Monroe - The massive 1st round prospect ran the 40 fairly well (5.12), and put up 23 bench reps.  He did show some of his agility, posting one of the better OT broad jumps of 9′2″.  The fact that Monroe’s play at LT kept last years 15th overall pick Brandon Albert at guard in Virginia says a lot about his ability.  Monroe is going to go early.
• Andre Smith - It baffles me that a guy who is due to make millions in guaranteed money by getting drafted in the top 10 picks would kill his draft stock by being so out of shape that he is forced to bail on the Combine.  Sure seems like a bust waiting to happen, but the kid has enough talent to get himself drafted in the first round or two.   
  

  Loadholt is quite a load at 6'8", 337 pounds

• Phil Loadholt - is 6′8″ 340 pounds, damn.  Due to his ridiculous size, it isn’t too surprising that he has some trouble dealing with smaller speed rushers.  Despite not lifting at the combine, he’s got a ton of upsize.  Practicing opposite the Eagles wealth of undersized and speedy DEs could help him become a real force at LT.
• William Beatty - Is one of the more impressive athletes in this year’s tackle class (5.12 40, 33.5″ vertical), but looked weak and his footwork is sloppy.  I’ll pass.
• Eben Britton - Looks like a natural who will transition well into the NFL and reminds me of Matt Light a little bit.  His 32 3/4″ arm length raises some concerns, but the 5.16 40 and 24 bench reps are legit.  His stock has been on the rise, and if the Eagles are stay at #28 and Britton we may be tempted to draft him (We’ll see how he interviews).
• Jamon Meredith - Another player with a real possibility to be drafted late in the first round.  The combination of his 5.03 40 and 31 bench reps make his performance one of the strongest statistically for an OT at the combine.

As you can see, there are a ton of solid options at tackle, and I expect quite a few of them will go in the 1st round of the draft.  I would love to somehow get Jason Smith,  but Oher seems like the top prospect that the Eagles have a legitimate shot to land at #21.  Even if the Birds don’t draft a tackle with their first pick, strong options may still be available like Loadholt, Britton or Meredith at #28 or even later.

As sure-handed L.J. Smith proved in '08, having a "Franchise" tagged player doesn't always help your franchise.

Philly.com is reporting that, per a “team source”, the Philadelphia Eagles will not use the franchise tag on any of their 2009 free agents.  That means that Brian Dawkins, Sean Considine, Joselio Hanson, Correll Buckhalter, Tra Thomas, Jon Runyan, and L.J. Smith will either willingly sign with the Eagles, or leave for greener pastures.

The franchise tag was created to allow teams the opportunity to hand-cuff a player into a one-year, guaranteed contract.  In theory, the team wins by holding onto the player for another year, while the player wins by getting a one-year guaranteed contract worth the average salary of the top-5 highest played player at their respective position.  In reality, teams like the tag because it allows them to underpay star players, while players hate the tag because it removes the security of signing a long-term contract in their prime.

Last year’s usage of the franchise tag on L.J. Smith is a prime example of the reality of the franchise tag.  The Eagles lost, paying L.J. $4.5 million for stats that didn’t rank in the top-20 at his position.  L.J. lost, as his value dropped significantly after a poor 2008 campaign and he will most likely be forced to sign a “prove it”, short-term deal with another team.

So the Eagles are putting it out there that they will not use the tag at all.  Knowing the Eagles, that means they very well may end up using the tag.  Either way, here’s the SOB take on the 2009 Eagles free agents and the franchise tag:

• Brian Dawkins - Safety - $6.3mil franchise tag - Although the safety position carries the 4th lowest value of any position, the Eagles will be able to resign Dawk for less.
• Sean Considine - Safety - $6.3mil franchise tag - Laughable.
• Joselio Hanson - Cornerback - $10.0mil franchise tag - In 2007, the franchise tag for CBs was $5.9mil, amazing how much it has increased.  No nickel corner in the league is worth $10mil/year.
• Correll Buckhalter - Running Back - $6.6mil franchise tag - Buck has given the Birds his all, but the Eagles aren’t running a charity.
• Tra Thomas - Offensive Tackle - $8.5mil franchise tag - Using the tag on Thomas is a real option.  The Eagles absolutely have the cap room to afford putting the tag on Thomas, even if we are overpaying for him.  Keeping Thomas around for one more year gives the Eagles flexibility to draft for the future while maintaining Thomas as a security blanket during any growing pains.
• Jon Runyan - Offensive Tackle - $8.5mil franchise tag - I’d love to have Runyan back, and I’m hoping that Runyan signs a contract that will allow him to finish out his career in Philadelphia.
• L.J. Smith - Tight End - $4.5mil franchise tag - Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me.

So far in ‘09, thirteen players have been given the franchise tag, two of which are kickers/punters.  Outside of Thomas, Dawkins or maybe Runyan, there is no player worth the tag, and it looks like the Eagles may not be the only team not to use it.

Next up in the UFA spotlight, nine year Eagle offensive tackle Jon Runyan.

2008 Season Overview:

• Runyan has started 192 consecutive regular season games in the NFL, the 3rd longest streak at any position.  The fact that this streak is still alive is nothing short of a miracle, as Runyan made it through the final games of the year on a knee that required microfracture surgery.  Although it wasn’t his best year (16th amongst right tackles who played all 16 games with 7.0 sacks allowed), Runyan’s 2008 performance was chest-bump worthy.

2009 Outlook:

• The offensive tackle position is the #1 priority of the 2009 offseason and how the organization chooses to address this situation will impact the Eagles performance for years to come.  Both starting RT Runyan and LT Thomas are UFAs, but there are some options on the current roster:

1. Winston Justice - I know what your thinking, but one game means little to nothing about a player’s career.  Justice was a reliable on the blind-side in college, but maybe RT would suit him better in the NFL.  Plus you’ve got to hope he learned something from giving up six sacks to Osi in a single game.
2. Shawn Andrews - He’s still on the team, remember?  Since Andrews was drafted people have talked about his eventual transition to tackle.  Right now I’m more concerned with him playing in ‘09, regardless of position.  I better not read a “Andrews Retires” headline heading into training camp.  I’d be forced to go find him and beat him with my shoe (then run and die), which would just depress him more (or revitalize his bloodlust).
3. Todd Herremans - If Andrews returns in ‘09, Nick Cole proved that he can play in the NFL last year.  He could step into the LG spot (Cole is currently listed as backup to both guard spots on the Eagles depth chart), allowing Herremans to move to RT in place of Runyan.

Zero sacks in 6 of your final 11 games against the Eagles buddy. I win.

• Runyan’s microfracture surgery and his age will both hinder his ability to strike gold on the free agent market.  However, there are teams that could use a proven, reliable right tackle.   Runyan will need to face the potentially uphill battle of convincing another team he is healthy to pay big money for, but it’s possible he ends up leaving Philadelphia if Banner tries to get a home-town discount.
• Runyan may not sign with anyone until more can be determined about the status of his knee.

Will he be an Eagle in ‘09?

• I sure hope so.
• Runyan is the type of hard-working, blue-collar player that Philadelphia fans love.  He has proven time and time again that he will give everything he has for Andy Reid and the Philadelphia Eagles team.  If he’s healthy enough to play, I would love to resign Runyan to a 2 year, $6-8 million deal; he’s a hell of a football player and a great locker room presence as well.