Just hours after Offensive Coordinator Frank Reich revealed that Isaac Seumalo would head into tomorrow’s practice as the starting left guard, the team have officially parted ways with veteran LG Allen Barbre.
The move has some big knock-on effects for the Eagles that go far beyond the battle at left guard, which only lasted the duration of OTA’s and Minicamp.
Roster Move: #Eagles have released G/T Allen Barbre.
Read more: https://t.co/N9zsoNpUxX pic.twitter.com/lhFGpDvhzS
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) July 26, 2017
The castle Barbre built:
Barbre has been nothing but reliable since joining the Eagles, and he was crucial in keeping Wentz upright during his rookie campaign, starting all 12 games he played in.But with the 33-year old not getting any younger, and a lingering cap hit of roughly $2.25M hanging over his head…it was always going to be an uphill battle.
The Eagles obviously felt comfortable with Seumalo starting this season, after his rookie campaign flashed plenty of athleticism and production. The consensus seemed to be that keeping Barbre around would if not a starter, the team have a serviceable backup who can step in at a moment’s notice for one more year. However, it seems as if the team wanted to speed up the process and give Wentz one extra year with Seumalo as his starting left guard.
Confidence in Seumalo is high:
It was only this morning that offensive coordinator, Frank Reich, met with the media and named Seumalo as the team’s starter.
“Isaac [Seumalo] is a starter, and it’s then just competition from there. Reich told those present. “That’s the great thing about training camp and the great thing about this business. It’s so stinking competitive, it’s what the guys love about it, it’s what we love about it. So, again, it will play itself out.”
The former Chargers offensive coordinator would go on to say the following:
[He’s] very smart, understands what he’s being coached, understands fronts, understands defensive schemes, what to anticipate, very athletic, tough-minded, tough-minded player.
After such a strong rookie campaign in which Seumalo had a huge role to play, it’s clear the the Birds deem the third-round pick worthy of a starting spot. It’s also interesting to note that Seumalo’s relationship with Wentz goes way beyond last season. It was the Oregon State standout who was snapping the ball to Wentz during his pro-day. This won’t be lost on the Eagles, and by building that continuity, it ensures the team have one of the strongest lines possible for years to come. If the drop off between Barbre and Seumalo is regarded as minimal, it would make sense for the Eagles to save some money while they can…bringing us to our next point.
Cap space:
The Eagles, as we all know, aren’t exactly blessed with cap space. A saving of $2.25M may not sound like much, but to a team potentially looking for veteran CB help or even preparing for an offseason where the likes of Jordan Matthews, Brandon Graham and Alshon Jeffery will for one reason or another be looking for a payday, the move makes a lot of sense. Especially as if we previously mentioned, the team are confident in riding Seumalo as a starter for a full season.
Who’s next?
The move to release Barbre COULD open a huge door for one of several guys of whom the Eagles seem clearly confident to deem Barbre expendable. First up, there’s Chance Warmack. The former pupil of Jeff Stoutland during his Alabama days is looking for a career resurgence. Drafted in the first round by the Titans once upon a time, Warmack has struggled with injury setbacks and a prove-it deal was supposed to provide the Bama product with one more opportunity at earning a long-term role. With Barbre now released, Warmack theoretically bumps straight up the depth chart to back up Seumalo if he were to compete on the left hand side as opposed to backing up Brandon Brooks on the right.
Then of course, there’s the plug-and-play factor of Stefen Wisniewski, who played out his prove-it contract and earned an extension with the Eagles last season, keeping his place on the roster. The real question wasn’t whether or not Wisniewski would replace Jason Kelce, but whether or not the versatile lineman would compete for a starting role at LG or back up Jason Kelce? Strangely, this is a debate that could largely be a knock-on effect of how Tyler Orlosky performs. If the WVU UDFA can hit the ground running, the team may feel comfortable moving Wis across the line to sit behind Seumalo as a veteran presence who can step in at any time, meaning Warmack can stay over on the right hand side of things.
The third and final name to mention here is former Miami Dolphin, Dallas Thomas. The 6’5, 316 lbs guard started all sixteen games in 2015 for the Phins, before being cut after just one game in 2016. A ruthless approach by Adam Gase helped transform a faltering line…unfortunately, Thomas was a part of the group that simply provided no wiggle room for neither Tannehill nor Ajayi. Now in Philadelphia, Thomas is hoping to put that behind him and compete for a role in the Eagles OL depth…but with their standards only increasing as time goes on, the odds will certainly be against him.
LUS standout and practice squad survivor, Dillon Gordon, will be another name worth watching, but the battle behind Isaac is well and truly on.
Continuity:
When you look at the Eagles offensive line right now, there are very few question marks. Johnson, Seumalo, and Brooks, are three names who will likely man their posts for the duration of Wentz’s rookie contract, while there are insurance policies in place behind both Jason Peters and Jason Kelce. The process of making the offensive line sustainable for years to come has officially started.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
