The Eagles have had a lot of success with their late-round offensive linemen. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they have looked to retain one of their younger and better backups as well. According to a report from Adam Schefter, the team has tendered Nate Herbig at the right of first refusal.
As a restricted free agent, the Eagles had the opportunity to make an original offer to Herbig and will ultimately have final say if they want to keep him. In a normal circumstance, if they were to lose Herbig due to an offer from elsewhere, the team would be awarded a draft pick. In the latest report from Jeff McLane however, it doesn’t look like there is any draft pick compensation tied to the former UDFA.
It’s hard to believe that Nate Herbig is still only 23. He was originally an undrafted free agent out of Stanford and has shown a great deal of promise playing under Jeff Stoutland.
Nate Herbig started in five games last season due to injuries along the offensive line, appearing in all 16. He was more than just serviceable, too. Grading out at 68.1 according to PFF, Herbig nullified the absence of Brandon Brooks and helped the Eagles explode into rushing dominance thanks to his agility and raw power.
With Brandon Brooks now retired, it makes sense that the Eagles would look to retain a player that has done nothing but improve year on year. If Landon Dickerson and Isaac Seumalo are going to be the starting guards, Herbig’s return ensures that there is a versatile backup who is essentially a fringe starter at this point, and his contract is so cheap it almost feels unfair due to how impressive his growth has been.
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