PHOENIX – The Philadelphia Eagles have some holes in their lineup after coach Chip Kelly’s offseason overhaul. It turns out they may have some players who can fill those holes, as well.
Kelly created an opening at right guard when he released veteran Todd Herremans. That seemed like a major issue until you heard how enthusiastic Kelly sounded about Allen Barbre.
“I’m really excited about Allen,” Kelly said Wednesday. “We’ve been high on Allen for a long time. Was playing really well and then hurt his ankle in the first game. He came in the year before and did an unbelievable job when [Jason Peters] was out against Green Bay in a real tough matchup against a real good team in Green Bay and really did well for himself. Versatile player. Feel very confident in Allen Barbre.”
Barbre started at right tackle in place of suspended starter Lane Johnson throughout training camp. In the season opener, Barbre went down with a high ankle sprain. He ended up on injured reserve.
So Barbre could be Herremans’ replacement. If Evan Mathis returns at left guard, as Kelly seemed to expect, that leaves the Eagles with Matt Tobin and Andrew Gardner as backups at the guard positions.
The departure of free agent Nate Allen left the Eagles without one starting safety. The free agent market dried up. But there are candidates on the roster to start along with Malcolm Jenkins.
“We’ll take a look at that,” Kelly said. “That’s what this process is all about, the offseason, you get a chance to see guys on the field. What is Earl [Wolff] like in Year 3? There’s guys on our team right now that can certainly play that role but it depends where they are when you get a chance to see them through OTAs, through minicamp, through preseason camp.”
Wolff has had season-ending knee injuries the last two years. He had surgery, including a version of microfracture surgery, on his knee last year.
A healthy Wolff would give the Eagles at least some experience at the safety position. Jaylen Watkins, who played some cornerback as a rookie, and Ed Reynolds were drafted last year. Chris Prosinski and Jerome Couplin were added to the team during the 2014 season. All four could compete with Wolff for the starting job.
“Yeah, Jaylen’s got versatility,” Kelly said. “How it will all play itself out, we’ve got a ton of time, and we’ve got a ton of reps between now and when we’ve got to make a decision on who’s going to end up opposite Malcolm. Jaylen’s another guy who will have an opportunity at the safety spot.”