Getty The Eagles are relying on Andre Dillard to step up in 2020 and take over for Jason Peters at left tackle.
Jordan Mailata hasn’t been declared the starting left tackle, but it’s only a matter of time. The 6-foot-8, 346-pounder has won the job hands down at Philadelphia Eagles’ training camp. Mailata unofficially secured it when Andre Dillard went down with a knee injury on Aug. 10.
Mailata and Dillard were locked in a fierce competition, one that offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland was intently watching. But Dillard – the Eagles’ first-rounder in 2019 – struggled to contain speed rushers all summer and remains “week to week” on the team’s injury report. His time in Philly could be running out.
Sirianni isn’t ready to call the LT competition. …With Dillard sidelined and Mailata playing well, hard to call it a competition at this point.
According to The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane, teams have reached out to gauge Dillard’s availability in a trade. His bum knee would hurt the return compensation, but it is far from a non-starter. McLane wrote the following:
The word had increasingly gotten out around the NFL as teams, directly or not, inquired about Dillard’s availability, per league sources. Left tackle is a premium position, after all, and while Dillard’s value has plummeted, a team’s desperation can never be underestimated. The Eagles weren’t the only team to give the Washington State product high marks out of college. His athleticism is still evident. And Dillard wouldn’t be the first to benefit from a change of scenery.
What should the #Eagles do about Andre Dillard?
My column: t.co/mVGebfBWEx via @phillyinquirer
One parallel to draw is Greg Little. The Carolina Panthers used the 37th overall pick on Little in 2019 in the hope he could become their left tackle of the future. It didn’t work out. Little started just three games in two years and now he’s gone. Little was sent to the Miami Dolphins for a seventh-round pick. Dillard was taken 15 picks ahead of Little.
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Sirianni Updates Left Tackle Competition
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni refused to admit the competition at left tackle was over when asked about it last week. It’s not in Sirianni’s nature to name starters this early as evidenced by him pulling back on elevating Jalen Hurts to QB1. Or Dallas Goedert as TE1. Mailata has clearly won the job, though, even if no one on the coaching staff wants to say it publicly.
“We still got a lot of time to work through everything and a lot more time before we play Atlanta,” Sirianni said of Dillard versus Mailata. “So not there yet. Just want to continue to see Jordan get better every single day.”
Andre Dillard sporting a brace. #Eagles
Sirianni did share a message he had for Dillard, or anyone else dealing with adversity in his locker room.
“Guys are going to get dinged. It’s just how do you learn from the adversity and move on and move on and just play the next play,” Sirianni said. “And there’s no difference between a loss, a bad play, an injury, et cetera. It’s just learning that, and that’s just the mentality we’re trying to have.”
Bears Sign 39-Year-Old Left Tackle
Left tackles are a premium position in the NFL. The Chicago Bears just inked 39-year-old future Hall of Famer Jason Peters after rookie tackle Teven Jenkins underwent back surgery. Point is, teams need athletic left tackles for depth. Dillard should have value on the open market despite his checkered injury history.
One franchise to keep an eye on is the San Francisco 49ers. Trent Williams just turned 33 years old and a former first-round pick with little mileage on his tires could be an attractive long-term solution. The Cincinnati Bengals also have question marks at left tackle in case 2019 first-rounder Jonah Williams isn’t fully recovered from last year’s knee injury.
#49ers LT Trent Williams (knee) is here but not participating in today’s practice.
