The Philadelphia Eagles are looking to gain a competitive advantage before facing the Tennessee Titans in Week 2.
All the talk is about who Philly will start at left guard. Landon Dickerson was placed on IR with a knee injury after a rough performance in the 24-22 Week 1 win over the Washington Commanders.
That leaves Drew Kendall or Willie Lampkin as the options to replace Dickerson. While all signs point to Kendall starting, another player may still be in the mix. The question is whether it’s real or just a decoy to throw the Titans off.
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Multiple Eagles reporters noticed at practice on Wednesday that Kendall or Lampkin was not starting left guard. The Athletic Eagles reporter Zach Berman shared what he saw.
“Fred Johnson lined up at LG with the other starting linemen during individual drills. Cam Jurgens was at center. Drew Kendall lined up at LG with the second-team linemen. Willie Lampkin was at center.”
Cam Jurgens was at center.
Drew Kendall lined up at LG with the second-team linemen. Willie Lampkin was at center.
Johnson is no stranger to playing guard, as he has filled in at the position in the past. When he played for the Cincinnati Bengals back in 2021, he started a game at guard.
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The conversation around this move is whether it is real or just an attempt to keep the Titans off their game. Johnson has played guard before, but it feels very unlikely he would play it.
Kendall and Lampkin have been getting reps at guard and center since last year. Both guys played incredibly well in the preseason, not allowing a single sack between the two. They were so good that the Eagles rested them for the final game since they had already secured their spot on the 53-man roster.
All signs point to Kendall getting the start at left guard. While he wouldn’t give anything away, Kendall told the media Wednesday that he knows he’s ready to start if called upon.
“These guys, they support me a lot,” he said of his teammates. “They have that confidence in me, which gives me confidence in myself.”
If Kendall does start, he’ll have a rough time facing off against Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. Throughout the years, Simmons has been a top-five defensive tackle in the league.
Kendall did start a game last year for the Eagles, so he’s not completely inexperienced for the Eagles. He will be tested against a solid Titans defensive line looking to bounce back from a bad game. This could be big for Kendall’s career if he plays well, as a full-time left guard job could be on the line.
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