There is a change in the guard for the Philadelphia Eagles…literally after the last few days of news after news.
Philly saw starting right tackle Lane Johnson retire and then starting guard/center Cam Jurgens get traded to the Baltimore Ravens. Starting left guard Landon Dickerson is still on IR, with hopes that he will be off it for Week 6.
That leaves the Eagles with Willie Lampkin at left guard, Drew Kendall at center, and rookie Markel Bell at right guard for their Week 5 London showdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Despite some pessimism from everyone outside of Philly, starting left tackle Jordan Mailata has the full confidence of one of his young starters.
Jordan Mailata Opens Up About New Philadelphia Eagles Starter
Mailata spoke with the media after the Jurgens trade, where he talked about the young guys stepping up. It’s clear that Mailata and the Eagles believe in Lampkin to fill in at left guard.
“His tenacity, his effort, he’s just like a little pocket rocket out there,” Mailata said via NJ.com’s Cayden Steele. “Just so quick and explosive. And so that’s impressed me a lot. Very smart player, knows how to play within his frame and what works for him and what doesn’t.”
During his final two years at North Carolina, Lampkin allowed no sacks over 900 pass-blocking snaps. He shined during the preseason for the Eagles this year, also allowing no sacks in the two games he appeared in.
Eagles Rolling With Willie Lampkin as Starting Left Guard in Week 5
Eagles fans have been calling for Lampkin to start at left guard after Jurgens’ early-season struggles. Everyone wants to see how Lampkin does, since he is a 5-foot-11 offensive lineman, which is rare.
Philly has seen what Lampkin can do in the preseason, proving that he can be a reliable lineman in the league. He had one game where he pushed a defensive lineman nine yards back and then pushed him to the ground another three to five yards.
The Eagles are getting a feisty, ready-to-go bully who can go up against anyone. He might have some challenges against the Jaguars’ big defensive line, but Lampkin is used to taking the fight to them.
While there is a lot of doubt about this Eagles offensive line and team, there is still intrigue to see how they play. A major change like that can either spark the team or sink their season.
The Eagles seem to believe their young linemen can do the job. Everyone is rooting for Lampkin to have a great NFL debut in a big way.
Jordan Mailata Proved Why Eagles Are Confident in Young Undersized Starter