The Philadelphia Eagles are already working to find a successor to Lane Johnson after his stunning retirement announcement.
For now, the Eagles are looking at rookie third-round pick Markel Bell to replace Johnson starting in Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Philly will most likely use the 2-26 season as an audition tape for Bell to figure out if he’s the guy.
The Eagles do have other options, though, that don’t require Bell to be the guy. There might be another option via trade that might make more sense to replace Johnson.
Philadelphia Eagles Have Trade Option for Lane Johnson’s Successor
Pro Football Focus’s Bradley Locker listed players who could be good trade candidates in the NFL. The Eagles were named as a possible fit for Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Dylan Cook.
“Cook began the season as the Steelers’ starting right tackle, securing a 76.4 overall PFF grade and allowing five pressures over 94 pass-blocking snaps. Moreover, he filled in solidly at left tackle to close last season with a 77.4 overall mark. However, he was benched for first-round pick Max Iheanachor prior to Week 3.
Pittsburgh very well may elect to retain Cook after trading Broderick Jones before the year, but teams could offer non-trivial capital for a possible starter at either tackle spot. The Eagles look to hand the reins to rookie Markel Bell following Lane Johnson’s sudden retirement, but Cook could be an upgrade at right tackle. Meanwhile, the Packers, Texans and Saints all rank 26th or worse in overall grade at the position, either due to injury or underperformance.”
Cook has started in two of the four games he has played for the Steelers this season. He has allowed 5 pressures and 1 sack in 94 pass-blocking snaps.
PFF gave Cook an overall grade of 76.4, ranking 10th out of 69 eligible tackles. He also has a pass-blocking grade of 73.7 (ranked 26th) and a run-blocking grade of 81.4 (ranked 7th).
Dylan Cook Could Be a Solid Replacement for Lane Johnson
The Eagles’ offensive line is in flux, with three new starters set to take over in Week 5 after Week 1. Landon Dickerson is still on IR, and Cam Jurgens is in concussion protocol.
Philly will most likely test Bell out over the next few weeks. If it doesn’t work out, they could call the Steelers to trade for Cook.
The good thing about Cook is that he’s young, but he hasn’t played many snaps in the NFL. Despite his good start to the year, the Eagles would also be taking a chance on Cook being a full-time starter.
This will be an interesting time for the Eagles to see how they will look without Johnson. They could make plenty of potential trades, with all the injuries and Johnson’s retirement happening in the last few weeks.
Eagles Urged to Replace Lane Johnson With 305-Pound Protector Via Trade