Getty Eagles GM Howie Roseman chats with head coach Nick Sirianni prior to a game in 2021.
The Philadelphia Eagles have the best offensive line in football. It’s not up for debate at this point, especially after the unit went wire-to-wire in the Pro Football Focus rankings. The only knock was penalties as they tied for the most penalized line in the NFL with 44 flags thrown on them this season.
Outside of that, perfection at every position. The Eagles cannot ever let offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland get out of the building. Hand him a lifetime contract. Every player he throws out there seems to thrive, from perennial Pro Bowlers like Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson to youngsters like Jordan Mailata and Landon Dickerson. And then there is the curious case of right guard Isaac Seumalo, a guy who might be the most underappreciated player in the entire league.
Well, the secret is getting out on Seumalo’s consistent dominance and the 29-year-old might be ready to cash in as an unrestricted free agent in 2023. Spotrac projects a contract of around $12.1 million per year. Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine listed Seumalo as an overlooked veteran that should be prioritized. He thinks the talented Super Bowl champion may get lost in the shuffle.
Eagles key free agents this off-season: DT Javon Hargrave, DT Fletcher Cox, RB Miles Sanders, DB Chauncey Gardner Johnson, CB James Bradberry, LB Kyzir White, G Isaac Seumalo, S Marcus Epps, DE Robert Quinn, QB Gardner Minshew, OT Andre Dillard, DT Ndamukong Suh, DT Linval…
The Eagles have 19 unrestricted free agents, plus one exclusive rights free agent (Tyree Jackson). General manager Howie Roseman knows he can’t possibly bring everyone back. Ballentine sees the versatile Seumalo exiting in free agency, perhaps the victim of an unfortunate numbers crunch in Philly:
Seumalo could get lost in the shuffle on the Eagles elite offensive line. Between Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata, they have one of the highly touted units in the league.
But Seumalo more than pulled his weight as PFF’s 10th-rated guard this season. Not only was he a big reason for all of the Eagles’ success on the ground, but he only gave up one sack and drew just six penalties.
Fortunately for other teams, the Eagles are going to have a hard time bringing Seumalo back. They have an extensive list of free agents from the roster that won the NFC championship including Hargrave, Kelce, James Bradberry, Miles Sanders and C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
False start on Isaac Seumalo
Seumalo ‘Definitely’ Wants to Return to Philadelphia
Seumalo’s desired preference is to return to the best offensive line in football. No ifs, ands, or buts about that. The former third-round pick put his feelings on record prior to the Super Bowl during a quick interview with Chase Senior on Radio Row.
“Yeah, definitely, there is no doubt about that,” Seumalo said. “I love the O-line room guys. I love Stout. But I’ll worry about all that stuff later.”
Isaac Seumalo has earned himself some money this season, with NFL Free Agency looming. Asked if he’d like to be back: “Yea, definitely.”
Great conversation with him: t.co/rXjuzCiiEC
Lane Johnson Delivers Ringing Endorsement
Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson has been down in the trenches with Seumalo since 2016. He’s been an eyewitness to his development and growth as one of the NFL’s best guards, offering advice and positive reinforcement along his journey.
Johnson called Seumalo “the most versatile athlete” on the Eagles’ offensive line back at training camp in July. Remember, Seumalo was coming off a season-ending foot injury from 2021.
“Isaac’s played a lot of football around here,” Johnson told reporters on July 29, “and he’s really the only guy who has played every position, from left tackle to right tackle. So probably the most versatile athlete we have at the offensive line position. But, we just leave it to practice, and then you can tell a lot more once pads come on, and you can kind of get the physicalness that you want to in the run game, so we’re still waiting but he’s looking very good so far.”
Jason Kelce on Isaac Seumalo
The Eagles had been using Seumalo as a band-aid at guard over his first three seasons before making him a full-time starter midway through the 2018 campaign. (He was a backup to Stefen Wisniewski at left guard for Super Bowl LII). The affable Hawaiian kept his head high and put in the time, and shined in every role. He has appeared in 81 career games (60 starts).