Eagles Check Out Pair Of Offensive Linemen
Eagles veteran offensive lineman Allen Barbre is expected to have ankle surgery and may not play again this season, according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan:
#Eagles G/T Allen Barbre (high ankle) is expected to have surgery which could end his season, a league source said.
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) September 9, 2014
Evan Mathis, meanwhile, has an MCL sprain in his left knee and is expected to miss multiple games.
So where do the injuries leave the Eagles? At right tackle, Lane Johnson still has to serve his suspension for three more games. Andrew Gardner filled in at that spot Sunday against the Jaguars and appears to be the favorite to start there going forward.
At left guard, the team is still without Matt Tobin (ankle). David Molk stepped in at guard vs. the Jaguars, but he’s primarily on the roster as a backup center. Dennis Kelly was inactive Sunday, but it seems likely that he’d step in with the first team this week and play left guard. Kelly played both guard and tackle as a rookie in 2012.
Regardless of who starts, the Eagles need bodies. They brought in a couple veterans today – right tackle Eric Winston and guard Wade Smith, according to Adam Caplan.
Winston (6-7, 302) was a 16-game starter for the Arizona Cardinals last year. He started 112 straight games from 2007 to 2013, spending five seasons with the Houston Texans and one with the Kansas City Chiefs during that span.
The 30-year-old spent the summer with the Seattle Seahawks before getting released a couple weeks ago. According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today, Winston has already visited and left without a deal.
Smith (6-4, 295), meanwhile, has started 98 games since being drafted in the third round of the 2003 draft. He started 64 straight games at left guard for the Houston Texans from 2010 to 2013. Smith previously spent two seasons apiece with the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. Like Winston, he spent the summer with the Seahawks before being released.
Smith has some experience playing center and tackle as well. He is 33 years old.