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There is no doubt that the Philadelphia Eagles, the reigning Super Bowl champions, have earned recognition in recent years for having one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. They have consistently developed young talent that later becomes NFL stars.
A clear example of the Eagles' offensive line dominance was last season. The leader, of course, was Saquon Barkley, a league star. However, during his time with the New York Giants, his dominance was inconsistent. But since arriving in Philadelphia, Barkley-thanks to the of the offensive line-has been simply unstoppable.
Saquon recorded 2,005 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns during the regular season, coming very close to breaking Eric Dickerson's record. His achievements were due to his talent but, above all, to his outstanding offensive line.
The Eagles have lost key offensive line pieces in free agency
Philadelphia lost Mekhi Becton, a key player who is now with the Los Angeles Chargers. However, success in these units often depends on depth at the position, and the Eagles have suffered a significant loss.
Fred Johnson, a backup tackle for the Eagles, has signed a contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars in search of a starting opportunity in the NFL. Johnson started five games last season and performed well enough to attract interest from other teams.
With Fred Johnson's departure, the Eagles now lack a quality backup behind their star tackles, Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata.
"Losing Fred Johnson is an underestimated significant loss because 'Big Fred' played well in his five starts last year-one at right tackle, four at left tackle-and his departure leaves the Eagles without a clear successor as that third tackle capable of playing on both sides," wrote Reuben Frank of NBC. "It's not an ideal situation, but when you have Stout on your side, you know he'll find a solution."
This situation makes it likely that the Eagles will seek depth at the position in the NFL Draft, aiming to remain dominant in the league.