Still Injured, Seumalo in Mix for Starting Left Guard Spot

Even with uncertainty still surrounding Lane Johnson, Eagles coach Doug Pederson admitted today that if Johnson is eligible to play Sept. 11 against the Browns he will be the starter at right tackle. 

"This is something that we wrestle with every day," Pederson admitted. "I'll tell you this: If he's ready to go, then he's our guy. You just go with that, because he's got plenty of reps in training camp."

The message from Pederson was simple; if Johnson is ready he is the guy - but what does that mean for Allen Barbre?

"Right now he would go back to left guard," Pederson explained. "I think he had a tremendous camp and tremendous offseason at left guard, and you kind of put the pieces back in place."

Barbre has been starting at right tackle ever since a report that Johnson could miss up to 10 games due to a suspension.  With Barbre moving out to tackle, the Eagles inserted third-round pick Isaac Seumalo in at his vacated left guard spot. Seumalo missed the Eagles third preseason game vs the Colts with a pectoral injury and is still listed as day-to-day.  The Eagles have apparently seen enough of him to consider him an option to start at left guard.

"Whether he (Seumalo) is or he isn’t, he’s shown us enough that gives us a lot of depth at that position and some versatility up front," Pederson said when asked if he shown you enough to be the Eagles starter.

That injury led Philadelphia to insert Stefan Wisniewski at left guard, with Barbre over to the right tackle. Those two stared the Eagles third preseason game. But Philadelphia is now in an interesting spot with the Johnson situation still not resolved.

"We've seen enough from the [G] Isaacs [Semualo] and [C/G Stefen] Wisniewskis, and [G/T] Allen [Barbre] over there at right tackle that we know we've got the combination of guys – and ‘Big V’ [T Halapoulivaati Vaitai] got plenty of reps – to sustain this thing through the duration," Pederson stated. 

One thing is for sure, Seumalo will not play Thursday against the Jets, but he just might Sept 11 against the Browns.