The departure of Todd Herremans and Evan Mathis have left two noticeable holes at both guard positions. Jason Peters, still a stalwart at left tackle, is turning 34 this season. Jason Kelce is the presumed center and Lane Johnson has done well at right tackle. But those two spots on the inside, if not filled, will cause the Eagles' new interior run game some serious troubles if not fastened down by the regular season.
Right now, with training camp looming, Allen Barbre is etched into Mathis' former spot and Matt Tobin in Herremans' former right guard stance.
But there's always room for improvement, and always room for someone who can make their name. A name we haven't heard in some time is Julian Vandervelde.
A fifth-round pick by the Eagles in the 2011 NFL Draft, Vandervelde had an all-Big Ten career at Iowa with enough versatility to play at center and guard. He's appeared in 16 games for Philadelphia, though hasn't shown coaches enough to pencil him in as a potential starter.
He was placed on the waived/injured list a year ago following a back surgery before being signed on again in October as the Eagles' offensive line injuries piled up.
With little to show for his professional career thus far, and with opportunities possibly opening on the front line, Vandervelde is trying to position himself to keep his roster spot.
"Every year, you try to get better at what you do and perfect your craft to a greater degree," he said, via Quad-City Times (Iowa). "It gets to a point where that is harder to accomplish, but you do what you can to find some area where you can be a little faster, a little stronger, or maybe compete a little smarter."
He's been putting in the time near his old alma mater, at Angerer Strength and Performance, a business venture set up by former Iowa and Colts linebacker Pat Angerer.
He's hoping the work he's put in with his old teammate has helped him get where he needs to be heading into training camp.
"I feel strong and ready," he said. "I've had a good offseason of preparation, probably as good as I've had. My training has been good and I feel like I have made the improvement that I have been working to make. The devil is in the detail and that is what I've been working on."
The sudden openings on the line make it somewhat more probable that Vandervelde could earn a spot when the Eagles cut their roster down to 53, but it's a glimmer of a chance.
Phil Sheridan of ESPN has Vandervelde as a "cut" for his 53-man roster projection, along with David Molk, the No. 2 on the depth chart after Jason Kelce.
But hope springs eternal in NFL training camp, and right now it's Julian Vandervelde's most precious commodity.
"That's the hope, that you put yourself in a position to arrive at camp ready to perform at a high level," he said. "I have an understanding of the expectations and I feel like I am prepared to go into camp and benefit from the strength and agility work that I've put into it."
@MrJamesParks
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