Philadelphia Eagles Position Battle: Royal Rumble at RG

With the beginning of training camp for the Philadelphia Eagles just days away, it’s time to take a closer look at some of the position battles that will be taking place throughout the next month or so. Up first we’ve got a starting spot along the offensive line up for grabs, the rights to replace former veteran Todd Herremans‘ spot at right guard.

There may not be a better way to describe a position battle than to compare them to old school professional wrestling matches, so at right guard, we’ve got ourselves a good ol’ Royal Rumble!

That’s right, the Eagles will have some “no holds barred action!” at right guard during this year’s training camp. But seriously, considering journeyman Allen Barbre appears to have the starting left guard spot locked up, there will be a fierce competition going on at right guard. There’s a diverse mix of players vying for the spot as well, which will certainly make the battle an intriguing one to watch for.

Although there are multiple players battling it out for the right guard spot, there are two men that are ahead of the rest of the pack heading into training camp. 25-year old Matt Tobin (or Yokozuna on the cover above) seems to be the early favorite considering he’s been with the Eagles since 2013 and started seven games this past season, including two starts at right guard. That type of experience in head coach Chip Kelly’s offense, combined with his age make him the early favorite in the Eagles’ Royal Rumble at right guard.

Then there is grizzled veteran Razor Ramon…whoops, I meant John Moffitt. At 28-years old, Moffitt is the elder statesman of the group battling it out for the starting right guard spot but with that age comes a whole lot of experience in the NFL. With 15 career starts, Moffitt has a solid amount of snaps under his belt and actually more than Barbre. But Moffitt is also trying to make an NFL comeback after retiring in November of 2013 to deal with some personal issues. If the veteran can get his head back in the game, he’s actually my personal favorite to win the starting spot.

While Dennis Kelly (Mr. Perfect) and Josh Andrews (Shawn Michaels) have been with the Eagles for over a year now, they likely won’t be in the running for the starting job at right guard. But the two undrafted free agents, Malcolm Bunche (Bret Hart) and Brett Boyko (The Undertaker) could certainly make a push for the job due to their size, athleticism and youthfulness. I’d consider both dark horses to win the starting right guard spot considering both Tobin and Moffitt have issues of their own to deal with.

That all being said, the Royal Rumble at right guard will certainly be one of the most important position battles to watch during training camp for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015. Be sure to check back for more position battles to look out for and possibly more old school wrestling references!

Next: The Other Guards: Allen Barbre, Matt Tobin Must Be Ready

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