Philadelphia Eagles: Which Free Agent Guards Fit Best?

Following the release of Pro Bowl guard Evan Mathis, the Philadelphia Eagles are in a tough yet predictable spot. Many were already questioning the team’s age and depth along the offensive line, yet with Mathis’ release that question became even bigger. Now that the Eagles have an open roster spot, which free agent guards would fit best in Philadelphia? Let’s take a look.

When looking at a list of current free agent guards, it isn’t exactly flattering. These guys are all free agents in June for a reason, but some offer a bit of value. Justin Blalock is the biggest name on the list, considering his starting experience and success with the Atlanta Falcons. But the 31-year old was just released by the Falcons because he doesn’t really fit well in a zone blocking scheme, which just so happens to be exactly what the Eagles use. That means Blalock’s name will likely be scratched off the team’s short list of players they may reach out to.

Then there is former Cincinnati Bengals guard Mike Pollak, who is certainly a name to watch for. At 30-years old, Pollak isn’t offering much upside but the Eagles are trying to win now and he certainly would fit in immediately in Philadelphia. With eight seasons in the NFL under his belt, Pollak would certainly add some much needed starting experience to the Eagles at guard. He’s started at both left guard and right guard throughout his career, even playing some spot duty at center as well. That type of versatility is something the Eagles have shown to value in the past.

But Pollak isn’t just some old slouch either, he’s an athletic player as well. Although it was way back in 2008, Pollak tested very well during the pre-draft process including a 40-yard dash of 4.99 seconds, which isn’t much slower than left tackle Jason Peters‘ time of 4.93 seconds. Pollak also posted an absurd number in the 20-yard shuttle of 4.47 seconds, which would be the fastest of any of the Eagles’ projected starters outside of center Jason Kelce. Although he’s obviously regressed as an athlete since then, Pollak is still an impressive athlete for an offensive linemen.

The main knock on Pollak seems to be his ability to stay healthy, having missed nearly 30 games over the past three seasons. But then again, Kelly has had no problem acquiring injury prone players in the past, especially this offseason when he’s had full control of all personnel decisions. If the Eagles are looking for a veteran guard that’s a solid athlete and has plenty of starting experience, Pollak just might be who they’re looking for.

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There’s always a chance that the Eagles are looking for a younger option that could possess some potential upside. If that’s the case, the team could look at former first-round pick and widely labeled “bust,” Gabe Carimi. Why in the world would the Eagles sign a guy that’s failed on three other teams in just four seasons in the NFL?

It’s quite simple, sometimes a player just needs a change of scenery, system or position to succeed in the NFL. But it just so happens that Carimi could very well need all three. There’s no way around it, Carimi has been downright awful as an offensive tackle in the NFL. Luckily the Eagles are set there with Peters and Lane Johnson on the outside, they wouldn’t need Carimi to play tackle.

That being said, Carimi landing in Philadelphia could be a perfect situation for both sides. At 6-7, 314 pounds with 35-inch arms, Carimi is a mammoth of a man, but he possesses some intriguing athletic traits. During the pre-draft process in 2011, Carimi ran a 40-yard dash of 5.18 seconds, which isn’t that impressive. But he posted a vertical jump of 31 1/2-inches and a broad jump of 109-inches, those are impressive numbers for a man his size.

In fact, according to Mockdraftable, Carimi compares favorably to Donovan Smith and Cameron Erving, two of the top offensive linemen in this year’s NFL Draft:

That’s ironic considering the Eagles showed quite a bit of interest in Smith during the pre-draft process, even bringing him in to the Novacare Complex for a visit. But it’s not like Carimi just projects well to guard in the Eagles’ system because of his size and athleticism, he has played reasonably well at guard when given a chance there in the NFL thus far.

In 2012, during his second season in the NFL, Carimi was finally switched over to guard for weeks 12 through 15 of the regular season with the Chicago Bears. During those four games at guard, Carimi allowed 0 quarterback sacks or hits and just 2 hurries, earning himself a +4.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. Since then, Carimi hasn’t seen steady snaps at guard having played for two different teams in the last two seasons.

But the Eagles could provide Carimi with the opportunity to play guard once again. For those doubting that Carimi could turn his career around this late, just look at Mathis’ career prior to signing with the Eagles in 2011. He was mostly a back-up offensive linemen that had one notable season in 2009 with the Bengals. Other than that, Mathis was on three different teams through his first five seasons in the NFL and eventually found the perfect situation for himself in Philadelphia.

Then again, the Eagles and Kelly could feel incredibly confident in the offensive linemen they already have on their roster in Allen Barbre, Matt Tobin, Andrew Gardner and the rest of the young group. But it would certainly make sense for the team to fill their lone open roster spot with some competition at guard, especially either Pollak or Carimi. Both players bring something different to the table but could each fill a need in the City of Brotherly Love.

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

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