Joe Thuney joining the Philadelphia Eagles is a very interesting idea.
It wasn’t news that the Philadelphia Eagles front office, their coaching staff, or their players took easily. Three-time Pro Bowler and right guard Brandon Brooks tore his Achilles while working out at the NovaCare Complex in mid-June. That isn’t ideal for a squad where Brooks was poised to make a big impact in the 2020 season.
This isn’t his first Achilles injury. The 31-year-old suffered a right Achilles tear in the 2018 divisional round and rehabbed in about eight months. Once the 2019 season concluded, he had earned his third Pro-Bowl selection after notching another career year.
This is the third significant injury Brooks has had in the past three years. He’s torn both Achilles tendons, and he dislocated his shoulder in the 2019 regular-season finale. At 31-years-old, it’s not impossible to rehab from those injuries. It’s just more difficult.
So what is the next step for the “Birds” to take? Enter stage left with New England Patriots guard Joe Thuney.
There are commentators that say New York Jets safety Jamal Adams is the best fit if the Eagles can snag him. He’s also expressed that Philadelphia is one of his top destinations of choice.
Still, one of the more interesting rumors is linking Joe Thuney to the Eagles. Some may scratch their heads because the Patriots placed the franchise tag on him during the offseason and because the 27-year-old is due to earn $14.78 million during the 2020 season and is likely to land a big contract extension.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman is unlikely to shell out that type of money in the current atmosphere. Thuney would be expensive, but the Eagles have about $25 million in salary-cap space to take the hit.
Here’s why Thuney to the Philadelphia Eagles makes perfect sense.
Philadelphia Eagles
Thuney’s resume backs up the hefty price tag. He’s never missed a game in his NFL career, and at six-foot-five and 308 pounds, you can argue that he’s been the league’s third-best guard over the past two seasons. He’d be an asset to keeping quarterback Carson Wentz upright in the pocket, and the argument can be made that, given his youth, he hasn’t reached his prime yet.
Thuney has only allowed a mere seven sacks in 64 games played and given how porous the O-line has been for Wentz, he would be a huge asset and a good fill for the hole left by Brooks.
The rumors about his addition to Philly are only that. They’re rumors. Thuney has until July 15th to work on a deal with the Pats and Roseman would likely only look at him if there was serious concern about the future of Brooks’ playing career, but he should be considered as someone who would bring some much-needed security to the offensive line.