Eagles Jeff Stoutland Looking For Something 'Unusual,' Breaks Down Rookie Tackles

When it comes time to deciding which offensive tackles make the cut at the end of training camp, Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland wants something out of the ordinary.

“We like unusual,” said Stoutland following Tuesday’s padded practice at training camp. “There has to be something about you that is unusual. Otherwise, if I close my eyes and they say what’s unusual and I can’t come up with anything, the process becomes easier in terms of who we should keep.”

That’s something to keep in mind when it comes time for some very tough decisions at the position. The Eagles are flush with tackles after starters Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata.

They signed free agent Kendall Lamm, who has played in 119 games in 10 NFL seasons. They are in Year 2 with Australian Laekin Vakalahi, who has a roster exemption as part of the NFL’s Internation Player Pathway program, drafted and Myles Hinton and Cameron Williams, and signed undrafted free agent Hollin Pierce.

There are also veterans such as Matt Pryor and Darian Kinnard who can swing between tackle and guard. The Eagles have given some guard snaps to Pierce and Vakalahi, so far.

The tackle candidates better be unusual because that’s five players for what, two roster spots after Johnson and Mailata?

Pierce is certainly unusual, as Stoutland said. He is 6-8, 340 pounds, long, rangy, and athletic.

“That’s obviously unusual, right?” Stoutland said.

None of particularly stood out at practice, because, well, it’s early and they have only been in full pads once, so far.

So, Stoutland was asked for his assessment of Hinton and Williams.

“Myles is really talented,” he said. “I call them critical factors, and he’s got lots of them. The technique that we’re teaching and why we’re teaching it, that’s the thing that he has to break through and master.

“He needs to push that wall. When Jordan (Mailata) got it all down, it’s like all of a sudden the light comes on and everything starts clicking. He’s not there yet. He’s in the process.”

Williams was drafted 16 spots after Hinton. Both were picked in the sixth round.

“Cameron Williams, again, like Myles, when you find tackles that are very athletic and smooth, they can slide their feet in protection, they’re long, they’re very valuable in this league,” said Stout. “They’re hard to find. So, developing those two players for me is very exciting because they can become anybody they want, they really can.”