On Monday, Eagles players said that there were no changes made to the starting offensive line during the bye week.
There’s now different word coming out of Philly. Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com reports that a team source has told him that there will in fact be a change when the Eagles convene on Wednesday to start practicing ahead of their game against the Falcons.
Per Frank, King Dunlap will take over at left tackle and Demetress Bell will return to the bench in Week Eight. It’s not the first time the Eagles have made a switch at the position since losing Jason Peters, who the team hopes can still return this year, to an Achilles injury during the offseason. Bell was signed as a free agent and given first crack at the job, but Dunlap wound up as the starter when the season got underway. Bell replaced Dunlap because of an injury and held onto the job once Dunlap was back in action, but the team has apparently decided that they want to revert back to their original choice at the position.
We’ve seen both men play the position this season and there hasn’t been a tremendous difference in the offense with one man or the other in the lineup. That doesn’t mean it isn’t the right move for what the Eagles want to do over the rest of the season, but the problems on offense can’t be pinned solely on the left tackles.