Danny

Watkins

With Watkins and C Jason Kelce finally catching on to Howard Mudd’s scheme, the Eagles’ offensive line has gone from one of the shakiest in the league to one of the best over the past three games. The Eagles are No. 1 in the NFL in offense, on pace to break the 2000 Rams’ record for most total yards in a season.

Jeremiah has inside knowledge, of course, as an Eagles scout last season. Watkins, the 23rd overall player in the 2011 draft, came on strong at the end of the year after starting slowly. Jeremiah believes Watkins will “help create a lot of room” for LeSean McCoy to run inside this season.

Watkins, 28, will miss Monday night’s game against the Saints after coming out of the team’s Week 7 bye with an ankle ailment. Head coach Andy Reid described Watkins’ ankle history as “chronic” earlier in the season and said he knew about the issue before the Eagles took him at No. 23 in the 2011 NFL Draft. Watkins had two sprains in each ankle at Baylor, and a source from the university told beat reporter Jeff McLane that Watkins even had a broken bone in one of his ankles during his senior season but didn’t miss a game. The second-year lineman doesn’t have a timetable for return.

Watkins is still struggling to “move laterally,” but he’s been horrible in pass protection in 2012 anyway. Dennis Kelly will start at right guard for the second consecutive week, and he could run with the job if he holds up.

Watkins has been a liability for much of this season, but his return will at least be a talent upgrade for the much-maligned Eagles’ offensive line. Expect him to slide back into the starting right guard spot, kicking Dennis Kelly to right tackle and King Dunlap to left tackle. That will put turnstile Demetress Bell back on the bench.

Watkins is listed as doubtful with an ankle injury, but it’s fair to wonder if this depth-chart change is based more on performance. Last year’s 23rd overall pick in the draft has been destroyed in pass protection this season, and Andy Reid shook things up during Philadelphia’s Week 7 bye. Kelly is a 6-foot-8, 321-pound mammoth project. He’s certainly no lock to be an upgrade.

Watkins was struggling badly anyway, so we wouldn’t consider Dennis Kelly a real downgrade. Otherwise, the Eagles are coming out of their bye and healthy. The weather is expected to hold up reasonably well through most of this game. The rest of their inactives: QB Trent Edwards, WR Damaris Johnson, RB Dion Lewis, LB Jamar Chaney, OL Nate Menkin and DL Vinny Curry.

Watkins can’t plant laterally on his sprained ankle, but the Eagles aren’t rushing him anyway. The 2011 first-round pick has had a brutally disappointing season. Dennis Kelly gets another start and could run with the job if he has another solid performance.

This move gets the struggling Demetress Bell off the field. Bell yielded five QB pressures and two sacks in the Eagles’ Week 10 loss to the Cowboys. Kelly gave up five pressures of his own against Dallas, with one converted for a sack. LG Evan Mathis says this is a stronger grouping, but we’re not confident they will be able to turn things around and effectively protect Nick Foles this Sunday against the Redskins.

That’s just not getting it done, and it’s a big factor in the beating Michael Vick has taken in 2012. The Eagles offensive line will have to do a better job of protecting Vick after they return from their Week 7 bye.