It has worked at times but not as often recently. As a result, the unit has lacked a flat-out stud.
Here is how we grade Reid's three notable offensive line picks and the 2006 draft overall.
A Student
Todd Herremans (4th round, 2005) - He has probably deserved a Pro Bowl nod at least once over the last five years. Currently the left guard, he is the line's most consistent performer.
Failed
Shawn Andrews (1st round, 2004) - Yes, he earned a couple of Pro Bowl invites as a guard, but there were predraft signs that the "Big Kid" was emotionally still a child. His drawn-out descent crippled the Eagles for two seasons.
Incomplete
Winston Justice (2d round, 2006) - It took two seasons, but Justice erased a dreadful first career start against the Giants when he stepped in for the injured Andrews at right tackle. He has one year left, though, to prove he was worth a second-round pick.
2006 Draft Review
At the time of the draft, getting tackle Winston Justice in the second round was considered a steal. So, too, was plucking guard Max Jean-Gilles out of Georgia in the fourth round. Both offensive linemen, though, turned out to be nothing spectacular, which is OK. They each have given the Eagles a number of starts.
The class overall was graded among the best immediately after the draft. Five years later, that opinion appears to be an overstatement. There isn't a star among the eight players chosen, although the Eagles have received valuable contributions from six.
Brodrick Bunkley, the Eagles' No. 1 pick and 14th overall, was named a starting defensive tackle by his second season and has held down the middle of the line, along with Mike Patterson, for many seasons since. But his production has waned.
Chosen in the third round, linebacker Chris Gocong was a fish in need of a 3-4 defense. The Eagles hoped he would solve their strong-side- linebacker needs, but he never quite fit and was traded last offseason.
Jason Avant has been about all you can ask from a fourth-round wide receiver. As the Eagles' third wideout, Avant has increased his production in each of his five seasons. Linebacker Omar Gaither, taken in the fifth round, started in the middle as a rookie and in each game in his second season. Catlike instincts made up for his being neither big nor fast, but Gaither's days as an Eagle are likely numbered.
Grade: B-minus
- Jeff McLane
