Andre Dillard Likely out for Season, What's Next?

The Eagles were counting on last year's No. 1 draft pick to take over at left tackle, but a biceps injury that requires surgery ended those plans, so maybe Jason Peters moves back, or is there somebody else the team may have in mind?

PHILADELPHIA – One minute, Andre Dillard was practicing on Thursday. The next he was nowhere to be seen.

Turns out the Eagles left tackle went inside shortly after practice began and now, he won’t be seen in pads again until next year.

Last year’s first-round draft pick Dillard was expected to take over for perennial Pro Bowler Jason Peters, but he suffered a biceps injury that will require surgery. The injury will cost him the season, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Dillard was progressing in camp. He had some good moments, but enough bad moments for some concern to develop as to whether or not he could successfully hold the job over the course of 16 games.

Without any offseason work in OTAs or minicamps, Dillard was still working through things, however, and head coach Doug Pederson never expressed any concerns about the trust he had in Dillard.

“I've been really impressed obviously with Dillard and his growth, obviously his strength and what he did this off-season coming into camp mentally and physically prepared,” said Pederson prior to Wednesday’s practice, the day before Dillard got hurt. “He's done a really nice job for us. He has really stepped in and embraced that role at left tackle.”

In the same breath, Pederson talked about how Jordan Mailata is progressing. Mailata, the seventh-round draft pick two years ago who had never played football, only rugby, has gotten much of his camp work at right tackle, with Lane Johnson still unable to practice due to an injury, but Pederson said Mailata could have been a candidate to be a swing tackle.

Now, maybe he’s a candidate to start at left tackle.

“Mailata is doing some good things,” said Pederson. “He flashes from time to time. Again, keeping in mind that football is relatively new to him. He doesn't have a lot of game experience, obviously, outside of preseason games in the past, but is doing a really good job for us there at left tackle, as well, and could potentially be someone that maybe could swing from left to right if need be.”

The Eagles have also gotten Matt Pryor reps at left tackle. Then there’s rookie sixth-round pick Prince Tega Wanogho. Putting a rookie in charge of quarterback Carson Wentz’s blindside may be too big of an ask at this stage, even though Wanogho was widely considered more of a third-round pick, but uncertainty over a knee injury caused him to drop.

Of course, the most obvious replacement for Dillard is the guy he was replacing – Peters.

Peters had a planned maintenance day off on Thursday, but he has taken only reps so far in camp at right guard.

It will be hard to ignore his history at the position in making the decision on who plays left tackle now. Peters had been the Eagles’ starting left tackle since 2009, though he missed the 2012 season with a torn Achilles and King Dunlap stepped in.

If the Eagles move Peters, Pryor would likely start at right guard. It was assumed Pryor would start there, after Brandon Brooks tore his Achilles in early June, but that was until the Eagles brought Peters back in July to be their guard.

Now, Peters may once again be the left tackle.

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