Adrian Fedkiw
Forget about hitting the weights, hopefully Jason Kelce has been hitting Five Guys every day this offseason.
Kelce will be the starting center at beginning of training camp and the regular season, but he’ll be peering over his shoulder if 2016 is anything like last season.
The Philadelphia Eagles agreed to a one-year deal with guard/center Stefen Wisniewski on Monday. He will be thrust into a training camp battle for the starting left guard spot. The 27-year-old Wisniewski started 15 games at left guard during his rookie season in 2011, but has played center ever since. He was the 19th ranked center while playing for Jacksonville last year, according to Pro Football Focus.
Don’t be shocked if he’s the starter there by season’s end.
Kelce has a lot to prove, not only bouncing back from a disastrous year but transitioning from playing finesse football to a power game. Kelce was a fantastic pulling center on Chip Kelly’s patented sweep play using his athleticism to get along the boundary and block defenders. He’s great at getting to the second level and blocking in the screen game. But the power game and moving massive men backwards? It’s a question mark. Remember how Ndamukong Suh manhandled Kelce when the Eagles played the Miami Dolphins last year?
Kelce’s playing weight was approximately between 280-285 pounds last year. Kansas City’s starting center in 2015, Mitch Morse, is 305. Wisniewski is also 305. Hopefully Kelce can be around the 300 mark by the start of training camp.
Let’s remember, however, that Kelce will be getting more help this season. Evan Mathis and Todd Herremans were of course not retained heading into 2015 and the lack of cohesion and talent between Kelce and his guards showed. The offseason signing of Brandon Brooks will provide a huge boost for Kelce.
Just two years ago many considered Kelce a top 10 or even a fringe top five center. Now he’s at a crossroads in his career. He’ll be given the first month or two to quiet the critics and show he can get back to his old self. If that first month looks anything like 2015, however, head coach Doug Pederson might have a tough decision to make at center moving forward.