Eagles turn to former project with Pro Bowl guard out

Eagles turn to former project with Pro Bowl guard out originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Brett Toth feels ready to start on Thursday night because of what offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland puts him through during the week.

“He tries to fluster you at any given time,” Toth said.

Toth said it’s 24/7. The Eagles’ legendary offensive line coach is constantly keeping his players on their toes, asking questions about any possible way a defense could play a particular snap. Stout wants his backups to be ready if they’re thrust into action.

That happened to Toth against the Broncos on Sunday when Landon Dickerson injured his ankle in the first quarter. And it’ll happen again on Thursday night against the Giants. Because with Dickerson already ruled out, Toth is expected to make his third-career start and his first since the 2023 season.

Is he excited for this chance?

“I’m just focused on doing the job,” Toth said. “I feel like after being in it so long, emotionally you just become numb to it. The person that can stay even-keeled in every situation is the one that’s able to just do your technique and execute the scheme. I don’t think I’ve ever been one to necessarily get excited.”

The Eagles are somewhat limited on options. 

They could move Tyler Steen to left guard and play Matt Pryor at right guard but Stoutland prefers to not move multiple players. So it’s more likely the Eagles will plug-and-play Toth, who has been working as the primary backup at left guard this season.

“That’s the reality of NFL football,” head coach Nick Sirianni said. “You gotta have every guy ready to go, every guy ready to step in because we know there’s injuries, there’s bumps and bruises along the way. Lot of confidence in Brett Toth. I think he’s extremely tough mentally, physically. Extremely high football IQ of what he can see and diagnose. He’s talented. And there’s a reason he’s been with the Philadelphia Eagles as long as he’s been with the Philadelphia Eagles.”

The Eagles first signed Toth as an undrafted player out of Army back in 2019 after he received a military waiver. Back then, Toth was a project for Stoutland. At Army, Toth barely ever had to pass block, so he had a lot to learn at the professional level. While Toth had stints with the Cardinals and Panthers, he has spent most of his NFL career with the Eagles and under Stoutland.

He has been in the NFL since 2019 but Toth has played in just 25 games with just 2 starts.

There were some ups and downs for Toth in his 49 snaps against the Broncos on Sunday. He had some good moments, but there were some rough ones too. Toth gave up a sack and four pressures, according to PFF. 

And his holding penalty to start a fourth-quarter drive wiped out a positive Saquon Barkley run and got the Eagles behind the sticks for a 3-and-out.

“Good things, bad things,” Toth said. “Nothing great, nothing terrible, in my opinion. Obviously, with the hold, gotta be smarter.”

Toth, 29, really tries to be as even-keeled as possible and sometimes that means getting over a mistake quickly. We always hear about the importance of having a short memory at the cornerback position but it can also be true for offensive linemen.

“You’d be surprised how similar mentality-wise, the DB position and offensive line position is,” Toth said. “You’re reactionary. Everything in front of you is what they do to you and you have to react as fast as you can. Some guys are stuck on an island. That’s how it is. The wide receiver and the D-line, they’re the aggressor. It’s all about the other side having to stop it or pass things off.”

While Toth has played tackle and center for the Eagles too, he has settled into his role as the Eagles’ backup left guard early in the 2025 season. He had to outlast players like Kenyon Green and Trevor Keegan to stick in this role.

“Great consistency by him through his time here,” Sirianni said. “Brett’s been here longer than I’ve been here. He’s just a reliable guy that can do multiple things and is good at multiple things. He’s consistent, he has the ability to play multiple spots, we trust him. And he’s done a good job when he’s been able to go in, in time when we’ve needed him.”

It won’t be an easy task on Thursday night. While the Giants (1-4) are in the basement of the NFC, their strength is undoubtedly on their defensive line with players like Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Abdul Carter and, of course, Dexter Lawrence.

Toth on Tuesday called Lawrence a “generational nose tackle” so it won’t be easy for him or the rest of the interior of the Eagles’ offensive line on Thursday night.

What really stands out about Lawrence, Toth said, is how the 340-pounder is able to play so many snaps in a row and remain strong and effective.

“For every person that says Dexter is amazing, he’s even better than you think he is,” Toth said. “That’s well known amongst the offensive line world.”

It doesn’t have to be perfect on Thursday night, but the Eagles will at least need Toth to hold up.

from NFL News, Scores, Fantasy Games and Highlights 2020 | Yahoo Sports https://ift.tt/8k3tuiy