The Philadelphia Eagles trade with the Baltimore Ravens for defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan last week turned out to be quite timely.
The Philadelphia Inquirer was first to report over the weekend that fellow tackle Beau Allen suffered a chest/pectoral injury while working out that is expected to require surgery. He could be sidelined until September.
Allen was expected to replace Bennie Logan in the starting lineup after Logan signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency. Competition was added to the defensive tackle position on Tuesday when the Eagles moved back 25 spots in the third round to acquire the 24-year-old Jernigan from Baltimore. Two days later, Allen got hurt.
Given the latest development, Jernigan should vault right into the starter's role next to Fletcher Cox. The former second-round pick out of Florida State had five sacks last season despite having some two-gap responsibilities in the Ravens' 3-4 defense. He'll be cut loose in defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz's attack 4-3 scheme and could prove an effective weapon on the interior.
While Allen could make it back towards the earlier portion of the Eagles' schedule, it's to be determined just how quickly he'll regain full strength and full form. The team will need to have other rotational options in the pipeline. Perhaps the answer lies within. Destiny Vaeao, an undrafted free agent out of Washington State, showed some encouraging signs as a rookie, and Stanford's Aziz Shittu may find his way onto the roster as well. The Eagles could also use one of their eight picks in the upcoming 2017 NFL Draft to address defensive tackle. They have looked into Washington's Elijah Qualls and Michigan's Ryan Glasgow, among others. Both Qualls and Glasgow could end up being mid-round picks.
While the injury to Allen is a hit, the fact Jernigan is in the fold makes what could have been a worrisome situation a more manageable one.
