By Anthony Fabrikant
The Philadelphia Eagles were lucky enough to avoid the preseason injury bug, but now that the regular season has started we are seeing the first wave of the team’s losses for the season. Cody Parkey set a franchise and NFL rookie record a year ago when he scored 150 points and Andrew Gardner had recently signed a contract extension, solidifying his position as both a starter now, and an expected starter in the future.
Parkey also had groin issues as the 2014 season began to wane, but there hasn’t been any sign of there being a connection. Parkey re-injured his groin before the game Sunday against the New York Jets. Although Parkey would assume his role on kick offs, extra points, and a thirty-yard field goal; Head coach Chip Kelly and his staff noticed a substantial alteration in Parkey’s kick offs. It was clear to the fans as well because Parkey struggled to get distances that normally hadn’t given the Auburn alum any issue.
The Eagles replaced Parkey by signing former fifth-round pick Caleb Sturgis from free agency. Sturgis was once an elite kicker in college while attending Florida University. While there he made 70 field goals, a school record. He ranks third on the university’s all-time scoring list with 340 career points and was an All-American selection in 2012. Sturgis was released prior to the regular season opener for Miami where, over the past two seasons, he connected on 55 of his 71 field goal tries and drained all 74 of his extra point attempts. The Dolphins cut Sturgis in favor of a rookie, Andrew Franks. Sturgis provides stability but lacks the big leg that Parkey provided being Strurgis is 6 for 13 on field goal attempts at 50-yards or more. Although the lack of a big leg hurts, Sturgis is a great option in terms of picking up a guy that is capable of drilling the field goals that he should make.
Andrew Gardner beat out Julian Vandervelde for the starting right guard position in the preseason. Gardner impressed Kelly and the staff in such a way that they inked their newest starter to a 3-year, $4.7M extension. Unfortunately for Kelly, Gardner injured his foot during the first half of the game Sunday against the Jets and his season appears over. The resigning of Vandervelde is a smart move because he already knows the offense and is still in good shape/conditioning from the summer. Vandervelde was one of the final cuts the team made, it is a possibility that Gardner’s misfortune, could result in Vandervelde’s capitalization.
Though the Eagles lost two key components to both their special teams and offensive line, the team has found replacements that are capable and have experience with the team. Sturgis is comparable to a Stephen Gostkowski given his accuracy from 48-yards and closer, and Vandervelde was in contention for a roster spot until the mandated final roster cuts towards the end of the preseason. Injuries are a nature of habit in this game, but the Eagles are well suited for replacing their kicker and starting right guard. Expect to see a lot of Vandervelde and for Sturgis to capitalize on this opportunity.
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