PHILADELPHIA – For the past three years, there has been talk about the Eagles drafting Lane Johnson’s successor, and this spring is no different. The right tackle will turn 35 in May, and maybe that time will be now.
Johnson is fine with it.
“Where I’m at in my career, I love talking to the younger guys and helping these guys out and you can see their game develop and being able to pass that stuff down the way it was passed down to me is a cool thing,” he said during a videoconference call on Wednesday morning.
“It’s not like that at every place. I think the culture here has been this way for a long time, and players have always looked out for the best interests of the team and organization, so I would be honored to be a part of that process. Whoever we draft and whoever we bring in, I’ll be here to help.”
The Eagles have always taken advantage of the “grooming” process, as far back as when Johnson was drafted fourth overall in 2013. Jason Peters was in place at left tackle and the thought was Jonson would take over at left tackle when Peters was done.
Except Peters was far from done. He was 31 when Johnson arrived and was coming off an Achilles injury that sidelined him for the entire 2012 season. Also, Johnson started at right tackle and excelled. He has been an anchor on that side ever since.
Other players were drafted and groomed, such as Jalen Carter to learn behind Fletcher Cox and Cam Jurgens to learn from Jason Kelce.
General manager Howie Roseman received a lot of input from Kelce on his replacement, and it sounds like he is checking in with Johnson, too, on an eventual successor. That doesn’t mean it will happen next month when the draft begins.
“If there’s any questions (about a draft prospect), Howie might ask an opinion on a player and I’ll give my opinion, but for me just being honest and transparent where I’m at and how I feel after each season,” he said. “I’m signed to play three more years, that’s barring injuries or any of that, and as long as my body’s feeling good and I’m not progressing or becoming a shell of my former self, I love doing this.
"I could very well play three more years, but I think at every stage especially after you get past where I am, where are you after each season. If any decision is going to be made it’s going to be a few months into an offseason of whatever year that is. It’s not this one.”
