‘Speed kills’: Eagles’ Lane Johnson raves about offseason upgrades on offense

[UK_EaglesFan89]

‘Speed kills’: Eagles’ Lane Johnson raves about offseason upgrades on offense

 

Lane Johnson says he’s excited about the speed upgrades the Eagles made at wide receiver this offseason.

During the draft weekend in April, the Eagles selected three speedsters, including first-round wide receiver Jalen Reagor, and traded for veteran Marquise Goodwin.

Johnson, the team’s starting right tackle, explained to NFL Network’s Good Morning Football that the influx of speed will make the Eagles tough to defend on offense.

"We’ve got some speed now. Speed kills,” Johnson said Wednesday. "So along with DeSean (Jackson), we’ve got a bunch of 4.3 guys that can really separate the field.”

PJackson, Reagor, Goodwin, fifth-round pick John Hightower and sixth-round pick Quez Watkins are expected to bring a speed element to the offense that was missed throughout most of last season. Jackson was a revelation for the Eagles in their Week 1 win over Washington, but he suffered a groin injury in Week 2 and was shelved for almost the entire season due to the ailment.

Now, even if Jackson struggles to stay healthy, the Eagles will have Reagor and Goodwin to fill the void. Still, Johnson says the Eagles will need to stay durable in order to contend for second Lombardi Trophy this season.

"Really I think a lot of it is just staying healthy,” Johnson said. "Speaking for myself and for other guys, if we stay healthy, I believe we’ll be contenders again.”

PAlong with the influx of youth and speed at the wide receiver position, the Eagles also brought back legendary lineman Jason Peters on Tuesday. The longtime left tackle will make the transition to right guard, as former first-round pick Andre Dillard settles in on the blindside.

Johnson, who has played with Peters throughout his career, is glad to have the former All-Pro back in Philadelphia. With Brandon Brooks on the shelf with a torn Achilles tendon, Peters is a solid solution to a tough problem in Johnson’s mind.

"You can’t really replace a Brandon Brooks, who is the best guard in the league, but yeah, this has been in the works for a few weeks, I guess,” Johnson said. "Finally working out the details, and getting the big man back, and I’m excited. I’m excited to have him next to me. A guy that I looked up to and who has been my mentor since I came into the league, so that’s huge for us.”

https://www.nj.com/eagles/2020/07/speed-kills-eagles-lane-johnson-talks-about-offseason-upgrades-on-offense.html

[matchew88]

An OL on the WR's? Why not ask the punter while you're at it.

[time2rock]

I'm reserving any judgement over the addition of Peters and containing any excitement over the speed element the new WRs bring to the offense until we see them in action.  All appear to be potentially nice moves on paper, but we all know what you see on paper doesn't always (or even usually) translate to the field.