Kyle DeVan will start at RG in place of Danny Watkins.

The angle getting all the attention is the benching of Watkins so I’ll start there. First, any notion that Danny is a bust is crazy. The Eagles loved him prior to the draft. They were ecstatic to get him. They still have high expectations for him.

That said, you can’t ignore the fact he’s behind schedule. One of the selling points for drafting a player who was 26 1/2 years old was that he would be a quick learner and could get on the field right away. That’s logical thinking and I don’t fault the team for having that mindset.

The problem is that the light never went on for Danny this summer. This isn’t about his holdout costing him a couple of days. Danny simply isn’t playing with the kind of certainty and confidence you need in an O-lineman. He’s thinking, but too slowly. Danny is methodical at a spot where things must be done instantly.

Danny has shown the physical skills the Eagles were looking for when they took him in the 1st round last April. What he hasn’t done is adapt well. He’s learning a new position. A new side. A new offense. A new blocking scheme. And adjusting to life in the big city (literally). Danny admitted in an interview the other day that he’s overwhelmed by it all. Is this a cause for concern?

I don’t think so. Just because you’re behind schedule doesn’t mean you won’t be successful. Some players take to the NFL like a fish to water. Others need some time to adjust and get in their comfort zone. The situation is tough on Watkins because he didn’t have the normal offseason. Normally rookies learn in May and June. They come to Lehigh and then have to deal with putting what they’ve learned in drills into live action.

So if Jason Kelce is able to adapt, why not Watkins? Kelce played Center last year at Cincy. He was a LG the year before. He knows how to play on the inside. Danny was a LT for 2 years. He was in a 2-point stance 95% of the time (maybe 99%). Danny played in a spread offense where he was blocking pass rushers on the edge. Now he’s taking on 330-pound DTs in a phone booth. Kelce doesn’t have nearly as complicated a transition.

There’s no sugarcoating the fact that Watkins has been disappointing, but understand we’re talking strictly about results. He’s got the talent. He’s got the work ethic. He’s got the right attitude. The light will go on. He just needs reps and coaching. The Eagles gave him as long as they possibly could. They kept waiting for that moment when things would click and Danny would show that he’s ready. Hasn’t happened yet so we have to move him to the back burner and go with another player at RG.

Now, onto the man of the moment, Mr. Kyle DeVan. I watched the PHI/IND game from 2010. Here are the notes I took:

Kyle DeVan — LG. #66. Plays with good leverage. Really locks on with his hands. Good block on WR screen. Not a smooth athlete, but moves well enough. Smart. Tenacious. Dirty, but with some wisdom. Semi-hooked Dixon’s arm to keep him from pursuing. Didn’t “hold”, but held. Needs to play with good balance. Overextended in pass pro vs Patt and got pushed aside. Called for holding on block out in space on WR screen. Able to anchor in pass pro when he’s clean (feet planted, hands on defender). Stays active. Blocks to the whistle. You can see he’s a former wrestler. Uses his hands really well. Good lateral agility. Pretty good feet. Great block of Stew on 3rd/3. Embarrassing to see our MLB pushed away so easily. Ball went right up that gap for a 4-yd gain. Let Trent get by him on a stunt and hit Peyton.

Kyle is the exact opposite of Watkins. Kyle is undersized (under 6’2 and about 305). He’s a limited athlete. He’s not physically gifted. But…he plays smart and with confidence. There is no hesitation. He has a lot of experience on the interior and shows a good feel for things. I think he can be an adequate RG for us…at the least.

Kyle isn’t going to be a guy that will win games or wow you, but he’s reliable and won’t lose you games or make major mistakes. Indy let him go because they are trying to get bigger. There’s nothing compelling about Kyle so he got the boot. He can still play, especially in Mudd’s system.

One thing I loved about watching him is what an active blocker he is. Kyle will double the DT with the C and then peel off as he feels the runner going outside. Kyle will get on a LB at that point. This is common thing known as a combo block. However, Kyle blocked multiple defenders on more plays than I’m used to seeing from a G/C. I guess part of that is watching our biggies over the years. They just aren’t going to get to multiple targets all that often. Kyle did it with regularity. This is crucial for getting RAC yards on screen passes and helping runners to turn short runs into gains of 15 to 20 yards (or more).

I think having Kyle play at RG will be a big help to Kelce. Kyle knows the blocking scheme. He also was a C in college so he understands what Kelce is dealing with every play.

Danny Watkins will be the starting RG at some point this year. Until he’s ready, I’m completely comfortable with Kyle DeVan manning the spot.

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Oddball notes. I assumed DeVan was the RG. Started watching the game. #78 is getting pushed around by Mike Patterson pretty bad. I flew over to check out the gamebook at NFL.com and verify who was playing where. I was greatly relieved to find out 78 was Mike Pollak. He struggled for much of the game.

Early on Asante picked off Manning. Asante returned it up the middle of the field. I think Kyle was the OL who tried to make a diving tackle…from 5 yards away. I couldn’t verify the number, but I’m 99% sure it is him. And if that’s true, he’s the white guy, OL version of Marlon Favorite. Awesome.

I wondered why the hell the Colts signed Ernie Sims this summer. He actually played okay against them. Had a sack and a TFL. Still missed tackles and did dumb things, but wasn’t all bad.

Stewart Bradley…not so great. I hope he gets back to his old self, but he was not good last year. The bar isn’t set all that high for Casey Matthews if we’re judging him in comparison to 2010 Stew.

Mike Patterson is very underrated and I’m as much to blame as anyone. He’s not a dominant DT or a playmaker, but he’s so much better than he gets credit for. I really hope dude has a good year. He deserves the spotlight a bit.

DeSean is fast. So is Vick.

If an asteroid had hit Earth on the Monday after this game, we’d all have died thinking Dimitri Patterson was a star CB that we got out of nowhere. Terrific game.