Barrett Brooks breaks down Kenyon Green, the guard the Eagles received in return for CJGJ. Can the young offensive lineman beat out Tyler Steen for a starting job?
After just one season that resurrected his career, Mekhi Becton is leaving the Eagles in free agency on a two-year, $20 million deal with the Chargers.
The Eagles had a bunch of great individual stories on their Super Bowl-winning team in 2024 but Becton’s story was one of the best. The former Jets tackle was considered a first-round bust and was on the street until after the draft last offseason.
But with the Eagles, Becton became a starting right guard and played at a high level all year. After never being on a winning team the NFL, Becton was emotional as the Eagles hit every level of success this season.
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Becton, 25, is just the latest success story for legendary offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, who got a special shout-out in Becton’s farewell message on social media Monday morning:
“Coach Jeff Stoutland, thank you. From Day One, you believed in me, even before I fully believed in myself. You saw something in me, challenged me, and pushed me to reach a level I never knew I had. You made me a better player, but more importantly, a better man. What I’ll take away most is your mindset, your attention to detail, and the way you prepared every single day. You set the standard, and that will stick with me as I continue my career.”
In addition to the special shout-out for Stoutland, Becton also thanked his teammates for welcoming him, the organization for taking a chance on him and the fanbase for its passion.
NFL
While Becton was with the Eagles just one year, he leaves a legacy as a Super Bowl champion.
As Becton moves on, the top incumbent candidate to replace him at right guard is former third-round pick Tyler Steen. Steen, 24, was expected to be the right guard in 2024 but suffered a minor ankle injury early in training camp, which opened the door for Becton, who never gave the job back. Steen handled the demotion well, though, and did a solid job of filling in when needed.
There’s a chance the Eagles could find a veteran or a rookie in the draft to compete with Steen for that right guard position in 2025. They got former first-round pick Kenyon Green last week from the Texans in a trade. Green should be in the mix as well.
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