Tuesday, March 29, 2011

2011 NFL Mock Draft: Which Prospect Best Protects Michael Vick from Injury?

The Eagles Have To Beef Up The Right Side Of Their Offensive Line

The Philadelphia Eagles have one mission in 2011 besides winning a Super Bowl and that is to keep Michael Vick healthy.

The best way to keep Michael Vick healthy is to limit the amount of times he has to abandon the pocket and expose himself to big hits.

The name being bandied around in a lot of mock drafts is Gabe Carimi. For the Eagles, he can fit right in protecting Vick's blindside and strengthen the line as a whole with his athleticism.

Walterfootball.com noted the Eagles gave up 52 sacks last year in his reasoning for mocking Carimi to the Eagles.

"Gabe Carimi, drawing comparisons to Jon Runyan, is perfect for Andy Reid's blocking scheme," said Walter. "He can take over for Winston Justice, who was benched in the playoff loss to Green Bay."

ESPN's Mel Kiper sees Carimi as being able to play both sides of the line, which is not that far-fetched.

"In Carimi they get a guy who loves to run block and will sustain those blocks," said Kiper. "He battled a number of top defensive ends in Big Ten play and could fill in at either tackle position early, potentially starting on the right side with the goal to become a starting left tackle in what should be an explosive offense."

There are other choices, though. Derek Sherrod and Ben Ijalana also could be in the mix depending on how the draft plays out.

Both players have similar skill sets and are believed to be good fits for the Eagles scheme. Either way, the Eagles know they have to protect the franchise. Vick is going to run and make plays, but you want to make sure he is not doing it every other play.

With a guy like Carimi, Sherrod or Ijalana, the Eagles go a long way toward being the dominant team in the NFC East in 2011.

For a look at the 2011 season (If there is one), check out 20 Players Who Need To Put Up Or Shut Up.

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