Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Mailata eager to repay coaching staff’s faith
A week ago, Jordan Mailata was angry with himself. And not just because he put off having the Wi-Fi installed at his place.
The 6-8, 360-pound offensive tackle was getting beat off the edge regularly by pass-rushers Joe Ostman and Josh Sweat.
Mailata struggled at left and right tackle, raising doubts that the novelty had worn off on his career change from rugby to pro football.
In rugby, Mailata steamrolled opponents after teammates lateraled him the ball. On the football field, he always seems to be backpedaling.
That changed Thursday when Mailata started at right tackle in the Eagles’ preseason opener with the Tennessee Titans. The Eagles rested most of their starters, including Pro Bowl right tackle Lane Johnson. The Titans sat most of their front seven on defense.
In that setting Mailata played 53 snaps, more than any Philly offensive player, and performed well enough to earn praise from the coaching staff.
“He did some good things,” head coach Doug Pederson said. “We were pleased with his performance. It wasn’t perfect. There were one or two things, just little mental errors. Overall, I felt like he came out with an eagerness, with an aggressiveness and really showed the type of player that I think he’s capable of being, and what we’ve seen in him. It came out in the game.”
Mailata was hailed as the successor to left tackle Jason Peters, now 37 and being finessed through training camp to keep him fresh for the regular season. That plan blew up when the Eagles traded up in the first round to secure Andre Dillard, the left tackle out of Washington State.
Pederson said Dillard “did some really good things” in the preseason game, complimenting his pass protection in particular.
With Johnson nursing a sore knee, Mailata got a ton of first-team snaps Saturday, which beats where he was last week.
“I’m very lucky and very fortunate,” Mailata said. “They put their trust in me, and I’ve got to be accountable.”
Johnson is a week-toweek injury decision according to the Eagles, who don’t believe it’s serious. He played through a variety of nagging injuries last year, including a sore knee.
The Eagles also are missing Pro Bowl right guard Brandon Brooks, who’s coming back from a torn Achilles’ tenon. Halapoulivaati Vaitai is manning the guard spot. He also can play right tackle.
Mailata is listed as the backup right tackle on the Eagles’ depth chart. His biggest challenge in moving from left to right tackle is strengthening the left leg he pushes off on. At left tackle, the power comes from the right leg.
“I’m just doing what I’m told,” Mailata said. “Trying to be that next man up, have that mentality.”
Mailata barely slept after the first preseason game, the Wi-Fi technician arriving at 8 a.m. That connection should make football — and life — easier.
••• Nate Sudfeld got good news after undergoing surgery on the left wrist he broke during the preseason opener.
After Sudfeld sits out a week while the surgical cut heals, he should be able to start the rehab process. With four weeks until the regular season opener, it could get interesting.
“I feel great,” Sudfeld said sporting a sling for the left arm. “The surgery went great yesterday. As far as timetable, obviously I’m trying to get back as soon as I can. But I’ve never broken a bone before so I’m just trying to listen to the doctors and hopefully be back really soon.”
Sudfeld said he could move his fingers but his hand felt numb after getting steamrolled by a couple of Titans defenders, drawing a roughing the passer penalty.
“I just kind of stood there for a second and I looked down and my wrist band was kind of crooked and I was like, that’s probably not good,” Sudfeld recalled. “So, I just ran off the field. Fortunately, I was able to get surgery early the next morning. I feel good that it’s back in place and I’m on the road to recovery. Thank God it’s not my right hand because you never know what complications could come from using it and throwing every play.”
••• Johnson (knee) and Dallas Goedert (calf), the latter a key ingredient in the plan to exploit defenses with double tight end packages, are week-to-week, according to the injury report.
The Goedert setback left Joshua Perkins, Will Tye and Alex Ellis getting snaps at tight end late in practice because Richard Rodgers (foot) is out indefinitely and Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz spent time in the injury tent before rejoining teammates.
Pederson didn’t play most of his starters in the preseason opener, including Johnson. Coach Doug would be shocked if Johnson is unavailable for the season opener with Washington.
“If I know Lane,” Pederson said, “he’s not going to want to miss that game.”