After humbling ’18, Johnson set to rebound
After a dream 2017 season for the Eagles and Lane Johnson, Johnson considered last year’s struggles important for both parties.
Johnson suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 5 home loss to the Vikings and a Grade 2 MCL sprain during a Week 8 victory over the Jaguars in London that caused him to miss a loss to the Cowboys two weeks later. He had a solid year at offensive tackle but wasn’t as dominant as he had been in ’17 when he earned first-team All-Pro honors and his first Pro Bowl selection.
Pro Football Focus rated him as the league’s 12th-most efficient tackle in 2018 after he had been No. 3 the year before.
Meanwhile, the Eagles needed to win their final three regular-season games just to get into the playoffs last fall after securing the franchise’s first Super Bowl trophy the year before. They edged the Bears in the wild-card round before falling to the Saints.
“I feel like last year was a good, humbling experience for us and for me, personally,” said Johnson on the first day of mandatory minicamp. “I think we learned a lot. It kind of set a fire under us. I think it’s a good thing.”
Though he refused to use the injuries as an excuse at the time, the 6-foot-6, 317-pound Johnson admitted Tuesday that he didn’t practice during the second half of the season and was limited during games.
“Uh, it took away a lot of power,” Johnson said. “Just stuff I can normally do. … The only thing that counts is I just wanted to be there for my team. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. Obviously, there’s some plays you’d like to have back.”
Still, Johnson was on the field for all 119 offensive snaps during the postseason after logging 962 — 88 percent — in the regular season. After skipping the three weeks of organized team activities to allow his body to fully recover, he’s glad to be back with his team.
Entrenched at right tackle, where he’s made 78 of his 80 regular-season starts — as well as six more in the postseason — he’s lining up next to a new right guard in Halapoulivaati Vaitai. Vaitai, who has made all 20 of his NFL starts at tackle, received reps with the first-team offense throughout OTAs and now minicamp for the injured Brandon Brooks.
“I think ‘V’ has kind of established himself as a pretty versatile guy [who] can play tackle and guard,” Johnson said. “As far as me, it’s just about getting the communication down. That was really it.”
It might be a stretch to expect Brooks, who suffered a torn Achilles in the playoff loss to the Saints, to be back in time for the Sept. 8 opener vs. Washington. Vaitai or veteran Stefen Wisniewski, who handled the final 37 plays against New Orleans in place of Brooks, are the two most likely replacements on the roster.
This could be the seventh and final year that Johnson and the 37-year-old Jason Peters are the Birds’ bookend tackles. Perhaps to commemorate it, Johnson sported a black “Team Peters Lifetime Member” T-shirt and matching baseball cap in the locker room after Tuesday’s session.
“He gave it to me today,” Johnson said with a smile. “I guess I’m a lifetime member, so I’m pretty happy about that.”
Johnson has always been accessible to the media and unafraid to say what’s on his mind, such as taking a shot at the Patriots by claiming he’d “much rather have fun and win a Super Bowl than be miserable and win five Super Bowls” after defeating New England in Super Bowl LII.
He’s not afraid to engage in back-and-forths with other players on social media, either, though he’s trying to cut back in that area by exchanging his iPhone for an old-fashioned flip phone. Here he is firing back at former Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb for taking shots at current teammates.
“Sometimes it gets the better of us,” he said. “That’s really part of the game. I love playing the game. I love showing my personality. Sometimes people don’t like that. That’s just the way it is.”
As for 2019, Johnson is optimistic that the combination of last year’s disappointment, as well as an influx of talent — especially at the offensive skill positions — make a difference for the Eagles. Just like the team, he has something to prove.
“I’m just happy to be back,” Johnson said.
And healthy, too.
Andy Weidl replaces Joe Douglas: The Eagles named Andy Weidl vice president of player personnel and gave football operations chief Howie Roseman a new title on Thursday.
Weidl replaces Joe Douglas, who recently was hired by the New York Jets to be their general manager.
Weidl enters his fourth season with the organization and spent the previous three as the director of player personnel and assistant director of player personnel.