It’s often impossible to immediately quantify the success of an NFL trade. It’s just as difficult to measure the impact of seeing a critical Philadelphia Eagles contributor leave the organization in free agency to continue his dream in another city.
Often, the aftershocks of a roster shakeup involving two teams can’t be measured until months or even years after its announcement. Philadelphia has seen good fortune recently.
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They won the Carson Wentz and A.J. Brown trades, and often, when they have taken chances on free agents, those moves have also led to some satisfactory labor from new additions and bridge players.
Mekhi Becton continues to miss Chargers training camp practices
Mekhi Becton is one of those solid signings referenced. Philadelphia rolled the dice on him this past season to the tune of a one-year deal intended to prove his mettle.
Becton arrived in Philadelphia, and there were questions about his attitude and injury history. Fortune shone on him. For the most part, he stayed relatively healthy. There were no complaints about his attitude, as he was once quoted as saying he had never had so much fun playing football.
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But every offseason brings the same dilemma. There is only so much money to spread around in free agency. The Eagles had Tyler Steen on deck and other roster needs. Becton was allowed to leave the organization via free agency.
He signed with the Los Angeles Chargers. Sadly, the injuries have returned, but his ailments haven’t been made public. Plus, there hasn’t been any timetable mentioned for when he might return.
We’re still in the training camp and preseason process, so NFL teams aren’t required to provide weekly injury reports. There is, however, growing concern coming out of Los Angeles.
Becton hasn’t practiced since July. There hasn’t been anything concrete stating when he will again. Might this be evidence that the Eagles moved off of him at the right time? It’s certainly an interesting discussion.
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Steen has taken over for the Eagles as their starting right guard, waiting in the wings are guys like Brett Toth, Matt Pryor, and Trevor Keegan.
Losing a starting caliber player is always worth mentioning. Fortunately, it appears Philadelphia won in this regard. They saved money at the position, and no one has to spend time racking their brain over what’s going on with an expensive player.
Becton will always be loved and respected in the City of Brotherly Love as a champion, but for now, his continued NFL story has tapped the ‘pause’ button.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Mekhi Becton continues to miss time with his new team