PHILADELPHIA – Lane Johnson’s words echoed through Markel Bell’s head when he learned he would be starting in the right tackle’s place last Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.
“One thing that Lane always said was, ‘You can’t make the game bigger than it is. You gotta go out there and play your best ball, and if you mess up, let that be a tomorrow problem, and go out there and play the next play,’” said the Eagles’ rookie and new right tackle.
Bell did some good and some bad on his debut. Overall, it was solid enough to give hope to his teammates, especially after stepping into the breach in a big spot in a big game when Johnson was unavailable to play and has since retired, effective immediately.
He should get better, and maybe he will be the next Lane Johnson and anchor the right side for 14 years. That’s a lot to ask and probably unfair to do so. Johnson is probably in the top five of the best players to ever don an Eagles uniform.
“I’m very excited for the future,” said Bell. “I mean, I got a lot of faith for myself. I played fair in my first game, just being short notice. I plan to improve each and every game, each and every practice, each and every day.”
It’s going to look different without Johnson out there. He’s missed time due to injury during his career, but you always knew he’d be back. Now, there’s clarity, and he’s not coming back. He won’t soon be forgotten on or off the field.
“He’s definitely a big brother to me,” said Bell. “He always poured into me. He always was saying little tidbits on, not even just football, but how to get my body right and staying in the games because it’s longevity that keeps you in the league.”
The one word that could best describe the Eagles when it comes to the offensive tackle position is stability. They’ve had Johnson, Tra Thomas, Jason Peters, and Jon Runyan each make well over 100 starts at tackle for the Eagles. Jordan Mailata will make his 90th start at left tackle on Sunday in London against the Jaguars.
Stability at that position has led to a lot of success for the Eagles since the turn of the century. Maybe Bell can be the next success story.
“Kudos to the rook, man,” said Mailata. “You know, stepping in and stepping up. He’ll tell you himself, probably wish he could’ve done a few things different (in his debut), but that’s the beauty about Markele, man.
“He’s not afraid of criticism, he’s not afraid of hard work. And so, right back on the film work, right back out there on working on stuff that he needs to correct. We have all the faith in the world, because that’s just who he is, man.”
Add us as a preferred source on Google
