At this point last season, Kendall Lamm made it clear that after re-signing with the Miami Dolphins, the upcoming 2024 season would be his final football season.
"This will be the last ride for me," Lamm said. "To play in Miami, play with good people, good organization, great fans, it's amazing to me to close this football chapter the right way."
It turns out that the 32-year-old changed his mind, and the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, are pleased that he did.
© Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Lamm signed a one-year deal with Philadelphia Monday evening with the hope to compete for the team's swing tackle role left vacant by the free agent departure of Fred Johnson to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
By signing Lamm, though, the Eagles have essentially teased a new way that they handle their offensive line depth.
In the past, Philadelphia would choose certain young players to focus on and build through Jeff Stoutland's tutelage. The idea was that if the Eagles could get a player on a rookie deal to be an immediate backup to one of their stars on the line, they would be in a better cap situation for the future.
Things have changed, though.
The signing and success of Johnson showed the Eagles that paying a veteran minimal money to be an immediate backup may even be a better option simply because their experience allows for less of a ramp-up than a rookie would.
It's a system that led Philadelphia to their second Super Bowl title last season.
And it could very well help them out again.
