PHILADELPHIA – The planned move of Cam Jurgens to right guard is supposed to be a temporary one before the 2022 second-round pick takes the baton from Jason Kelce at center for the Eagles.
Of course that was also the plan for Isaac Seumalo and Landon Dickerson before the now 35-year-old Kelce kept going and going and going at an All-Pro level.
Seumalo, who signed a big-money deal in Pittsburgh this offseason, ultimately found a home at left guard and right guard before cashing in and Dickerson, the No. 37 overall pick in the 2021 draft, has already settled in as a Pro Bowl LG. The point being is who knows where Jurgens’ future may lie after Jeff Ftoutland gets a look at him this season.
Much of the debate about moving over Jurgens for the short term while Kelce keeps performing at a high level surrounds Philadelphia’s recent history at RG, a position where the organization has typically liked bigger bodies like Brandon Brooks, Seumalo, and now Tyler Steen, the 6-foot-6, 320-pound 2023 third-round pick out of Alabama who the Eagles will be looking at inside.
Jurgens is listed at just over 300 pounds and said he wants to play at 310 or 315.
“We’ll see how it goes,” he said earlier this spring. “I feel like I did a pretty good job of holding weight last season. So, I feel like I don’t need to get super-high and expect the weight to come off during the season. I want to stay at least at 310 when the season starts.”
That’s not the No. 1 goal for Jurgens, however. He wants to put his own stamp on the position for however long he is there and that means using the same traits that the Eagles valued when evaluating Jurgens as a center, namely the Kelce-like athleticism that should shine in a zone-blocking scheme, especially at the second level.
“I think I can still go in and still be an athlete at right guard as I can at center,” Jurgens said.
All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson also noted that while Jurgens might be undersized for a 2023 NFL offensive guard, he’s not ill-equipped when it comes to pushing people around.
“He’s so damn strong,” said Johnson. “I think he was front-squatting close to 550 the other day. The thing about him being 6-3, I feel like he has natural leverage with some of the defenders. He’s a low center of gravity so he’s able to get under guys. He obviously has that power. So, the more reps he gets, the better he’s going to be.
“As far as explosion and athletic traits, he’s unbelievable.”
Jurgens will also still be cross-traing at center as well when Kelce gets his veteran maintenance days at training camp and Jurgens seems prepared to handle everything on his plate after a redshirt year at Stoutland University.
“It’s been fun,” Jurgens said of his spring. “It’s super helpful having Kelce next to me telling me how things are supposed to be done. Watching Landon do
it, and I mean Isaac was a pro at it last year. You just watch film every day. Watch what those guys do. And how Isaac handled himself, all his footwork.”
After making the transition from tight end to center in college, this one is a walk in the park for Jurgens.
“I think right now the process mentally it’s like getting in at right guard and being able to communicate with tackle and center. It’s a
little bit different communication-wise,” Jurgens said. “… It’s not as challenging as going from tight end to center. So that helps.”
