Eagles trade is a ‘breath of fresh air’ for Kenyon Green. Can Jeff Stoutland’s tutelage revive his career?
Green was a first-round pick who has struggled mightily in his career at guard, but he got a good feeling from the Eagles' offensive line coach when the two previously met.
For Kenyon Green and Dorian Thompson-Robinson, arriving at the NovaCare Complex on Thursday brought back memories of pre-draft visits.
The two players, acquired by the Eagles in trades earlier this week, are joining a new team, but they see their share of familiar faces, either from their tours of the practice facility as prospects or through connections made with Eagles players over the last couple of years.
For Green, acquired in the trade that sent C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans, the familiarity comes where it should count most. The 23-year-old interior offensive lineman said he left his top-30 visit with the Eagles in 2022 with a strong impression of offensive line coach/run-game coordinator Jeff Stoutland and also met Lane Johnson a few years ago.
“Just a great conversation and a great man,” Green said of his time with Stoutland. “I know that he loves his players, he loves to coach, and I’m going to give him everything I have. I’m just here to be my best.”
» READ MORE: Thumbs up or down: Eagles writers weigh in on C.J. Gardner-Johnson-Kenyon Green trade
Although that pre-draft process led to him being selected 15th overall by the Texans, Green has struggled mightily to this point in his career. The former Texas A&M standout missed all of the 2023 season with a shoulder injury and finished last year as a reserve after starting the first nine games.
In those nine games starting at left guard for the Texans, Green especially struggled with consistency in pass protection. According to Pro Football Focus, he surrendered five sacks and 28 pressures in 350 pass-blocking snaps last year and ranked toward the bottom of the site’s efficiency metric as a result.
When asked Thursday what he needed to improve on to turn his career around, the 6-foot-4, 325-pound lineman said pairing better fundamentals with his physical traits would be key.
“More detail things in my technique,” Green said. “Just working on that, just becoming a full, complete professional offensive lineman with everything. Having certain traits and not building on those can really jeopardize your career or jeopardize the way you play. So right now I’m just trying to make sure I do everything I can to bring more wins to the Eagles.”
Given Stoutland’s well-established track record helping linemen pair elite physical attributes with the right technique, there’s a chance that Green’s new environment will lead to him turning the corner. If he does so, he could factor into the team’s plans at right guard depending on whether Mekhi Becton signs elsewhere in free agency.
Green said Thursday that he watched Becton revive his career under Stoutland’s tutelage from afar last season. Similar to Becton, who started 15 games last year after beating out 2023 third-round pick Tyler Steen for the right guard job in training camp, Green is hoping to benefit from a fresh start with the Eagles.
“I feel like this is a breath of fresh air,” said Green, who will turn 24 this weekend. “New surroundings, new people to meet, different atmosphere, I’m extremely grateful for what the Texans did for me and everything. Unfortunately it didn’t go the way I wanted it to, but I’m excited and happy that I’m here.”
» READ MORE: Ball hawk C.J. Gardner-Johnson gave up too many TDs and tackled poorly, so Howie Roseman traded him
Like Green, Thompson-Robinson mentioned both a strong first impression at the NovaCare Complex and a preexisting connection to his new position mates following his arrival on Thursday.
The 25-year-old quarterback on the other side of the trade that sent Kenny Pickett to the Cleveland Browns shares an obscure connection with Jalen Hurts: a mindset coach named Seth Makowsky who helps athletes hone their decision-making skills through chess.
“I’ll have to ask him a little bit about chess when I get into the room,” Thompson-Robinson said. “And [see] if he wants to play a game or two.”
Thompson-Robinson figures to slot in behind Hurts and Tanner McKee on the quarterback depth chart. The dual-threat signal caller has appeared in 15 games in the last two seasons and has thrown just one touchdown pass, along with 10 interceptions.
A five-year starter at UCLA, Thompson-Robinson has also crossed paths with McKee over several years. They were each four-star recruits in the 2018 class and played two games against each other when McKee was at Stanford.
» READ MORE: Thumbs up or down: Eagles writers weigh in on Kenny Pickett-Dorian Thompson-Robinson trade
That familiarity, along with the mutual interest he shared with the Eagles in the pre-draft process two offseasons ago, should aid the transition for Thompson-Robinson.
“I took a top-30 visit here and loved it,” Thompson-Robinson said. “To be back here is a good feeling for sure. ... It was one of my favorite teams in the draft process. I loved everything about my visit here.”