PHILADELPHIA -- Replacing a franchise great is the hardest thing in sports. No matter how good the replacement is (or can be), that player will always be compared to the legend who proceeded him or her.
Cam Jurgens is hearing a lot of comparisons to Jason Kelce already, and he hasn't started a game at center for the Philadelphia Eagles yet. Heck, Jurgens has played just 43 snaps at center in his two NFL seasons.
Replacing a franchise legend is difficult enough. Especially one who will go down as one of the greatest players at his position in NFL history.
Landon Dickerson knows the challenge Jurgens has ahead of him. He's also not Kelce either, and that's a good thing.
"He's gonna hear it from you guys all the time. That's gonna happen. No offense, you guys got used to that and that's gonna be your comparison," Dickerson said after Eagles training camp practice Monday. "And so, he's handling that extremely well. It's not trying to replace Kelce. Cam's gonna make his own legacy, his own path, his own destiny.
"He's gonna be Cam Jurgens. His name is not Jason Kelce. He's not gonna try to be 62. He's gonna do what Cam Jurgens does."
Getting used to Jurgens at center will be different for anyone not on the Eagles offensive line. Dickerson and the Eagles are accustomed to Jurgens as the starting center, based on him interchanging positions on the offensive line over the last two years. Jergens learned center under Kelce in his rookie season before earning the starting right guard spot last year (it wasn't a competition for the spot either).
Jurgens more than held his own at right guard. He didn't allow a sack in 631 pass-blocking snaps, while allowing 18 pressures and a pressure rate allowed per dropback of 4.9%. This was in his first year at a new position.
Now, Jurgens is back to his natural position at center. Of course, the comparisons to Kelce are going to be inevitable.
Dickerson wanted to make it clear. Jurgens isn't Kelce -- and there's nothing wrong with that.
"Cam's creating his own path right now," Dickerson said. "Really smart guy, physical guy, strong guy. Moves well. He's handling this transition from going from guard and a little bit of center last year to playing center right now. Communication has been good.
"You never know what happens when guys get hurt right? You're rotating guys in. Mekhi's [Becton] coming in. We got guys stepping in at different tackle (spots). Changing up the group. Just the way he's been able to handle the communication and different guys get out there, you never know what's gonna happen.
"I think he's done a tremendous job so far of just (providing) clear communication to everybody and setting the standard of how things are supposed to be done in the huddle before we get them the ball. He's handling it great."
The Eagles believe they have a good heir apparent to Kelce in Jurgens. Dickerson will go to bat for his linemate and friend, making that transition from Kelce to Jurgens that much easier.
