The Philadelphia Eagles knew center Dylan McMahon could be coveted by other teams when they cut him and signed him to their practice squad ahead of the regular season.
Now, just over one week in, it happened: McMahon has been plucked from the Eagles’ practice squad and signed to the active roster of the Los Angeles Rams. McMahon’s agent Whitney Holtzman announced the news September 10 on X.
McMahon played his college ball at North Carolina State and was selected by the Eagles in the sixth-round of the 2024 draft (No. 190 overall). He had a promising preseason with Philadelphia, making the decision to leave him off the 53-man roster a difficult one.
In 98 pass block snaps played at center over the 2024 preseason, McMahon allowed 2 hurries, earning a 78.5 pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus. Now, he’ll get a new opportunity with the Rams, who lost starting center Steve Avila to a Week 1 injury.
What Are Rams Getting in Former Philadelphia Eagles Center Dylan McMahon?
The 6-foot-3, 300-pound McMahon is a bit undersized, but he makes up for it with athleticism and football intelligence. He’s a versatile young offensive lineman who can play multiple positions if needed, although he’s stronger at center.
He ran a time of 4.33 seconds at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, which was faster than any time by any interior offensive lineman drafted in the last 10 years.
“I expected to test well,” McMahon said about the combine in May, via the Eagles’ official website. “I knew that the combine was going to be a big thing for me because I am an athletic offensive lineman. Being able to show my athletic abilities there was going to be huge for me. I was blessed to go out there and perform the way I did. It was an amazing experience.”
McMahon played 606 snaps at left guard, 728 at right guard and 980 snaps at center over his final three collegiate seasons at N.C. State, per PFF.
“I like to be able to have that versatility so I can plug and play whatever they need me,” McMahon added. “This year they needed me at center, and I love playing center, that’s my favorite position to play. Just being able to plug and play anywhere that the coaches need or anyway I can fill to help out is what I pride myself in.”
Eagles Doing OK Where O-Line Is Concerned
The Eagles being willing to expose Dylan McMahon to waivers during final cuts was interesting.
Between the active roster and practice squad, the Eagles still have 12 OL in Philadelphia.
While the optics of losing McMahon aren’t great, it likely won’t have much of an impact.
While it always stinks losing a young player with potential such as McMahon, the Eagles still have a solid group of young talent still on the PS.
Offensive linemen still on Philly’s practice squad include Brett Toth, Nick Gates, Jack Driscoll and Laekin Vakalahi, who is with the team via international exemption.
The Eagles, of course, also boast one of the league’s best starting O-lines, which features perennial All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson, center Cam Jurgens, left tackle Jordan Mailata, Pro Bowl left guard Landon Dickerson and surprising new addition Mekhi Becton at right guard.
As it stands, Jurgens is the only center currently on Philadelphia’s depth chart, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if the team adds another offensive lineman to either the active roster or the practice squad sometime soon.
