Former second-round pick Winston Justice spent a season on the sidelines. He worked on his game, made the transition from right tackle in college to left tackle in the NFL and ... he ... waited. And waited.

Matt Leinart's blindside bodyguard at USC, Justice's baptism of fire was forgettable. The second-year tackle, who did not allow a sack in his final year with the Trojans, yielded six in his first career start against the Giants.

Replacing an injured William Thomas, Justice struggled mightily against Osi Umenyiora, one of the premier pass rushers in the NFL who set a Giants' single-game record with six sacks as Philadelphia dropped a forgettable 16-3 decision.

Umenyiora gave Justice problems with his speed, often simply lining up wide and rushing off of the edge, but he used a wide variety of moves -- a bullrush, a finesse move -- on his way to McNabb. And while Justice's struggles were most obvious, all five linemen had difficulty adjusting to a defensive scheme that included plenty of blitzes and from the linebackers and stunts up front.

Early on, the Eagles had some success running the ball directly behind Justice, but as the game went on, the run game began to sputter. When it did, it allowed the Giants pass rushers to pin their ears back and go after the quarterback, and they reached Donovan McNabb for 12 sacks in all.

Afterward, Justice did not hang his head. He chalked it up as a learning experience. He got a feel for game speed and the tempo in a regular season game.

Justice redeemed himself late in the season when he replaced Jon Runyan at right tackle after the veteran left the game with a concussion on the second play from scrimmage. With no time to prepare and not much work on that side, Justice stepped in and looked more comfortable. He was flagged for a couple penalties and came out of his stance late on a screen pass that went for 19 yards to Westbrook. Justice did a decent job against Bills defensive end Chris Kelsay in much-needed playing time.

Certainly, Justice work against Buffalo is encouraging and something to build on in the offseason.

"I think Winston Justice is going to be a fine player with experience," said offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. "He's proven that he's a tough guy, that he's got great character. His work habits are excellent, he's an athletic player, and he's got good skill and ability."

When he was drafted, many viewed Justice as the heir apparent to Thomas, the three-time Pro Bowl player. Both Thomas and Runyan enter the final year of their contracts, with their futures somewhat unknown. Justice figures to be a key piece in when/if those bookend tackles move on.

- BOB KENT

NOTE: PhiladelphiaEagles.com will not profile players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents.




This is obviously a critical offseason for Justice, who had his rough moments in year No. 2 of his NFL career. His starting debut against the Giants was rough, no doubt about it. Justice didn't handle Osi Umenyiora well, but as just about every left tackle found out in 2007, Umenyiora had a fantastic season. Justice was slow off the ball on the silent count and Umenyiora handled him.

Justice worked hard on his off-the-ball quickness from that point forward and was much better at right tackle in the season finale against Buffalo. Still, there are questions about Justice, namely, is he ready to be a starter at either tackle spot should something happen with veterans Jon Runyan or William Thomas?

Justice is one of the players the Eagles have to make a decision on in the months ahead, it would seem. Will he "get there," and be a force at tackle? Or do the Eagles need to safe-guard the situation now and address tackle in the draft or in free agency?

It bears watching. Justice shouldn't be judged solely on his troubles against the Giants. That wouldn't be fair. He played in two games, and was OK in the one against the Bills. He needs to be more than OK, though, and so Justice has to step up in the offseason and in the preseason and show the Eagles they can have confidence in him.