What a difference a year makes. This time last summer, the Philadelphia Eagles were receiving news that they would be without starting right tackle Lane Johnson for the first four games of the 2014 season. Johnson failed a drug test for performance enhancing drugs, making him miss the beginning of his second NFL season. The Eagles had to find a replacement for Johnson and it struggled protecting the quarterback and running the football while Johnson sat out. While that was a less than ideal way to start the 2014 campaign, the Eagles have received some good news this time around.

With the league handing out multiple suspensions this past week, the Eagles lucked out. First and foremost, unlike last year, none of their players were suspended for any performance enhancing or drug violations. Even though suspensions could be handed out as the summer continues on, for now the Eagles are safe. While that is good news in its own right, it gets better.

The league decided to suspend both Sheldon Richardson and Rolando McClain, among others,  for the first four games of the 2015 season. Why is that beneficial to the Eagles? Because both McClain and Richardson play integral roles on their respective teams and will not be facing the Eagles in those first 4 games. The Eagles will not have to face the dominant DT Richardson when they travel to East Rutherford to face the New York Jets in Week 3. The McClain suspension is even more beneficial as it happen to a division rival. They will not have to face McClain when they host the division rival Dallas Cowboys in their home opener in Week 2.

While both these suspensions are unfortunate for the players, fans and, most importantly, their respective teams, in this case it benefits the Eagles. You always want to face another team at full strength to see how you see how good you really are, especially a division rival; however, in the end, a win is a win, and if it means facing a team when one of their key players is suspended, then so be it.