Head coach Jim Zorn said today that newly re-signed RB Marcus Mason “will definitely play this week,” albeit probably as part of a committee. “He’s been working out and trying to get ready so that if he had an opportunity he would be ready. That’s what you love about a player like Marcus and other players like him who stay ready. Now he has every opportunity to participate in his first game back.”
And Mason knows that his chances are likely running out. “I feel like this is the best opportunity I’ll have,” he said, “so I got to make a name of myself. I got to do something this weekend and this is it. I feel like I’ve had nine lives and I’m on my eighth one.”
It’s been a little over a month since Mason was released — “October 20th,” he says, without hesitating; the memory is clearly still fresh — and it’s been a pretty dramatic four-plus weeks.
Here’s the offensive starting lineup from each week since Mason was released, plus the projected starting lineup for this weekend’s Eagles game. It’s kind of a terrifying grid to look at.
Click the image to enlarge and be properly horrified. I recommend listening to the theme song from M*A*S*H while you do.
So, just to count up, in the five weeks under discussion (four without Mason and the projection for this week), the team will have started three different offensive lines, three different running backs, and two different tight ends (not counting the week they started three wide receivers). Oh, and there’s a different guy calling the plays.
Mason is completely unfazed by this. “Really, today, I didn’t notice anything too different,” he said. “I was just so excited to be back.”
Even Mason looked a little different to me at practice. He had a noticeable burst through the hole, much more than I remembered in the past.
“Fresh legs,” he said, laughing. “I got fresh legs, I’m ready to go. I’ve been working out a little bit. I’m not gonna sit here and say I was working out every day, though. I worked out occasionally, kept my legs fresh, and now I’m looking forward to playing.”
Still, this had to be a little weird. I gestured toward Edwin Williams — this week’s likely starting right guard — who has the locker next to Mason’s and asked if it wasn’t strange running behind number 50 in practice.
Mason shrugged. “No,” he said. “I know he’s good. That’s Edwin. It’s weird seeing him out there,” he continued, pointing at Marko Mitchell, “but Edwin, I know he works hard. It doesn’t matter who’s in front of me, though. I don’t need someone to get in the way.”
“Yeah, that’s what you need to worry about,” Edwin Williams said, rolling his eyes, “someone getting in the way.” Marko Mitchell just shook his head and walked away, not rising to the bait.
Mason just sat there, clearly enthusiastic for another opportunity, just radiating what Zorn called “real confidence in himself.”
