By Denny Basens, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 
Week to week, the Philadelphia Eagles continue to operate without knowing what the status of offensive lineman Lane Johnson will be going into their next game.
At the beginning of training camp, word got out that Johnson would be facing a 10-game suspension after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
However, as we enter the second week of the regular season, the NFL continues to drag out the situation. They've already created problems for the Eagles by not moving quickly on the issue, and they will create more issues unless a resolution is announced one way or the other.
The team acknowledged the report, and planned for the suspension to come down before the start of the season, playing Allen Barbre at right tackle with Isaac Seumalo and Stefen Wisniewski rotating at left guard during the final three weeks of the preseason. Johnson himself saw action in the fourth preseason game, with the team thinking that this would be his last opportunity to pick up in-game reps until the suspension ended.
But as the regular season drew ever closer, the league still remained silent on Johnson's status.
The Eagles suddenly found themselves in a position where Johnson could be available to them in Week 1. But with no way of knowing for sure, the team had to proceed with other plans in mind. They ended up keeping 11 offensive lineman on the 53-man roster, preparing themselves to lose Johnson at any given minute.
Week 1 came and went, and Johnson was able to perform in the victory against the Cleveland Browns. He may be allowed to participate in Monday's tilt against the Chicago Bears as well. The team stands a much better chance to win with him available, but issues remain from the situation continuing to be unresolved.
The biggest issue may be the continuity on the offensive line. Wentz is just starting to get his feet wet in the NFL, and if his key blockers are going to be changing within a few weeks, it may create some chemistry and timing issues throughout the offense. Yes, the team got their Plan B group some quality reps in the preseason, but there's no substitute for getting actual work in the regular season.
But with injuries creating problems at other positions, and the Eagles still unsure of whether or not they should keep additional offensive lineman on the roster, the team is facing some difficult decisions in the next week. Do they bring up C.J. Smith from the practice squad to give them more than four corners available for Monday if starter Leodis McKelvin can't go? Will Aaron Murray be on the active roster as a third-string quarterback at some point, or will they try to ride out the season with only Carson Wentz and Chase Daniel on the roster?
For the NFL to drag this process out over a month and a half with no resolution in sight is completely asinine. Either suspend Johnson, or don't. But its unfair to the organization to be put in a position where they don't know the status and availability of one of their key lineman on a weekly basis.
