It’s been a relatively quiet training camp for the Philadelphia Eagles through the first two weeks. And that’s perfectly fine. This is a team that frequently dominates the headlines during the offseason, lately for moves that haven’t worked out the way they should.
A few months ago, the Eagles stole headlines when they engineered a massive trade to move up to the number two overall pick, where they selected North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz.
But now the big storyline is whether Wentz will play at all during the regular season, or if the Eagles will allow former number one overall pick Sam Bradford to play yet another mediocre campaign at the game’s most important position.
With the Eagles’ first preseason game underway, the following questions will need to be answered over the next month.
How exactly do the Eagles handle the Bradford/Wentz situation?
The entire focus of the 2016 season for the Eagles has to center around a quarterback making $18 million who is currently the starter and a quarterback drafted number two overall who isn’t expected to play. The Eagles keep saying that they want Bradford to be the starter for all of 2016, but will that really happen? It’s unlikely for the Eagles to be in the playoff hunt late in the season. They’ll have an interesting decision to make if the team is 3-7 and Bradford is playing at his typically mediocre pace. If the former number one overall pick predictably suffers an injury, it should be an easy call. Even with veteran Chase Daniel knowing the offense so well, Wentz is the guy who should play. But if the impossible happens and the Eagles and Bradford both overachieve in 2016, there’s a possibility that Wentz becomes the first quarterback selected in round one to sit on the bench his entire rookie season since Carson Palmer in 2003.
What happens at running back when Ryan Mathews is injured?
The book on Ryan Mathews has long been written. When healthy, the former first-round pick is a very good running back, more than capable of serving as a team’s three-down back. The only issue for Mathews, however, is staying healthy, something he hasn’t been able to do at a consistent rate throughout his entire career. Entering his age 29 season, there’s a high probability Mathews misses several games in 2016. In fact, he’s already battling an ankle injury and that could be a problem, as the depth chart behind Mathews is pretty bare. Veteran Darren Sproles is a tremendous change-of-pace player but he’s never even carried 100 times in a season. That leaves rookie fifth-round pick Wendall Smallwood and largely unproven Kenjon Barner as the remaining two ballcarriers for a head coach who likely plans to run the ball as much as he can in 2016. There’s always the possibility the Eagles could add a player during roster cuts, but as of now, it looks like the Eagles will have a very interesting running back by committee if and when Mathews misses time in 2016.
Is Nelson Agholor capable of taking a huge leap at the team’s weakest position?
Jordan Matthews is the locked-in number one wide receiver for the Eagles in 2016, and his ability to stay healthy is a necessity for a very weak receiving corps. But the difference maker at the position has to be last year’s first-round pick, Nelson Agholor, who was a massive disappointment as a rookie. In 13 games, Agholor caught 23 passes for 283 yards and a touchdown. He did battle a high-ankle sprain, and let’s hope that’s the reason for his quiet rookie season, because if he doesn’t take a leap forward in 2016, the Eagles will have to rely on a mediocre Rueben Randle and an underachieving Josh Huff to catch passes from Sam Bradford.
Will Zach Ertz finally turn in the breakout season we’ve all been waiting for?
Zach Ertz has increased his receptions and yards in each of his last two seasons, but his touchdowns have declined from 4 in 2013 to 3 in 2014 to 2 in 2015. That’s just not good enough. He’s a 6’5, 250-pound presence who needs to take over in the red zone, not score a touchdown every two months. He caught 75 passes for 853 yards last season. That would be great if he duplicated those totals in 2016, as long as he quadrupled his touchdown total. That’s the best-case scenario as new Eagles head coach Doug Pederson looks to make Ertz his new Travis Kelce.
Both starting tackles in 2016… or none?
Jason Peters is 34 years old and played every snap in exactly four games in 2015. He left six different games with injuries, essentially quitting on the team (and receiving no criticism for it) with the playoffs on the line in Week 16. He’s almost certainly in his final season with the Eagles. The best-case scenario is Peters bouncing back in a more traditional, slow-paced offense, but honestly it’s hard to see the oldest starting tackle in the NFC playing in more than 13 or 14 games. On the other side of the offensive line, right tackle Lane Johnson is currently facing a potential 10-game suspension for a second failed PED violation. That would be a devastating blow for the Eagles, who are looking at either Dennis Kelly or Matt Tobin as the other starting tackle in 2016. Offensive line was a major issue for the Eagles in 2015, and things look well on their way to being the same in 2016.
What is Fletcher Cox’s ceiling with Jim Schwartz as his defensive coordinator?
Fletcher Cox became one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL in 2015, recording 71 tackles, 9.5 sacks and three forced fumbles at the 3-4 defensive end position. Now playing defensive tackle in a 4-3 scheme more suited for his strengths, Cox is expected to become a wrecking ball for interior offensive linemen under new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. The floor for Cox in 2016 should be another Pro Bowl season, while the ceiling is a potential Defensive Player of the Year season.
Is Vinny Curry the next great pass-rusher in the NFC East?
A backup defensive end for his first four seasons with the Eagles, Vinny Curry signed a five-year extension worth $47.25 million, almost half of it guaranteed. He’s now getting paid as an above-average starting defensive end despite the fact that he’s a 28-year-old with zero career starts. Last season, Curry collected just 3.5 sacks. In 2014, Curry collected 9.5 sacks. The Eagles need the 2014 version of Curry, in a much larger role, of course, and there’s plenty of reason to believe he can make that leap under a new defensive coordinator who thrives in getting the most from his pass-rushers.
What is Jordan Hicks’ potential if he can remain healthy?
The reaction of many, myself included, was shock and disappointment when the Eagles selected linebacker Jordan Hicks in the third round of the 2015 draft. After all, the team had Kiko Alonso, Mychal Kendricks AND DeMeco Ryans. But a pair of injuries to Alonso and Ryans forced Hicks into a starting role, and all the 23-year-old did was make one play after another. He broke Tony Romo’s collarbone in week 2, returned an interception 67 yards for a touchdown in Week 9 and added 49 tackles, three fumble recoveries, another interception and a forced fumble in between. Hicks’ season-ending pectoral injury was a major blow to the Eagles’ defense, although it shouldn’t have come as a surprise, for Hicks struggled with injuries all throughout college too. His ability to remain healthy and play at the level he showed in 2015 could be the wild-card for the Eagles’ defense in 2016.
Will Eric Rowe recover from a disappointing offseason?
Eric Rowe was a second-round pick last season who flashed both ups and downs as a starter in the second half of the 2015 season. But heading into his sophomore campaign, Rowe isn’t listed as a starter on the current depth chart. Of course, it’s still early in the preseason and there’s plenty of time for Rowe to beat out either Leodis McKelvin or Nolan Carroll. And let’s hope he does, because cornerback is arguably the Eagles’ weakest position and a player like Rowe is absolutely crucial to the success of the 2016 team.
Can Rodney McLeod finally solidify the safety tandem?
Not since the days of Brian Dawkins and Quintin Mikell have the Eagles had such a talented duo at the safety position. Signed from the Rams in free agency, McLeod is an above-average safety who should finally solidify the position for the first time in a half-decade. With the question marks the Eagles have at cornerback, it’s a necessity for McLeod to live up to his free-agent deal.
Does Cody Parkey fail to make the roster just two seasons after a rookie Pro Bowl campaign?
The early results are in for the kicking competition, and it’s Caleb Sturgis who leads Cody Parkey. Parkey, who made the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2014, missed almost all of 2015 with a groin injury. Sturgis didn’t kick particularly well, missing six total field goals and extra points, but he’s the one who started the first preseason game against Tampa Bay and appears to be on his way to winning the kicking spot. Personally, I’d like to see the Eagles give the job back to the player who turned in an extremely impressive rookie season over the veteran who really didn’t show much last season.
