The Philadelphia Eagles start training camp on August 1st, which is less then a week from today, it’s third season with Chip Kelly as head coach, and it’s first since he was given full control over football operations after the 2014 season. After winning the division with a 10-6 record in 2013, the Eagles regressed last season, finishing 10-6 and not making the playoffs. Eagles owner Jeff Lurie has given Chip Kelly full control over everything football related, making this a Kelly production. Kelly has made numerous transactions, with players, coaches and personnel staff, so he will bear all of the responsibility of this team’s success or failure. Here in Philadelphia, the fans want a Super Bowl….it’s that simple. Kelly’s tenure here will be judged on whether he gets the Eagles to the big game and wins it.
I will preview and give an outlook on each positional group, on both sides of the ball. What to expect from the well known vets and what rookies or undrafted free agents to look out for. I will also give my analysis on Chip Kelly as well.
Offense
Quarterback: After a record breaking 2013 season, Nick Foles played horribly in 2014 before an injury ended his season early. Mark Sanchez was his replacement, starting eight games and finishing with a 4-4 record. To be quite honest, neither were good enough. Combined they threw for 4,581 yards, completed 62% of their passes and had 27 touchdowns and threw 21 interceptions. The turnovers, inaccurate passes, and inability to see the field was a weekly recurring theme for the Eagles last year.
Chip Kelly traded Foles to the St. Louis Rams, Sam Bradford is here in Philly and is expected to be the Eagles starter in week one. Sam Bradford has torn his ACL twice in the last two seasons, playing in only seven of a possible 32 games and has only played in 49 of a possible 80 career games. He’s talented, has a strong, accurate arm, but he’s rarely healthy. Bradford’s health and ability to practice daily, and get in some game time will be essential to the offense’s success heading into the season. Having a rhythm and rapport
Mark Sanchez is back again as insurance in case Bradford isn’t ready physically or he gets injured again. It is year two for him in the Eagles offense and Sanchez is a good option as the backup. Matt Barkley and Tim Tebow are the Eagles third and fourth quarterbacks, and don’t be surprised if Tebow makes the team over Barkley. He has a lot of value with his running ability and could be a serious weapon with the new extra point rules in place.
Running Back: During the off-season, Chip Kelly made a very bold and unpopular move by trading running back Shady McCoy to the Buffalo Bills. A lot of folk, including McCoy himself made the silly notion that this move was race related, but it was simply Kelly moving guys from the previous tenure and replacing them with guys that he feels best fits his system. In comes former Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray and Chargers running back Ryan Mathews, who are both big, fast,catches the ball well and are one cut and get downhill backs hand picked by Kelly.
I expect the Eagles to be a run heavy team that will wear defenses down the the trio of Murray, Mathews and Darren Sproles, then allowing Sam Bradford to pick the defense apart via the play action passing game. Matthew Tucker is a second year running back on played well during the preseason last year and former Oregon Duck Kenjon Barner has a chance to possibly make the team as a return specialist.
Wide Receiver: Jeremy Maclin gambled coming off an 2013 ACL injury, had a great season, and Chip Kelly let him walk via free agency, with him signing with the Kansas City Chiefs. 2014 second round pick Jordan Matthews had a very good rookie campaign, catching 67 passes for 872 yards, while scoring eight touchdowns. I expect even bigger numbers in year two from Matthews, who was my 20th ranked prospect overall in the 2014 NFL Draft.
The Eagles used their 20th pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft on USC wide receiver Nelson Agholor. Agholor is a very polished route runner, can win in the slot as well as outside, and has deep speed. He was also arguably the best punt returner in that draft. I expect him to play instantly and have an immediate impact for the Eagles.
Battling for time as the third receiver on the field will be Riley Cooper(who flat out stunk in 2014), second year prospect Josh Huff and possibly the veteran and former Dallas Cowboy Miles Austin. Three undrafted free agents to look out for are: Devante Davis UNLV, John Harris Texas and the local kid Rasheed Bailey from Delaware Valley College and Roxborough High School.
Tight End: Brent Celek is one of the longer tenured Eagles on the football team, one of the few left from the Andy Reid era. He’s a tough son of a gun, who is their best blocking tight end. He’s not the threat that he once was as a receiver, which makes it that much more important for Zach Ertz to have a breakout season in year three. Ertz is too fast for linebackers and too big and strong for defensive backs to check him. In 2014, he was unseen by Foles or Sanchez or the balls were badly thrown. If Sam Bradford is healthy for 16 games, I expect a breakout season, possibly a Pro Bowl type season from Ertz. Trey Burton is a young, athletic kid with lots of versatility. Do not be surprised if he has a small part of the Eagles offense this year. Burton also was one of the Eagles best kick and punt cover guys as a rookie.
Offensive Line: The Eagles are set at the tackle position with the future Hall of Fame inductee Jason Peters and the young stud Lane Johnson. The Eagles had great depth last year as Matt Tobin and Allen Barbre were both able to play guard and tackle last year, but the depth is in question this year as the Eagles lost both Todd Herremans and Evan Mathis, who were the starters at guard during the 2014 season. Tobin and Barbre will both get the chance to win the starting jobs at guard, since they have experience under the current coaching staff. I won’t lie, I have legit concerns with the guard position and we’ll see how it plays out during the preseason.
I will also be looking closely at the play and development of undrafted free agents Brett Boyko and Malcolm Bunche, along with the former Wisconsin Badger and four year vet John Moffitt.
Center Jason Kelce is the heart of the Eagles offensive line, one of the NFL’s best and is one of the irreplaceable players on the Eagles roster. His backups don’t have the ability to get to the second level, and get on the edges to make blocks on sweeps and screen passes. He’s really a special talent.
Defense
Defensive Line: The Eagles return all three starters on a defensive line that anchors their 3-4 defense. Fletcher Cox is the man who leads that group and he had a breakout year in 2014, recording 61 tackles and four sacks. He was a force not only versus the run, but also as a interior passer rusher as well. He had a Pro Bowl worthy year last year and I can only imagine how better he could be in his fourth season. Cedric Thornton is one of the best run defenders in the NFL as a five technique defensive end and Bennie Logan continues to develop as a nose tackle. Vinny Curry provides the pass rush that Thornton doesn’t as he’s had 13 sacks as a part time player over his last 30 games. Beau Allen, Brandon Bair, and Taylor Hart will settle in as rotational guys.
Outside Linebacker: Gone is Trent Cole, who was made expendable in my opinion by the play of Brandon Graham in 2014. Graham finally looked like a player last year as he had 46 tackles and 5.5 sacks in 16 games. Not only did he rush the passer well, but he was very solid as a run defender. Let’s hope his production wasn’t just because he was in a contract year. Connor Barwin was a stud, the defensive leader and a force in all facets of the game. He’ll draw plenty of double teams, leaving Graham and others on the defensive line with favorable one on one matchups. Marcus Smith has been labeled a bust after a disappointing rookie year in the NFL. I’m not the type to write a guy off after one year, but I need to see some production from this kid in year two. If he can’t get on the field this year, he likely won’t be around for a third season.
Inside Linebacker: DeMeco Ryans tore his Achilles tendon in the eighth game of the season in 2014 and heading into his tenth NFL season, I’m not sure if he can be depended on from a physical standpoint. During his tenure with the Eagles, Ryans is ranked in the top five in percentage of snaps played. Chip Kelly may have thought the same thing as he received former Oregon Duck Kiko Alonso in return for running back Shady McCoy in a trade with the Buffalo Bills. Alonso had a great rookie season, but missed the entire 2014 season with a torn ACL. Alonso when healthy as a rookie was a three down linebacker who made an impact versus the run and the pass. He and Mychal Kendricks possess similar skills and will never have to leave the field because of their speed and versatility. The Eagles also drafted Texas linebacker Jordan Hicks in the fourth round, a pick that I questioned with the Eagles depth at ILB and need for guards. Former Packer Brad Jones will be a core special teams player.
Defensive Backs: The Philadelphia Eagles gave up the most plays of twenty yards or more in 2014, and it was due to the poor play at the cornerback and free safety positions. Cary Willams and more so Bradley Fletcher showed the inability to keep up with fast wide receivers, track the ball in the air, and make a play on the football. The Eagles love to play press man coverage, but didn’t have the talent on the outside to get it done. They signed one of the better press man cornerbacks in the NFL in Byron Maxwell, which is an instant upgrade, while drafting defensive backs Eric Rowe(2nd round 47th pick overall), my personal sleeper JaCorey Shepherd(6th round 191st overall), and signing veteran cornerback E.J. Biggers, who has seven NFL seasons under his belt. Let’s not forget about how good of a slot corner Brandon Boykin is, and I think it’s a disgrace that he hasn’t gotten a legit shot to start outside.
Malcolm Jenkins has one safety position on lock and the other position is up for grabs heading into training camp. It will most likely be a battle between the newly signed Walter Thurmond(who also can play corner), Earl Wolff, rookie Randall Evans, and don’t leave out Eric Rowe, who played Free Safety at a higher level in college then he did at cornerback. Nolan Carroll spent a lot of time between safety and cornerback in 2014, and don’t sleep on second year defensive back Jaylen Watkins either. He was a prospect I targeted for the Eagles heading into the 2014 NFL Draft because of his ability to play both cornerback and free safety.
Kicker and Punter: The Eagles are set at the Kicker and Punter positions with Cody Parkey and Donnie Jones, but they do have another punter in camp and his name is Kip Smith, a rookie from Oklahoma State.
Chip Kelly: Kelly is heading into his third season as Eagles head coach, his first as czar of all things football related, and I personally am looking forward to seeing what type of progress he’s made as a coach first. Has he figured out that winning time of possession in the NFL matters, especially when you have a defense that is having a hard time getting off of the field. It’s a grueling 16 game season and the defenses that usually spend the most time on the football field whether it’s from a time of possession point or total snaps throughout the year, they don’t do to well. Kelly also believes in “Culture beats talent and scheme.”, I do agree that having a great culture is important, but having players that can actually play and execute the scheme fit to their talents is a must.
Last year, the Eagles starting cornerbacks had issues in press man and man coverage overall, but defensive coordinator Bill Davis’s refusal to change the defense was a disgrace and it hurt the team. The great coaches in sports make adjustments during the week and in game when things aren’t working. I will be looking closely at the Eagles coaching staff’s ability to make adjustments this season.
Outlook: A Step ahead is a must and it is what’s expected from the Eagles fans here in Philadelphia. An NFC East title, a home playoff game and at least one playoff win is what I consider a step forward. Let’s see if Chip Kelly and his Eagles can get the job done.
Muslim Football Scout 