10 Eagles Predictions Entering Training Camp
You can waste your time hand-wringing if you want or you can trust in SI Eagles Today's 10 predictions entering training camp, sponsored by Mattel's Magic 8 Ball and Nostradamus himself.
If you can get these prop bets, go make some money.
Jalen Hurts remains good but not great
The Eagles' QB1 has already proven he is a good NFL player who can win games and now that Hurts has a better supporting cast, that should continue in 2022.
As for answering the more important question about being the long-term answer, the difficulty in that was further highlighted in Arizona on Thursday when Kyler Murray got a massive five-year, $230.5M extension with the Cardinals. The number is no coincidence after Deshaun Watson got five years and $230M (fully guaranteed) from Cleveland.
You can imagine the starting point for the upcoming Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert negotiations.
Now Hurts isn't in that stratosphere but a similar season to 2021 for him would certainly start any extension conversations at a $30M to $35M average annual value even in a team-friendly format.
The Eagles could certainly force Hurts to play out his rookie deal as a lame duck in 2023 as well with the franchise tag as insurance for 2024. Typically that's not the way the organization does business, though, and the tag number was already $29.703M this year before the explosion fueled by Aaron Rodgers, Watson, and Murray with more to come.
Murry is electric but no superstar, at least not yet, but QB prices are just going up and up and up and it's hard to imagine the Eagles believing Hurts can reach that tipping point where he's valued at the price of doing business at that position.
Jalen Reagor makes the initial 53-man roster
The Eagles aren't just going to cut their 2020 first-round pick, even though a change of scenery is probably the best path forward for both sides.
A potential trade is about tapping into an organization that liked Reagor in the pre-draft process. Despite the revisionist history since, most of the league valued the TCU product at a second-round level at the bare minimum, and perhaps someone feels a reclamation project is worth exploring.
If a deal isn't in the cards, though, Regaor will be back as the main returner and insurance for a deeper WR room. There will also even be some who point out, that Reagor still has a much higher ceiling as a slot receiver than Quez Watkins, Zach Pascal, or Greg Ward.
Arryn Siposs is the punter
- Eschewing potential competition for Arryn Siposs was a curious decision by Philadelphia with the party line being that the Aussie will be competing with punters in other camps around the league.
That said, the minute that the Eagles decided there wouldn't be any boots on the ground to test Siposs on a daily basis, they basically rummer-stamped his presence, at least early in the season.
Remember that Siposs was really good in the first half in 2021 before faltering late when the pitch count grew. To continue with the baseball metaphor, the Eagles need to make sure Siposs is stretched out to last 17 games plus a potential playoff run, something splitting work in training camp with a competitor would have also helped.
This offense uses two backs
Go ahead and look at the way Nick Sirianni and his offensive staff used their running backs last season. Forget about three- or four-man committees, 2022 will start the exact same way as 2021 did with Miles Sanders as the lead and Kenny Gainwell penciled in for third-down and hurry-up work.
Zach Pascal plays more than Quez Watkins
Eagles fans should actually hope this is true even though it's a bit counterintuitive.
It has nothing to do with Pascal's reputation as a Nick Sirianni favorite. If things go as planned and Philadelphia is a good football team with an easier schedule, the Eagles should be leading in a bunch of games late and that means the four-minute offense and running the football, a role the veteran Pascal is better suited for than Watkins.
Conversely, if the Eagles are playing from behind a lot and need to throw the football Watkins would be on the field.
Jack Driscoll is the RG
A couple of things here.
It will be touch and go as to whether Isaac Seumalo will be fully cleared by the start of camp after returning from Lisfranc surgery and Driscoll is a player who really played well when forced into action at RG last season.
At 25, Driscoll is the future while Seumalo is entering a contract year so why not get the future started now?
The Eagles have already budgeted Seumalo's return so money shouldn't be an issue in a starter vs. reserve scenario. More so, Seumalo can be the game-day interior backup with the versatility to man all three positions if needed.
Milton Williams plays less
This is not an indictment of Williams' future but it is an acknowledgment that the pause button might be hit a bit in 2022 after Williams played 40% of the defensive snaps as a rookie.
The Eagles aren't paying Fletcher Cox $14 million to not play while Javon Hargrave is coming off a Pro Bowl season and Jordan Davis is a future star in the organization's mind.
Williams' time will come but, in the short term, he's the fourth man in a DT rotation where multiple fronts will be utilized.
Haason Reddick is a double-digit finisher
The Eagles haven't had a 10-sack edge rusher since Connor Barwin in 2014 and that ends by bringing Reddick home.
The South Jersey native and former Temple star should get plenty of one-on-one opportunities due to the Eagles' strength on the interior of the defensive line and Reddick is too quick to not take advantage of that.
Noah Elliss is the best bet among UDFAs to stick
Carson Strong is the leader in the clubhouse for an undrafted free agent who is most likely to make the 53-man roster and Utah receiver/returner Britain Covey figures to be the most popular in August.
At 346 pounds, however, Elliss is the only other player who can at least somewhat mimic what Jordan Davis brings to the defense and the Eagles want that kind of presence on the defensive line meaning a backup is also needed.
Elliss was adopted by his uncle, former Lions Pro Bowl defensive lineman Luther Elliss, and also coached by him at Idaho. Before transferring to play for the Vandals, however, Elliss was a high-profile SEC recruit at Mississippi State so he's got talent.
The NFC East runs through Dallas
Or Arlington to be specific.
The winner of the Christmas Eve affair between the Eagles and Cowboys in North Texas will take the NFC East crown.
Unfortunately for the Eagles, that game will be the third in a difficult late-season three-game road stretch. Getting over the hump against a good team away from home, however, is the kind of next step that would mean something and could propel the Eagles into the playoffs.
-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Sports. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talker Jody McDonald, every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube.com and JAKIBSports.com. You can reach John at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
