Eagles Training Camp: What to 'Figure Out' at Each Position
PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the deepest rosters in football and are the betting favorites to come out of the NFC again but that doesn’t mean Nick Sirianni and his staff don’t have to figure out some things during the summer.
Some issues are more pressing than others but in a league defined by parity, the difference between the league’s best and worst is always fluid and rapidly changing.
Here’s what the Eagles need to figure out at each position during training camp to keep their lofty status as a legitimate Super Bowl contender:
QUARTERBACK - Face of the franchise Jalen Hurts and experienced backup Marcus Mariota are locked in but the Eagles need to identify who has more upside as a developmental prospect and emergency option, third-year pro Ian Book, who better fits the team’s RPO-based scheme, or Tanner McKee, a 6-6 rookie who is more of a traditional pocket passer. Keeping both, with the loser on the practice squad, is possible but the Eagles' reputation for developing quarterbacks could hinder that end game if each plays well in the preseason.
RUNNING BACK - Talk of a committee is just that and the Eagles will be searching for a lead back. Trade pickup and Philadelphia native D’Andre Swift will draw the inside lane against the talented but oft-injured free-agent signing Rashaad Penny. Don’t kid yourself, though. If Philadelphia does go with a real committee, it’s a bad sign.
RECEIVER - The team needs better down-the-roster depth after stars A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith and that was evident by pre-camp workouts for 2019 New England first-round pick N’Keal Harry, XFL player JaVonta Payton, and Deon Cain, who was on the Eagles practice squad for parts of 2021 and 2022.
Cain, a former Clemson standout, was the USFL Championship Game MVP this spring when he caught three touchdowns in the championship game for the Birmingham Stallions and was signed, according to a source. Whether it's Cain, Olympic speedster DeVon Allen, Tyrie Cleveland or undrafted rookies Joseph Ngata and Jadon Haselwood, Philadelphia needs someone with some juice to break through.
TIGHT END - You get the feeling veteran Dan Arnold was brought in to push Grant Calcaterra as the TE3 behind Dallas Goedert and Jack Stoll. The savvy Arnold might make more sense for a Super Bowl contender especially if the Eagles feel they can get Calcaterra through waivers and onto the practice squad.
OFFENSIVE LINE - Cam Jurgens is the leader in the clubhouse to take perhaps only a one-year sojourn to right guard if this does end up being Jason Kelce’s last go-round at center but third-round rookie Tyler Steen will be given every opportunity to compete. Meanwhile, if both young players can’t handle the moves to new positions veteran Jack Driscoll is the failsafe especially after Dennis Kelly was brought in as a potential swing tackle.
DEFENSIVE FRONT - The Eagles are so deep up front the real goal is to find the right rotation for game days and figure out how deep it can go in an effort to keep players like Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, and Jalen Carter fresh for high-leverage, pass-rushing situations.
LINEBACKER - Everything is a question at linebacker but the biggest one involves Christian Elliss and whether he’s for real or just a special-teamer who flashed in the spring. Elliss breaking through and becoming a legit option next to Nakobe Dean could save a typically smart organization that has taken the devaluation of the linebacker position a little too far.
CORNERBACK - The Eagles have to make sure either rookie Kelee Ringo, free-agent pickup Greedy Williams or second-year man Josh Jobe can handle the outside-the-numbers backup role behind Darius Slay and James Bradberry so Zech McPhearson can spend his time as the insurance for Avonte Maddox in the slot.
SAFETY - It’s a lot to ask but the Eagles will want Sydney Brown on the field as early as possible. Whether that’s feasible by Week 1 is unlikely considering the limited practice time allotted but the foundation must be set for Brown to become a starter sometime in his rookie season.
SPECIAL TEAMS - Arryn Siposs isn’t losing his gig to undrafted rookie Ty Zentner. That said, the eyes will still be on other punters in various camps unless Siposs improves his consistency and directional punting.
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-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Football 24/7 and a daily contributor to ESPN South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
