Do the Eagles actually have a weakness? 2019 Positional breakdown

We're so close to the start of the NFL season! Next week starts mandatory minicamp for the Eagles (June 11th) and all of your favorite players will be in uniform getting ready for the 2019 season.

It's been eight years since the infamous "Dream Team" comment by Vince Young. That year the Eagles brought in nine new players, which sparked that memorable phrase.

This year's team has eight new faces via trade or free agency, with a few more "new" faces coming to the team after previous stints with the Eagles, namely DeSean Jackson and Vinny Curry. However, this team won't be the offseason "Dream Team", they'll dominate on the field as well.

But with all of those returning, new, and reunited players, is there one position group that can be deemed the weakness of the team? Let's take a look.

Find out on the pages below.

Offense

Quarterbacks

The Eagles' quarterback room lost the man who led them to the Super Bowl in Nick Foles. But they are returning the 2017 MVP front runner in Carson Wentz, who has looked tremendous during OTA's so far. He's not wearing a brace and his mobility looks to be in 2017 form. This is huge for a guy who was lost to IR last season for the second straight season. Take a look at his footwork during drills last week:

Wentz looks as strong and mobile as he ever has been, and this means trouble for opposing defenses. Plus he has a brand new deal to be excited about, revenge season is upon us.

It was all but assured that Nate Sudfeld was going to be the backup to Wentz once Foles left for Jacksonville. However, since Foles left and Sudfeld signed his restricted free agent tender, the Eagles signed (and waivered) former AAF quarterback Luis Perez, signed Cody Kessler, and drafted Clayton Thorson. That's a pretty deep quarterback room.

After Thorson was drafted, head coach Doug Pederson expressed confidence in Sudfeld but expressed the desire for competition for the backup spot:

"As I mentioned before I'm really excited about Nate and the quarterback position is certainly not exempt from competition. This will be another big spring for Nate, another giant step in his progression and I'm encouraged where he was at at the end of the year and where he can go this season."247 Sports

I'll be honest with you, I never thought I'd ever be writing something positive about Cody Kessler, but here we are. Last season Kessler was 72.3% accurate on throws 0-9 yards, fifth best in the league. However, his signing doesn't spell doom for either Sudfeld or Thorson. Expect the depth to be:

Wentz, Sudfeld, Thorson, Kessler

Verdict: Strong

Running Backs

This group has gone a complete 180-degree flip from last season, hasn't it? The running backs who gained carries in the final game of the year, the playoff game versus the Saints, were Wendell Smallwood and Darren Sproles. Going into next season the top two backs will be Jordan Howard and Miles Sanders.

Howard is enjoying his time with the Eagles so far and looks forward to how the team will be using him in 2019:

I feel like they’re allowing me to do more, show my game off more instead of just being one-dimensional like Chicago had mePhillyVoice

Corey Clement and Boston Scott, who has been a pleasant surprise this offseason, will round out the next two spots on the depth chart, with Wendall Smallwood going from a playoff game starter to a fifth string player. This group has gone a huge change over last season, but it remains to be seen how big of an improvement it will be.

Howard, Sanders, Clement, Scott

Verdict: Above average

Wide Receivers

Alshon Jeffery caught five passes in that playoff game versus the Saints, the only other receiver with more than one catch was Golden Tate. Now, Tate has moved on to the enemy, Giants, and the Eagles have brought back a familiar face to replace him in DeSean Jackson.

Jackson, Jeffery, Nelson Agholor, and draft pick JJ Arcega-Whiteside look to improve the production the Eagles got from their receivers. The Eagles were seventh in the league in passing offense with 4,275 yards, but only 2,279 of those yards came from receivers.

Jackson proved in 2018 that he's still the deep threat he was when he was first with the team, averaging a league-best 18.9 yards per reception. He already has formed a strong connection with Carson Wentz during OTAs:

Arcega-Whiteside has also come along nicely during the Spring practices. He has impressed Coach Pederson:

With Jeffery and Agholor coming back to a group including Jackson and Arcega-Whiteside, look for the receivers to have an extremely productive year. I also expect Braxton Miller to beat out Mack Hollins for that fifth spot on the depth chart, as Hollins has yet to recover from a groin injury that cost him all of 2018.

Outside 1: Jeffery, Miller

Outside 2: Jackson, Arcega-Whiteside

Slot: Agholor, with Arcega-Whiteside also coming in the slot at times

Verdict: Strong

Tight Ends

It's hard not to call the group led by the single-season receptions by a tight end record holder a strong one. Zach Ertz, the Eagles' reception and receiving yards leader, comes back to join second-year player Dallas Goedert to form an extremely formidable duo.

Goedert has been turning heads this Spring, with NJ.com's Zack Rosenblatt being impressed with the development:

As our own Bryan Cameron puts it, the Eagles have an elite tight end duo forming.

Richard Rodgers only played in seven games last season, catching one pass, but he'll line up as the third tight end over Josh Perkins and Will Tye. If he fails to make the team, maybe he can try out for the Phillies:

Ertz, Goedert, Rodgers

Verdict: Elite

Offensive Line

The Eagles offensive line brings back the league's highest ranked center, per ProFootballFocus:

Two other linemen rank in the top 25 in PFF's offensive linemen rankings, Lane Johnson and Brandon Brooks. A lot of arguments can be made about how Johnson is the best right tackle in the league, and Brooks is a top five guard in the league, however, he will be returning from an Achilles injury.

Brooks has been ramping up his activity and it's safe to assume we'll see him back in October. Until then, Stefen Wisniewski and Matt Pryor will fill in his place. Isaac Seumalo will hold down the other guard position. The Eagles drafted Jason Peters' heir apparent in Andre Dillard, but the "Bodyguard" is back to continue to protect Wentz' blindside. If Peters goes down this year, Dillard has all the tools to step in and do the job admirably.

2017 seventh round pick Jordan Mailata seems to be without a position with the drafting of Dillard, but Doug Pederson will be cross-training both Mailata and Halapoulivaati Vaitai at both tackle spots and probably guard as well.

This is as healthy as the line has been in a very long time, outside of Brooks. This offensive line can be the best in the NFL, if it's not already.

Left Tackle: Peters, Dillard

Left Guard: Pryor, Wisniewski

Center: Kelce, Pryor

Right Guard: Seumalo, Wisniewski (Brooks)

Right Tackle: Johnson, Mailata, Vaitai

Verdict:Elite

Continued on the page below.

Defense

Defensive Line

Before I dive into the state of this line, let me just show you these two stats:

The pass rush of this team is absolutely relentless and elite. I shared my opinion on what my favorite move of the offseason was and it was hands down the resigning of Brandon Graham.

The loss of Michael Bennett (trade) and Chris Long (retirement) definitely hurts the production of the defensive ends, but the return of Derek Barnett, the signing of Vinny Curry, and the drafting of Shareef Miller will help offset that loss with Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat. I'm going to stop short of the elite category, but this is still a very strong group that will produce big time pressure and sacks. Expect the defensive end depth to be:

Right end: Barnett, Curry, Sweat

Left end: Graham, Miller

Verdict: Strong

The defensive tackle position is anchored by All-Pro Fletcher Cox. He had an absolutely dominate season last year:

95 pressures from the defensive tackle position. Only Aaron Donald has those type of numbers.

He was also the second best DT last season, according to PFF:

Joining Cox in the starting line up will be newcomer Malik Jackson. Jackson is two seasons removed from an eight-sack season and a Pro Bowl. Although last season was a down season, he finished the season playing all 16 games, making it 106 consecutive games played. Knowing that Cox and Jackson will be in the line up every game? Quarterbacks will be shaking.

Timmy Jernigan returns to keep his run-stuffing expertise in the line up, while newcomer Hassan Ridgeway has our own Liam Jenkins excited.

This line has the makings of an all-time great group. The defensive tackle position will definitely set the tone for the rest of the defense.

Left DT: Cox, Ridgeway, Hester

Right DT: Jackson, Jernigan, Hector

Verdict: Elite

Linebackers

Like the running back position, this group has undergone a complete transformation from that final playoff game, but maybe not complete 180 degrees. Let's say 179 degrees.

That's because mainstay Nigel Bradham is still leading the charge, a year after playing 88.54% of the snaps. In that playoff game, Bradham and now-Arizona Cardinal Jordan Hicks had nine tackles. The rest of the Eagles linebackers had a combined five.

With Hicks gone, it is now up to Kamu Grugier-Hill, Nate Gerry, Paul Worrilow, and newcomers LJ Fort and Zach Brown to improve the production from the linebackers.

Worrilow missed all of last season with the Eagles after tearing his ACL in the Eagles' first practice of the year last May. He is only 29 and has a 143 tackle season on his resume. LJ Fort spent last season with the Steelers and was PFF's 19th ranked linebacker out of 96. He will surely provide great depth on defense and on special teams.

I really beat the drum for a Zach Brown signing earlier in April, and I finally got my wish a few weeks ago after the Eagles signed him to a one year contract. He missed just four tackles last season on 95 attempts and was PFF's third-best inside linebacker. He will surely provide above-average to strong production for the Eagles.

What was once an average group, has now the makings of a strong one. But I hold off on that judgment until they play an actual game.

SAM: Bradham, Fort

MIKE: Brown, Worrilow

WILL: Grugier-Hill, Gerry

*Note: The Eagles rarely play their base defense. So you'll see the SAM and MIKE position as the only two LB on the field on most plays.

Verdict:Above-average

Secondary

With all the previous talk about the change from last year's group to this year's for the running backs and linebackers, the secondary has undergone a change as well. Just not the 180-degree flip.

They are returning 11 players who played a snap for them in 2018, either on defense or special teams, with three of them coming back from injury (Mills, McLeod, Darby).

The merry-go-round of players in the secondary due to injuries led to atrocious performances in the regular season, leading them to the 30th ranked pass defense in 2018.

While the corners struggled during the season, Avonte Maddox did his part and was the second best corner in the whole league during the season when targeted:

With gained experience, the young corners had a coming out party in the playoffs. (Captain) Cre'von LeBlanc was rated as the best corner in the playoffs in 2018:

Malcolm Jenkins will return (hopefully) to a much developed supporting cast and rejoin Rodney McLeod to form an extremely formidable secondary. This secondary joined with the linebackers and dominant defensive line has top five defense written all over it.

Right Corner: Darby, Douglas

Left Corner: Maddox, Mills

Slot: LeBlanc, Jones

Strong Safety: Jenkins, Sendejo

Free Safety: McLeod, Sullivan

Verdict: Strong

Specialists

Kicker

Jake Elliot enters his third season with the Eagles and has no competition for his job. Last season he had an identical 83.9% field goal percentage as he did in 2017, but he missed one less extra point last year than he did in 2017.

While he will need to improve on his kicks beyond 50 yards, two out of five made last season, he still has a strong leg and there's no reason to not have faith in Elliot.

Verdict: Strong

Punter

Cameron Johnston had quite the first season with the Eagles:

He's doing his best to help Eagles fans forget about Donnie "Longball" Jones. He'll continue to be the punter for the team and don't be surprised if he's here for a decade.

Verdict: Strong

Overall

After looking at each group, only two positions failed to reach the "strong" designation. While there are only three positions worthy of the "elite" category, it's safe to say this team doesn't have any real weaknesses going into 2019. While all eyes will be on Wentz's health throughout the year, we should all be confident in seeing him return to his 2017 form and going on a very deep playoff run.

What do you think Eagles fans? See a group designation that you disagree with? Feel free to let us know in the comments!