The Eagles kick off OTA workouts on Tuesday and there's plenty to talk about. Here's everything you need to know about the offense heading into the start of a new challenge for Doug Pederson's men.
Quarterback:
The Eagles said goodbye to Luis Perez and hello to Cody Kessler last week, completing the Eagles quarterbacking depth chart going into OTA's and setting up a plethora of things to watch as a result.
Obviously, the health of Carson Wentz is going to be item #1 on the agenda. Doug Pederson was very stingy with information ahead of rookie minicamp when asked how Wentz is progressing and while it's assumed he will be active during OTA's, we don't know to what extent. Ideally, Wentz needs as much time to click with Mike Groh and the new offensive pieces, as possible, after missing an entire offseason last year due to his torn ACL.
Outside of that, Nate Sudfeld will be constantly checking his rear-view mirror thanks to the addition of Cody Kessler. While Kessler shouldn't really provide any logical threat to Sudfeld's recently inherited QB2 roster spot, you can't help but feel a quarterback with over a season's worth of starting experience under his belt since entering the league, is going to have a leg up, or at least push Sudfeld to a new level.
The Kessler addition really just adds some experience back into the room. With Foles out of the picture, the Eagles lost that veteran leadership and Wentz isn't in a position to have that kind of impact on the younger guys just yet, because he kind of still is one. Kessler is too, but two heads are better than one, especially with a fifth-round rookie in the wings.
The knock on Thorson coming out of college was his accuracy, especially on deep balls. But the 6'4, 222 lbs quarterback has all the tangibles you could want in a QB. Taking Northwestern back to a bowl game one year removed from a heartbreaking ACL injury, Thorson's mobility wasn't quite what it once was, but you can see why the Eagles liked him. The moment was never too big, he's calm when under extreme pressure and can manage the game well. Remind you of anyone?
It will be interesting to see how Thorson looks in OTA's after a bumpy rookie minicamp. How closely will Kessler work with him on the field, how closely will Press Taylor coach him on the field? Will he show any signs of improvement? We'll find out this week...
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Running back
This will be the first time the majority of people get to see Jordan Howard in midnight green. The former Chicago Bear has been a bowling ball since entering the league and the Eagles were able to snipe him up in his contract year for little in return. Howard should theoretically take over the RB1 spot...but it's the rest of the backfield that brings intrigue.
Miles Sanders was drafted with the 53rd overall pick and is coming off of a Nittany Lion breakout. Reminiscent of Shady McCoy in many ways, Sanders bounces out of his cuts with eye-popping athleticism and is as elusive as they come. His main weakness is pass-protection, so whether or not we see any focuses in OTA's will depend on what's on the agenda. It's widely assumed that Sanders, who averaged 5.8 yards per carry last year, will take over the RB2 role...but there will be stiff competition.
Yeah, Corey Clement, Josh Adams, Wendell Smallwood, and Boston Scott all still exist and will be battling it out for the remaining backfield positions. Adams led the team in rushing yards last year as a UDFA but his running style has largely been replaced by Howard, while Wendell Smallwood and Corey Clement are battling their way back from injury and question marks.
Smallwood showed a lot of improvement last year, especially as a receiving back, but it just wasn't enough for him to really step up and reliably run the ball, with his decision making still a little slower than ideal.
Corey Clement appeared to lose a step, but as Morgan Burkett documented here, we could be in-line for a breakout. That of course all starts with a clean bill of health. Will Clement be able to hit the ground running this offseason and separate himself from the crowd? Here's why the cards are oddly in his favor:
https://phillysportsnetwork.com/2019/04/18/clem-4/
Then, there's my favorite wildcard, Boston Scott. The former UDFA out of Louisiana Tech was poached from the Saints practice squad last year and provided an instant injection of returner depth for the Eagles.
His vision is truly what sets him apart. Scott has a low center of gravity which makes changing direction and cutting on a dime that much more effective, but it’s his vision that makes it all possible. While he can get lost in the pile sometimes, Scott is patient behind his blockers and runs with great anticipation.
Nobody is saying that Scott is going to burst onto the scene and somehow carve out a role adjacent to Miles Sanders, but with the Eagles still really needing to find some reliability at the return spots, Scott has experience at both, alongside a skill set that blends what can only summarized as that of a ‘Baby Darren Sproles’ and would arguably bring more to the table than a couple of the other backs on the roster.
The Eagles wanted to see what Scott could do in their system and will now have a full offseason to work with the Louisiana Tech Product. In a backfield loaded with talent and excitement, it could be this dark horse that does more than turn heads in the months to come, potentially displacing someone like Wendell Smallwood and fighting his way to becoming the Eagles secondary return option, as well as a very handy change-of-pace back who has value as a receiver and is just a nightmare in open space.
Is 'Smallwood vs Scott' the undercard fight to remember? We'll find out in OTA's as the first blows land.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_JhVw1-jw0
Offensive line
The Eagles selected Andre Dillard with the 22nd overall pick, trading up for his services and although he won't be expected to start right away, there's a chance he'll get plenty of experience with the 1's. Jason Peters is often a late arrival to offseason activities, as someone that has played at an elite level for so long and doesn't really need the extra work, it paves open a brilliant opportunity for Dillard. Don't be surprised to see the Washington State product get some experience against Brandon Graham early on.
Outside of that, the Eagles brought back Stefen Wisniewski last week in a move that should add an insurance policy in the event that Brandon Brooks is unable to go for week 1. Wis will take the starting reps during OTA's, with Seumalo at left guard, but keep an eye on TCU's Matt Pryor, a fifth-round selection from last year. The big dancing bear started at every spot along TCU's offensive front in college and now has a year's worth experience under Jeff Stoutland.
Talking of experience, how could we not mention Jordan Mailata? The seventh-round selection from one year ago almost instantly became a fan favorite, with the world begging to see progress. He looked stunningly strong during preseason considering he was still learning the SPORT, let alone the position. But with a year of training under him, just how close is he to playing at an NFL level? We'll get our first glimpse this week.
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Tight End
There's no real major news to report here. It's business as usual. The Eagles enter OTA's with the same trio they did last year, with Ertz and Goedert being joined by Richard Rodgers, who re-signed with the team during the offseason. Joshua Perkins and Will Tye makeup the rest of the depth and will be competing for a TE4 position that the Eagles traditionally like to keep around.
There are no real position battles to note, but it will be interesting to see how Ertz and Goedert look early on.
Wide receiver
Where do we begin? The long-awaited return of DeSean Jackson? The drafting of J.J Arcega-Whiteside that gives the Eagles one of the most intimidating redzone offenses in the league? Or how about the potential need to find a future heir to Nelson Agholor's throne, or at least someone to rotate into the slot when needed?
It should be plain sailing for the most part, but fans will be salivating at the idea of seeing Arcega-Whiteside in action, a jump-ball specialist who idolizes Alshon Jeffery but brings so much more to the table.
Then there's the question of what happens to Mack Hollins and Shelton Gibson, the forgotten sons of their draft class. Can they still break onto the roster despite lingering concerns over both? Hollins needs to show he's recovered from a 'phantom injury', while Gibson's preseason burst last year will need to be repeated and then built upon if he is to be a WR5 behind DeSean Jackson.
What battles/players are you looking forward to seeing? Let us know in the comments!
