Football season is nearly upon us.
Eagles players will report for the start of training camp on Tuesday and will begin practices on Wednesday with plenty to figure out between now and the regular season opener against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 11.
Here are the five biggest questions going into the summer workouts.
How different will the Eagles’ defensive front look?
The Eagles defense received a significant overhaul during the offseason, leaving plenty to project about how different things may look this season.
Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon used a multiple front last season, fluctuating between even- and odd-man looks depending on the situation. It’s safe to say the Eagles are gravitating toward more odd-man fronts going into this season, though, based on the offseason additions.
Edge rusher Haason Reddick, the Eagles’ lone high-priced free agency addition, and first-round defensive tackle Jordan Davis both have versatility to play multiple spots, but found previous success in 3-4 or 5-2 fronts.
Because the Eagles didn’t run any 11-on-11 drills during OTAs, Wednesday will offer the first chance to confirm those suspicions.
If they do commit to a five-man front, who will open camp with the starters? Will Davis make up a massive interior line flanked by Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave? Does Brandon Graham have a spot on the first team ahead of Davis on the interior or Josh Sweat on the edge?
Then there’s the question about the starting linebackers. If the Eagles employ two off-ball linebackers most of the time, they’ll be choosing between T.J. Edwards, Kyzir White, Nakobe Dean, and Davion Taylor. Edwards and White have the advantage in experience, but Dean and Taylor have the edge in athleticism and coverage ability. Gannon rotated his first-team linebackers constantly last season, so the starters on the first day may not remain with the group for long, but it will still be important to monitor.
Did Jalen Hurts make strides during the offseason?
As usual, all eyes will be on the quarterback.
Jalen Hurts enters his third year in the league — second as a full-time starter — with what appears to be another chance to prove he’s a long-term answer at the most important position.
Hurts, who will turn 24 during training camp, spent more offseason time in California working with quarterback gurus and has tweaked his mechanics some since last year. He has also stated the importance of having the same play-caller and offensive coordinator for consecutive years, something he hasn’t had since high school.
Whether or not these things will have a tangible impact on Hurts’ performance this season is yet to be seen, but there will be hints during training camp. If Hurts confidently commands the Eagles offense through camp and completes a high percentage of passes, it would be a promising sign. His accuracy and arm strength will be easy enough to measure during the summer, but the regular season will provide the real answers on the big picture.
The Eagles have enough talent to be a top-10 offense this year, but the group will likely go as far as Hurts is capable of taking it.
How much does A.J. Brown change the Eagles offense?
A.J. Brown’s arrival should ignite the Eagles’ passing offense. Will it change the way it functions?
The Eagles ran the league’s lowest percentage of pass plays in neutral situations last year, according to Sharp Football Analysis, meaning they leaned heavily on the run game in situations where a run or pass were equally as likely. Some of it was for good reason: They were the most effective rushing attack in the NFL thanks to a dominant offensive line and Hurts’ ability to draw attention in the run game.
Still, with Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert all flashing potential to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in a season, it would stand to reason that the Eagles’ offense should air it out more this year. Some of it will depend on Hurts, but Brown’s arrival could compel Nick Sirianni to return to the pass-heavy offense he ran during the first half of last year in order to get the trio of Brown, Smith, and Goedert the requisite touches each game.
Even though Sirianni will likely keep his intended scheme changes under wraps until the regular season, there will be some useful information about personnel groupings during camp. Will the Eagles continue to use a heavy dose of 12-personnel, or will the trio of Brown, Smith, and Quez Watkins lead to more 11-personnel?
Who starts at right guard?
Arguably the most interesting position battle going into training camp will take place on the interior offensive line.
The stage is set for Isaac Seumalo and Jack Driscoll to compete for the starting right guard spot after Sirianni and offensive coordinator Shane Steichen declined to commit to Seumalo during the spring.
Seumalo has a significant edge in experience, but the 28-year-old is coming off a Lisfranc foot injury that caused him to miss the last 14 games of the season. Seumalo will likely be the first up when camp opens, and it looks like his job to lose, but Driscoll, 25, has capably filled in at guard and tackle in the first two years of his career.
Who will be this year’s training camp surprise?
It feels like every year there’s a guy who goes from a relative unknown to training camp darling. Whether it’s Joe Ostman, Kayode Awosika, Paul Turner, etc., someone will likely boost their stock considerably in the coming weeks.
Some candidates:
Carson Strong’s best-case scenario is to be the team’s third-string quarterback this year, but don’t be surprised if he has a few “wow” moments during camp. He has legitimate arm talent and the confidence that often comes with it. He went undrafted out of Nevada because of a scary knee injury and he’s been typecast as a slow-footed pocket passer, but there’s plenty to work with here, especially if his knee has made any improvements since we last saw him.
Even though Britain Covey fits the bill as the Eagles player that most closely resembles a member of the Eagles’ beat writing corps, he has gotten multiple shoutouts from coaches and teammates going into camp. Sirianni and Goedert both mentioned him as an exciting prospect. Can he hold up in the league as a 5-foot-8, 173-pound slot receiver with some juice in the return game? He’ll have a chance to prove it soon enough. If he does, it’s easy to see him becoming a folk hero in the city.
Tarron Jackson may not be a true sleeper considering his status a former sixth-round pick who played in every game last season, but he’s a player with an outside chance to surprise people this summer. The former Coastal Carolina standout became a part of the defensive-line rotation midway through last season and flashed on a few occasions late in the year. If Jackson takes a leap going into Year 2, he could become a meaningful part of the edge-rusher rotation heading out of camp.
