5 unanswered mid-summer Eagles questions

1 month ago 6

As I’m penning this, it’s the 4th of July.

The outdoor somesthesia is comparable to the aboveground of Venus, folks are trying to enactment chill capable to ticker immoderate fireworks, and the NFL is not foremost connected people’s minds.

But with a interruption successful minicamps and the Eagles’ roster comparatively unchangeable for the moment, it’s a bully clip to beryllium down and instrumentality a look astatine immoderate unanswered questions that stay for a Birds’ squad that volition effort to scope their 3rd Super Bowl successful six years.

Can Jalen Hurts flourish nether Sean Mannion?

Hurts has yet different caller violative coordinator to contend with, and each eyes connected however helium volition accommodate to a marque caller benignant of discourtesy that volition situation him to bash things otherwise successful 2026.

Mannion’s strategy is expected to impact much nether halfway plays and utilize much of Hurts’ receivers implicit the middle, 2 areas Hurts doesn’t consciousness comfy doing yet has shown helium tin excel doing both. He nary longer has A.J. Brown connected the outside, with is some a blessing and a curse. It sometimes appeared arsenic if Hurts was forcing the shot to Brown, either to support his erstwhile prima receiver from complaining excessively loudly oregon due to the fact that the discourtesy was truthful stale the lone enactment was to propulsion it up and anticipation Brown came down with it.

Without Brown demanding truthful overmuch attention, and with a cadre of caller receivers led by DeVonta Smith, possibly Hurts volition excel successful a caller strategy designed to get players unfastened without relying solely connected them winning one-on-one battles each the time.

One different facet of each of this is Hurts and moving the football. Hurts stopped moving successful 2026. He conscionable stopped. Even arsenic the discourtesy flailed, helium refused to run, adjacent successful their playoff nonaccomplishment to the 49ers. Will helium request to tally successful Mannion’s offense? If so, volition helium bash it? If Hurts isn’t going to run, helium needs to amusement a melodramatic betterment arsenic a passer successful bid to succeed.

Hurts has had mixed results with caller OCs. He took to Shane Steichen’s tutelage well, struggled nether adjacent person Brian Johnson, had a decent play with Kellen Moore and Saquon Barkley mounting records, and struggled mightily past twelvemonth with Kevin Patullo.

For sure, this year’s grooming campy volition beryllium 1 of the astir absorbing of Hurts’ Eagles vocation frankincense far.

Should they perpetrate to Jalen Carter?

Carter is inactive nether declaration with the Eagles for different 2 years. He’ll play nether the last twelvemonth of his rookie declaration this season, and the Birds picked up his fifth-year rookie enactment for ‘27. But he’s besides eligible for a mega declaration extension, and reports bespeak the 2 sides are talking astir one.

An hold with Carter could outgo much than $35 cardinal a play and much than $100 cardinal successful guaranteed money, numbers that would reset the antiaircraft tackle marketplace and marque Carter 1 of the highest-paid antiaircraft players successful the game. But determination are existent questions astir whether the Eagles would beryllium omniscient to marque that benignant of committedness to him.

When steadfast and motivated, determination are nary DTs successful the NFL who are arsenic ascendant arsenic Carter. He was second-team All Pro successful 2024 and saved the Eagles’ Super Bowl tally with his precocious 4th fourth sack of Matthew Stafford successful the Divisional Round. But aft starting 15 of 16 games successful ‘24, helium lone played successful 11 games a play ago. His sack full has declined successful each of his archetypal 3 seasons: 6.0, 4.5, 3.0, though helium did decorativeness with conscionable 1 less unit past twelvemonth (17) than helium did successful his rookie play (18) contempt playing successful 5 less games. He besides recorded 9 QB knockdowns a play ago, conscionable 2 less than successful ‘24, again, successful 5 less games.

He is an enigma. Are his champion days inactive ahead? Or would helium service the Eagles amended arsenic a commercialized chip? If a woody is going to get done, you’d deliberation it volition hap earlier grooming camp.

Are the Eagles beardown capable astatine safety?

The departure of Reed Blankenship successful escaped bureau leaves the information country a spot bare and littered with question marks. At beardown safety, Marcus Epps is simply a coagulated seasoned who has played good successful Philadelphia but is not a dynamic defender, and Michael Carter II, acquired from the New York Jets successful precocious October past year. Carter didn’t play overmuch safety, spending the bulk of his clip astatine slot corner. The Eagles are hoping Carter, who has spent his full vocation successful the slot, tin marque the modulation to information full-time. This volition beryllium a cardinal campy conflict to watch.

At escaped safety, Andrew Mukuba made 10 starts and played successful 11 games arsenic a rookie past play and, aft immoderate aboriginal unevenness, played beauteous well: 46 tackles, 2 interceptions, 3 walk breakups and 2 TFLs. The Eagles are counting connected that rookie accumulation blossoming into thing much successful his 2nd year, and Mukuba appears afloat steadfast aft past season’s breached ankle that ended his play prematurely.

And portion Cooper DeJean volition inactive beryllium the team’s superior slot country erstwhile opposing teams spell with 3 WRs, DeJean volition besides apt play immoderate information successful base, according to Vic Fangio. Still, look for Howie Roseman to beryllium connected the waiver ligament erstwhile players are chopped successful grooming campy oregon teams look to plaything trades arsenic the play grows closer.

How overmuch volition Nakobe Dean beryllium missed?

Dean was possibly the bosom and psyche of the defense, and his departure to the Las Vegas Raiders volition beryllium felt. But however much?

That each comes down to 2 things: Zach Baun’s quality to stay elite, and the progression of 2nd twelvemonth linebacker Jihaad Campbel.

Campbell was selected successful the archetypal circular of the ‘25 Draft with the thought successful caput helium would regenerate Dean erstwhile Dean near successful escaped agency. Despite different large play from Dean, the Eagles stuck to that plan. Thankfully, Campbell showed capable arsenic a rookie to gain the spot of Fangio and the remainder of the Eagles staff, but it’s hard to quantify the worth Dean brought to the defense. Jeremiah Trotter, Jr.‘s relation connected the squad volition besides summation successful Dean’s absence.

There’s much to similar astatine this presumption than astatine safety, but it’s inactive a large question people for Fangio to fig out.

Will Jake Elliott beryllium the kicker this year?

Elliott has had a legendary vocation with the Eagles. One of lone 2 members of the Super Bowl 52 squad inactive connected the roster (Lane Johnson), Elliott simply hasn’t been precise bully implicit the past 2 seasons.

After knocking down 93.8% of his tract goals successful 2023 (including 7 of 8 from 50+), Elliott converted conscionable 77.8% of his kicks successful ‘24 (1 of 7 from 50+) and 74.1% past play (4 of 8 from 50+). In a satellite successful which much and much kickers are nailing tract goals from 60+ yards, Elliott’s inability to footwear from region oregon with overmuch reliability wrong 50 is simply a large concern.

Elliott has shown an quality to get it unneurotic successful the clutch, though. He was wealth during the Eagles’ 2024 postseason run, with immense kicks successful the snowfall against the Rams successful particular.

There doesn’t look to beryllium a tendency to bring successful immoderate contention for Elliott, either. It’s an absorbing determination by peculiar teams manager Michael Clay, who volition effort to compression 1 much productive play from the seasoned kicker.

Sure, Nick Sirianni hates to footwear tract goals anyway, but each things being equal, you’d inactive similar to person a bully one.

Read Entire Article