While there are many question marks surrounding the entire Eagles squad heading into the 2016 season, a majority of them pertain to what head coach Doug Pederson and offensive coordinator Frank Reich will put together on the offensive side of the ball in their first years in Philadelphia.
After spending three years as offensive coordinator under Andy Reid with the Kansas City Chiefs, Pederson brings with him a vastly different game plan than what former Eagles coach Chip Kelly brought to the table. Leaving with Kelly is his high-paced offense, which is probably best for everyone, considering it seemed like the Philly defense was out on the field for the majority of every game last season.
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But the biggest question mark is Pederson himself.
This is his first head coaching job anywhere (no, being the head coach of Calvary Baptist Academy does not count), which has warranted concern amongst Eagles fans, and rightfully so. With training camp set to begin on July 24, each choice Pederson makes will surely be heavily scrutinized by the media and fans.
And it seems like he has already made his first major decision. Pederson recently made it clear that rookie quarterback Carson Wentz, the second overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, will most likely be inactive come week one of the regular season. With this announcement, it is an indication that Pederson has faith in Sam Bradford as his starting QB, with Chase Daniel serving as the backup.
But what happens if Bradford goes down with an injury and the Eagles get off to a bad start? Does Pederson throw Wentz into the fire, or will he stick with his original plan of grooming the rookie for the future and go with a guy like Daniel, who has two career starts?
Then there is the situation in the backfield. With DeMarco Murray being shipped off to the Tennessee Titans in March (good riddance), the only remaining running backs on the roster that will see most of the playing time are Ryan Mathews, Darren Sproles and rookie Wendell Smallwood, who was drafted in the fifth round out of West Virginia. In 2015, Philadelphia finished with the 10th most rushing touchdowns (15) and 14th most rushing yards (1,743). Of that, 702 yards and six touchdowns came from Murray, so with him out of the picture it will be interesting to see who picks up the slack: a) the injury-prone Mathews, b) a 33-year old Sproles, or c) Smallwood, a rookie.
Finishing tied with the Buffalo Bills for 12th lowest amount of receiving touchdowns last season, all eyes will be on the Eagles' receiving core, which is led by Jordan Matthews and tight end Zach Ertz. Matthews finished with 997 yards and eight touchdowns a year ago, while Ertz had the second most yards on the team with 853. More pressure will be on Ertz this year to be the go-to-guy after signing a 5-year, $42 million extension in January. Behind these two on the depth chart will be second-year receiver Nelson Agholor and Josh Huff, as well as free agent signings Rueben Randle and Chris Givens, who should give the Eagles some depth. Despite a disappointing rookie campaign in which he only recorded 283 yards and a touchdown, Agholor will need to step up and make plays when the attention is on Matthews and Ertz.
Perhaps the brightest spot in the Eagles' offense is their offensive line. They are returning Jason Peters, Lane Johnson, Jason Kelce and Allen Barbre, and added guard Brandon Brooks during free agency. But just because it's the brightest spot doesn't mean there aren't any questions to be asked. Peters is now 34 years old, and has been plagued by injuries, so he may be spending his last season in Philadelphia this year. Johnson seems to be the choice to slide over from right to left tackle, which then opens up the question of who will fill that void once Peters is gone.
Fasten your seat belts, Eagles fans. Training camp is rapidly approaching, and your questions surrounding this team should be answered very soon.
