One of the reasons the Eagles training camp is so highly anticipated this summer is the genuine competition at a number of critical positions.
For a team that recently completed with eleven wins, this level of competition is incredible, but this wasn’t your average 11-win season. Not the way that things ended.
Eleven players on defense and eight on offense who made at least one game start for the team are gone. Well, that’s a lot. These exits, which also include a few well-known retirements, will create rivalry for playing time, starting positions, and roster places everywhere.
Everything starts on Wednesday mornings at the NovaCare Complex.
This week, throughout training camp and the preseason games, we will all be watching six major events. Let’s handicap them.
Correct guard
The contenders are Trevor Keegan, Max Scharping, Mekhi Becton, Matt Hennessy, and Tyler Steen.
Steen receives the first opportunity at a position that has been open for the Eagles for some time. The Eagles utilized 19 different right guards during the 13 years that Jason Kelce played center, including all-time greats like Jack Anderson, Andrew Gardner, Kyle DeVan, and Jamon Brown. We all miss the Jamon Brown era, I believe. The Eagles are adamant that Steen be appointed.
He was selected in the third round, is just 24 years old, and they think he can be a very solid interior lineman after switching from collegiate tackle to NFL guard last season. However, choices exist. In the event that Steen falters, the Falcons have Hennessy, a former player from Temple and Don Bosco Prep, who started 22 games at center and guard, and Becton, a former high first-round pick who is only 25 and has experience at both guard and tackle after signing with the team in the spring. Scharping is a thought-provoking choice.
Having started 33 games at guard for the Texans and Bengals in the previous five seasons, he is the most seasoned player in the group. Though it seems clear, I’m going with Steen. I appreciate his approach, the way he accepted a shift in role, and how responsible he was when discussing the work he knew he needed to do this summer and last year. Although he will undoubtedly face challenges this summer due to his size, strength, and athleticism, I believe he will prevail in the end.
Third wide receiver
The candidates: Parris Campbell, John Ross, Joseph Ngata, Ainias Smith, Johnny Wilson, Britain Covey
Although there are some guys in the group that are easy to cheer for and are overcoming adversity, the group lacks a reliable player in case A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith miss a few games or even series. There’s a significant decline from WR2 to WR3.
Can Campbell, a second-round pick with almost little output, ultimately make an impact? After sitting out two years and collecting just 13 catches since 2020, can Ross resurrect his career? Can Wilson or Smith make an impact as late-round rookies?
In the end, I anticipate that WR3 on opening day will be a player not on the roster right now. I don’t see Howie Roseman starting the season with Brown, Smith, and a few serious questions marks until Campbell or Ross has a fantastic summer and truly gains the trust of Jalen Hurts and Kellen Moore.
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