7 Key Storylines for Eagles Training Camp
After a very active offseason, the 2019 season is about to get into full swing for the Eagles, with the start of training camp around two weeks away. Between the new players, the current players, and the future position battles, training camp offers the first true opportunity to see how the Eagles are shaping up for the upcoming season.
The Eagles had a lot of turnover this offseason, to say the least. At virtually every position, the Eagles have seen plenty of movement, with multiple top-end players coming in, while also losing some notable players as well. DeSean Jackson, Jordan Howard and Zach Brown were some of the few top acquisitions the team made, while also drafting Andre Dillard, Miles Sanders, and JJ Arcega-Whiteside in the first two rounds of this years NFL Draft. Meanwhile, the Eagles lost a few key players, including Nick Foles, Michael Bennett, Chris Long, and Jordan Hicks.
Expectations have been set high for the Eagles after they had what many view to be one of the best offseasons in the league. On July 25, the vision of winning their second Super Bowl title in three seasons will begin to be put into motion. Here are the 7 top storylines to look out for when the Eagles re-group at training camp.
The Splits Between Jordan Howard and Miles Sanders
After having one of the most prolific rushing attacks in the NFL back in 2017, the Eagles had an abysmal season in the backfield last season. Jay Ajayi and Darren Sproles missed a significant period of time due to injury, and Corey Clement suffered a season-ending injury late in the season as well. The Eagles were left with just Josh Adams and Wendell Smallwood as their top running backs, a committee that wasn’t suitable for a team pursuing a championship.
Now, after some aggressive moves by a general manager and executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman, the Eagles have a two-headed monster, similar to what they had in 2017 with LeGarrette Blount and Ajayi.
The Eagles dealt a 2020 sixth-round pick to the Chicago Bears for running back Jordan Howard, and in the NFL Draft, they took Sanders, a running back out of Penn State. Sanders is just the second running back that the Eagles have taken in the second-round this century.
Howard and Sanders are set to lead the Eagles backfield, but how will the touches be spread out? Training camp will give us the first glimpse at that, especially since Sanders missed all of OTAs due to a hamstring injury.
It’s under the assumption that Howard will have the most rushing attempts, while Sanders will have the biggest presence in the passing game out of the backfield. It is worth noting that Howard is one of just three running backs to average more than 1,000 rushing yards per season over the last three seasons, which obviously highlights his ability on the ground.
However, the Eagles seemed to focus a bit on making Howard flexible in the passing game during OTAs, as well. Howard hasn’t been the best pass catcher throughout his career, averaging just 24 catches per season, but the Eagles believe he is capable of being a threat as a receiving back, not just a place-holder. With Sanders in the mix, it will be clear quickly just how much the Eagles truly want to use Howard as a pass-catcher.
On the topic of Sanders, he will likely get around 15 touches per game between rushing attempts and receptions, but the Eagles also view him as their running back of the future. Considering that, there is always the chance they give him an opportunity to win the running back job now, instead of waiting until 2020, when Howard potentially could leave in free agency.
Sanders won’t have a direct path towards consistent work if that isn’t the case, though. Clement may be back for training camp, and he has shown in the past that he is capable of being explosive out of the backfield. Remember, Clement was one of the most important players in Super Bowl LII, leading the team in receiving with 100 receiving yards. Clement has a clear presence on the team, and drafting Sanders likely won’t change that. If Clement looks healthy, he could take at least a bite out of Sanders’ workload. That’s another thing to look out for this training camp.
The Battle for the Final Wide Receiver Spot(s)
The Eagles rejuvenated their wide receiver position. Along with Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor returning, the Eagles also traded for DeSean Jackson and drafted JJ Arcega-Whiteside. Those four have solidified the top end of the depth chart at wide receiver, but there is a clear position battle that is going to break out for the final wide receiver spot (or two).
This is a very interesting situation. The Eagles will likely keep six wide receivers on the roster, instead of just five, which some teams have chosen to do. That means that two wide receivers will have to emerge from the pack.
This presumed wide receivers that will be in this battle are Mack Hollins, Shelton Gibson, Marken Michel, Charles Robinson and Braxton Miller. All of these guys, in their own way, have already made a good case to make the team.
Both Hollins and Gibson have a history with the Eagles, and have had some success on the team as well. In 2017, Hollins had 226 receiving yards and one touchdown, which was a 64-yard bomb from Carson Wentz. Hollins averaged an impressive 14.1 yards per catch as well. Gibson has been with the team for two seasons and has showed some promise, though the stats don’t quite back that up.
However, both Hollins and Gibson have seen things take a bit of a turn for the worst regarding their situations. Hollins mysteriously missed all of last season due to a hernia and groin injury, despite reports before the season saying he was on track to play week one. Hollins did do some individual work at OTAs, but he is still recovering from those injuries. Meanwhile, Gibson seemed to get overshadowed during OTAs, looking like he could already be one of the odd men out. Thanks to that, the door is opened to Michel, Robinson and Miller.
Michel is the brother of Patriots running back Sony Michel, but his performance in OTAs showed that he shouldn’t be overlooked as lesser to his brother. Michel seemed to develop a significant amount of chemistry with Wentz in the passing game during OTAs, with Wentz frequently turning to him as one of his go-to receivers. Granted, both Jeffery and Agholor missed some time during team activites, but Michel was still one of the top guys with players of the likes of Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert and Jackson in the fold.
Robinson is another player who seemed to have a great spring while pads were off. Robinson didn’t quite develop the connection that Michel did with Wentz, but Robinson had some great moments as well. Robinson is a speedster who could also be of use in special teams as well.
Then, there is Miller. Miller was on the Eagles practice squad for the majority of last season and many wondered if he would get brought up to the 53-man roster at some point, but that never happened. Miller has been on the cusp of making an NFL roster for a few years now, and this might be his best chance yet at finally doing so. Miller does have some fans within the Eagles organization, but it will ultimately come down to how he does on the field.
At the end, Hollins and Michel seem to have the upper hand in terms of winning the final two spots, but training camp will give the Eagles a long and quality look at who deserves to make the team.
The State of the Defensive End Position
Defensive end has been a position of strength for the Eagles over the past few seasons, but there is some uncertainty there heading into next season. Brandon Graham was re-signed and Derek Barnett is returning from last years shoulder injury that cost him the season, but Michael Bennett was traded and Chris Long retired.
The Eagles did bring in veteran defensive end Vinny Curry, who had previously been with the Eagles before playing in Tampa Bay for one season last year, but behind him, there isn’t much in terms of reliable depth.
During training camp, the battle for the second backup defensive end spot will be one of the key things to lookout for.
Josh Sweat and Shareef Miller are positioned to go head-to-head over the final backup spot, with Joe Ostman also in the mix.
The Eagles loved what they saw out of Sweat during OTAs, and have been high on him ever since they drafted him in the fourth round in 2018. Sweat would have gone much higher in that years draft, but some knee problems forced him to fall. Sweat dealt with some injury last year as well, and was fairly ineffective during his time on the field during his rookie season. Size is also an issue for Sweat, as he is viewed as too undersized to truly excel at defensive end.
There is a pathway for Miller to come out victorious in this battle. Similarly, the Eagles drafted Miller, who is a Philadelphia-native and a life-long Eagles fan, in the fourth-round of this years draft. If Miller can put his physicality to good use when the pads go on, he can make a strong case as to why he’s better suited to backup Graham or Barnett.
Then there’s Ostman, who has been a practice squad hero for the Eagles. Last year, Ostman frequently played the role of opposing teams top pass rusher during practices, playing a big role in preparing the teams offensive tackles for what was set to come in that weeks game. Ostman is a hard-worker and has received praise within the organization and the coaching staff. However, his usage in OTAs signal he has quite the uphill battle to play the role of backup alongside Curry.
The Eagles may also bring in more competition. The team continues to be in contact with Connor Barwin, who was with the Eagles from 2013-2016, and was fairly impactful in his time in Philadelphia. Barwin had a very down year last season with the Giants, but his usage was also down, so there is room for improvement. Barwin has signaled that he’d like to sign a deal with the Eagles by the start of training camp before he entertains other offers, but it doesn’t seem likely that the Eagles turn to him for help that quickly. The front office reportedly told Barwin he would only be brought in if they felt there was a true need at defensive end, and they won’t be able to get a good feel for that until they see how the current group performs when contact is allowed on the field.
Defensive end has been a big topic of discussion regarding the Eagles, and training camp will give everyone the best feel for just how much of a need, or if it even is a need, the position is.
Clearing up the Picture of the Cb Position
The Eagles are rolling with a very similar group to what they had last season. The team brought back Ronald Darby on a one-year deal, while Rasul Douglas, Sidney Jones, Cre’Von LeBlanc, Avonte Maddox and Jalen Mills are all returning.
At one point throughout the season in 2018, all six of those players started at cornerback for the Eagles, and all were fairly effective when given that opportunity. That should provide some great competition, but it’s hard to get a clear picture of how the starting rotation is shaping up as of now.
In OTAs, Douglas and Jones started on the outside, and Maddox started in the slot. However, Darby and Mills didn’t participate while they continued to recover from their respective injuries. In OTAs, LeBlanc seemed to be the odd man out, as he hardly got similar reps compared to the playing time he got towards the end of last season, where he was one of the best players in the Eagles secondary.
Considering the Eagles brought back Darby, it’s to be assumed that he will have a starting spot once he’s healthy enough to play. However, in the last two seasons, Darby suffered a dislocated ankle and a torn ACL. Darby has to be protected a bit, especially since he’s coming off of the ACL injury, and that means he won’t be able to be a full go at the beginning of the season. Due to that, one of Douglas, Jones or Maddox will have a great opportunity to show why they should start at CB, regardless of the status of Darby.
Mills is a player who has been forgotten, as well. Mills was a key player in the teams Super Bowl run in 2017, but he had a down year in 2018, before being lost for the season due to a foot injury. However, Mills is statistically the best cornerback in football in terms of redzone efficiency. There is the prospect that the Eagles could use Mills in a specialized role; he would strictly play in the red zone, where he thrives and doesn’t see as much time in situations outside of that part of the field.
Then, there is Maddox.
Maddox was the best cornerback for the Eagles last season, there’s no other way around it. Considering how talented he is, it’s hard to think the Eagles would limit him to just playing in the slot. He doesn’t have the size to line up on bigger wide receivers, but he has the speed, instincts, and playmaking ability to be a key difference-maker in the secondary for the Eagles next season.
As for Jones and Douglas, they are both cases of players with potential that hasn’t quite been realized yet. Jones played phenomenal at the start of last season before having another bout with injury. As for Douglas, he didn’t see any playing time until Darby and Mills went down with their injuries. Douglas played well, but he didn’t do enough to separate from the pack.
There is a lot going on at cornerback. For better or for worse, there is a lot of competition set to play out during training camp, and there should be clarity at that position soon.
The Malcolm Jenkins Situation
Malcolm Jenkins and his dispute over his current deal with the Eagles has arguably caught the most attention both in Philadelphia media and at the national level. Jenkins is currently unhappy with his deal with the Eagles and feels he deserves to be paid more.
Jenkins’ current contract pays him $8.75 million per season, which ranks ninth among safeties. However, Jenkins’ production has put him among the best safeties in the NFL. Jenkins is also arguably the most valuable player on the Eagles defense; he played every single defensive snap last season, playing at linebacker, cornerback, and even on special team, along with safety.
For Jenkins to move into the top five in pay among safeties, the Eagles would have to dish out an additional $1.75 million per season, and for Jenkins to move into the top three, he would be due $5 million more per season.
It was previously speculated that Jenkins would skip mandatory camp in June over his contract dispute, but he did show up, diffusing those rumors. Jenkins said that he wants to be here for his team, which also shuts down any possibility that he skips any of training camp, but also says the business side of the situation needs to be dealt with.
It is pretty surprising that this still has yet to be dealt with, considering the relationship Jenkins has with owner Jeffery Lurie, but there may be a bit of cat-and-mouse going on. Jenkins wants to be paid for what he’s done for the Eagles to this point, while the Eagles may not feel it’d be worth to give out a significant amount of extra money since his usage will likely be fairly lower from the 100% that he had last season. The Eagles made a lot of moves at both linebacker and safety, which means Jenkins won’t be at LB nearly as much, and he won’t have to be as much of an “iron man” at safety. While Jenkins is clearly a great player and deserves high praise for what he’s done, the Eagles may not be willing to give out serious money long-term with tighter cap situations awaiting in the future.
This is not something that time on the field will clear up, but training camp provides a good opportunity for both sides to continue working towards resolving this issue. The longer this lingers, the more difficult the situation will be, and the Eagles can’t afford to allow their most valuable player to get cold feet on them. The Eagles have a lot to consider, but in the end, paying Jenkins could be the only choice. Official word on that remains to be seen.
The Usage of Dallas Goedert
A few Eagles players have drawn excitement so far this offseason, but none have received the amount of hype that tight end Dallas Goedert has gotten. After drafting Goedert in the second-round in 2018, Goedert had a solid rookie season in terms of his usage. Goedert caught 33 passes for 334 yards and four touchdowns in his first professional season, but what he’s done following that is what’s brought him the spotlight within the organization.
Goedert had an absolutely monster spring, looking like the most dominant player on the Eagles offense during OTAs and mandatory camp. Goedert was catching nearly every pass that came his way, and his size was too much for an Eagle defender to stop. Even better, him and Carson Wentz seem to have developed great chemistry in the passing game.
Goedert, unsurprisingly, is still behind Zach Ertz on the depth chart at tight end. Because of that, the Eagles will have to get creative in order to get Goedert on the field as much as possible, and training camp will give us the latest look at how they plan on doing that.
The Eagles have a few options here.
The first is running primarily out of “12” formation, which is a one running back and two tight end set. This would allow Ertz and Goedert to line up opposite of each other, while also having Howard or Sanders in the backfield, and Jeffery and Jackson out wide.
Another way the Eagles could get Goedert on the field more is sticking Ertz in the slot when the opportunity presents itself. Ertz excelled in the slot last season, catching the most passes in that spot out of any tight end in the league. Per PFF, Ertz had the eight-highest grade among all NFL players in the slot, and had the second-most receptions of 15 or more yards out of the slot with 16. Not only is Ertz effective in the slot, but Goedert’s game compliments that well with him being lined up next to the offensive line. Goedert’s pass catching ability has already been highlighted, but he’s also one of the best blockers among tight ends. This would give the Eagles the flexibility to utilize Ertz and Goedert in a multitude of ways, while also maintaining creativity within the offense by keeping the running game involved in this set.
Regardless of how they do it, the Eagles must find a way to get Goedert on the field consistently. Thinking about this situation, it’s hard not to get excited about what could come from this unique pair of elite tight ends the Eagles have. Goedert is capable of having a huge year in 2019, and training camp will give the first look at just how the Eagles plan on putting him in action.
The Final Two Safety Spots: Andrew Sendejo, Blake Countess, or Tre Sullivan?
Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod are solidified as the two starting safeties, but a battle is ensuing for who backs up both players. The Eagles brought in Andrew Sendejo in free agency, while also claiming Blake Countess, and Tre Sullivan is back for another season.
Over the last few seasons, the safety position has become a position of need, both because of injury, and how the Eagles have decided to use them. The Eagles use three-safety sets fairly frequently, putting stress on having talent beyond the starting rotation. In the past, the Eagles have gotten away with Corey Graham, but his inconsistencies hurt the Eagles one too many times last season.
Now, between Sendejo, Countess and Sullivan, the Eagles will have more healthy competition to see who’s deserving of being the third safety, and also who plays security blanket as the fourth safety on the depth chart.
Sendejo is by far the most proven player among the three. Since 2013, Sendejo has finished with 60 or more tackles in four out of six seasons. Sendejo was also a key difference-maker on the Minnesota Vikings team that made it to the NFC Championship game in 2017. However, there is a kicker with Sendejo. If the Eagles keep Sendejo for more than eight games, he will cost the Eagles a compensatory pick, likely a fourth-rounder. Due to that, there needs to be some consideration into just how valuable he is. If he doesn’t make it clear that he can make an impact on the team, there is a very real chance that Sendejo doesn’t survive the final cuts.
Countess and Sullivan both provide some unknown, while also having some potential as well.
Countess was drafted in the sixth round by the Eagles in 2016 but was cut by the team. In three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, Countess has amassed 53 tackles and two interceptions. Countess hasn’t exactly been a difference-maker to this point in his career, but it was still a bit of a shock that the Rams decided to waive him earlier this offseason.
As for Sullivan, didn’t get much run in his rookie season last year with the Eagles until the latter part of the campaign. After McLeod was lost for the season and Graham became pretty much useless, Sullivan was given some opportunity in the secondary. In the playoffs, Sullivan put together two solid games, combining for 10 tackles and deflecting three passes. He showed some promise during those two games, but he hasn’t gotten the chance to show that he can do it consistently.
The best bet is Sendejo and Countess end up being the two backup safeties, but there is a lot that can happen in this position battle. Plus, when compensatory picks are involved and Howie Roseman is in the equation, it’s impossible to predict how a situation will end.
One more bonus thing to look out for is the progress of Brandon Brooks and Jalen Mills in their recovery. Both hope to be ready for the start of the regular season but won’t be active for the start of training camp. Their progress is something to keep an eye on.
Training camp is almost here, and Eagles football will be back in no time. There are plenty of big storylines to look out for when the team regroups on July 25, and they will all play a role in the team’s goal in winning their second Super Bowl in three seasons.
Featured Image: Kiel Leggere/Philadelphia Eagles
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