Eagles Training Camp: 12 Questions as Prep Begins
PHILADELPHIA – Year 3 of the Nick Sirianni era begins in earnest on Wednesday as the Philadelphia Eagles will hold their first training camp practice for the 2023 season.
Here are a dozen questions as camp opens:
Can Jalen Hurts take yet another step? The quarterback set the bar high last year with an MVP-style regular season and a terrific performance in the Super Bowl.
Despite being sacked a career-high 38 times, he completed 66.5 percent of his passes with 22 touchdown passes to just six interceptions while throwing for 3,701 yards. Had he not missed two starts, it’s likely he would have joined Carson Wentz as the only two quarterbacks in team history to throw for more than 4,000 yards in a season.
He also ran for 760 yards (4.6 yards per carry) and 13 touchdowns and has 23 rushing touchdowns in the past two seasons.
Will Jalen Carter be ready to win a starting job? The ninth overall selection in this spring’s draft, the defensive tackle will be given every opportunity to start next to veteran Fletcher Cox. By all accounts, Carter made good use of his summer break and looks ready to go. The next several weeks will tell the real tale, though.
Can Jordan Davis make a big leap from Year 1 to Year 2? Let’s put it this way: If the second-year defensive tackle doesn’t, the howling will begin that he is a bust.
Will Nakobe Dean and Nicholas Morrow develop chemistry? Kyzir White was able to get it quickly last year with T.J. Edwards when he arrived as a free agent. Morrow will try to do the same, though he has more experience than Dean, who will be counted on heavily to start and set the defense with the communication line (the so-called green dot) to the coaches lodged inside his helmet.
What sort of separation will we see at cornerback? Darius Slay, James Bradberry, and Avonte Maddox are the starters and Kelee Ringo and Zech McPhearson are probably locks, but after that, there will be battles for what could be at least six roster spots or as many as seven. Greedy Williams could be one of the favorites to take a spot but will need to prove he can stay healthy. After those six, holdover Josh Jobe, UDFA Eli Ricks, and a host of other talented players will slug it out for a job.
Will Sydney Brown make inroads for playing time at safety? The rookie third-round pick is an immense talent, but will need to learn quickly if he wants to find time behind starters Reed Blankenship and Terrell Edmunds. If he does, he may even find himself supplanting one of them and starting some games.
Can Olamide Zaccheaus unseat Quez Watkins as WR No. 3? Sirianni and Hurts both went to bat for Watkins this offseason after a season in which Watkins seemed to struggle at times. None of his struggles were more magnified than the Super Bowl, where his drop on a ball deep down the field could have led to a touchdown.
Now along comes free agent Zaccheaus, taking the place of Zach Pascal, who never was able to get much time ahead of Watkins. "OZ" had a career season in Atlanta last year with 40 catches for 533 yards and three touchdowns.
Watkins, though, would seem to have an advantage in that he and Hurts came into the NFL together in the Class of 2020 and have built chemistry.
Will Jack Driscoll be added to the mix of contenders to start at right guard? With the recent signing of veteran Dennis Kelly, who is expected to compete to be the swing tackle behind starters Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson, perhaps the Eagles’ plan to see if Driscoll can make a dent in what is expected to be a competition between the favorite to win it, Cam Jurgens, and rookie Tyler Steen.
Who takes reps at backup center? If Jurgens is busy trying to be the new right guard, who works behind Jason Kelce on the second unit will be worth noting.
Will the new coordinators have their units ready to go in time for the opener? It figures to be a summer-long process for offensive coordinator Brian Johnson and defensive coordinator Sean Desai, but all eyes will be on them, and their schemes, early in camp.
Who wins the battle to be the third quarterback? In the scheme of things, the success of this year’s season won’t hinge on whether it’s sixth-round rookie pick Tanner McKee or third-year backup Ian Book who earn the job, but keep in mind teams are allowed to keep an emergency quarterback available on game days should something happen to the 1 and 2. So, the third quarterback is a bit more important this season and going forward.
Can Arryn Siposs hang on to his job?
For the first time since the Australian punter got here two years ago, he will have competition in UDFA Ty Zentner.
Ed Kracz covers the Philadelphia Eagles for SI's EaglesToday.
Please follow him and our Eagles coverage on Twitter at @kracze.
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Philadelphia Eagles? Click Here.
Want even more Philadelphia Eagles news? Check out the SI.com team page here
