Image Credit: (Nathan Ray Seebeck/USA Today Sports)
Written by: Nicholas Mullick Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-mullick-354076184/
With Training Camp about to start for the NFL in a few weeks, there are questions that follow each team. Like I did with the Saints, I will be doing the Top 5 Biggest questions for every team heading into Training Camp. Next up is the Philadelphia Eagles who had the 13th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. But there are still questions that remain with this team.
1. Can Jalen Hurts showcase that he truly is the guy at quarterback?
This is probably the biggest question for the team at the QB position and of course, it involves Jalen Hurts. Now I am a pro Jalen Hurts guy and I think he has what it takes to be the starting QB for the Eagles, but I can see the issues some people have with Jalen Hurts. Mainly due to his slow decision-making ability when throwing the football, weak awareness, and is very inconsistent. Maybe that might change after the Eagles made a move during the draft to acquire WR AJ Brown. This is a big year for him and he needs a strong season and possibly a win in the playoffs for him to fully be the guy at QB. If not then the Eagles will take a quarterback in the 2023 NFL draft as they have two 1st round selections. I wish Jalen Hurts luck, as like I said earlier I have been a pro Jalen Hurts guy and would love to see him succeed proving his doubters for the past few years wrong.
2. Will WR Jalen Reagor make the roster?
Let's be real, Jalen Reagor has been a bust since entering the league. He has been a complete disappointment being selected 1st overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. It does not help Reagor’s case as the Eagles acquired WR AJ Brown via trade in the 2022 NFL Draft and Quez Watkins emergence. Greg Ward and Zach Pascal are veterans and have value on this team. With the receiver position super crowded it would not be a shock at all to see Reagor cut. He needs a strong camp and preseason in order to secure his spot on the team. One thing I got to ask is, what was Howie Roseman thinking about taking Reagor over Justin Jefferson in the 2020 NFL Draft? Selecting Reagor over Jefferson has been a lowlight in Roseman’s tenure with the Eagles.
3. How will JJ Arcega Whitside perform at the tight end position?
The Philadelphia Eagles for years have whiffed on multiple picks trying to find another wide receiver to surround the QB. One of those players is JJ Arcega Whitside, who has been abysmal since being drafted in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He has legit made me question how this guy was a second-round pick, especially in the way he ran poor routes, dropped catches, and has had durability issues with his ankle, knee, and back. In fact, I don’t even think Arcega Whitside had more than 5 catches last season. His time with the Eagles was likely going to end soon, but he decided to make a move that could save his career in the NFL, by switching to tight end. I mean it's not a bad idea as the Eagles do need a backup tight end. Hopefully, this will work for Arcega Whitside and if it does not work, he will likely be looking for another team.
4. How will the Eagles utilize Jordan Davis during his rookie season?
It was not a surprise at all that the Philadelphia Eagles took Jordan Davis 13th overall,as it had been rumored for weeks that the Eagles were willing to trade up just to acquire him. Plus the Eagles made the strange move to release and resign Fletcher Cox to a new contract. So Cox is still under contract and the Eagles also have Javon Hargrave on the team as well. So this got me thinking about how the Philadelphia Eagles would be utilizing him on defense during his rookie season. Will he be a rotational player on this defense or is he going to be a backup player learning the playbook until an injury occurs where he is forced to play. I don’t see him being an every-down player unless he heavily impresses in training camp and preseason. If they want him to fully replace Cox when he eventually leaves at the end of the year, Could we see Davis start games at the end of the season? Only time will tell how they will utilize Jordan Davis.
5. Who will start at safety for the Eagles?
I really like what the Eagles did during the offseason at the safety position by signing Jaquiski Tartt to a one-year contract. When healthy Tartt has been an underrated part of that defense. Now he is going to have to battle for either Anthony Harris or Marcus Epps. Both Levine and Epps did a fantastic job in their roles at safety last year, but with the addition of Tartt, I don’t think that their roles are 100% locks. In fact, K'Von Wallace even showed flashes last year as well and if he impresses in training camp, he could be a sleeper to take the job at safety. This is an intriguing positional battle to watch in the next few weeks.