To quote the great Chancellor Bennett, “We back.”
Eagles football has finally returned to the city of Philadelphia.
Can you believe that it’s only been 186 days since we last saw our beloved birds? It feels like only yesterday we were watching Brandin Cooks get murdered and Tom Brady drop the ball; both literally and metaphorically.
After long months of waiting, we finally have something to watch other than Youtube clips of Super Bowl 52 or the Philly Special for the thousandth time. Now, we finally have something we can watch in between Youtube clips of Super Bowl 52 and the Philly Special.
The road to repeat begins tonight as the Eagles take on the Pittsburg Steelers. It’s tough to expect any over-the-top action in the first week of the preseason, but there are a fair amount of storylines to keep an eye on as the reigning champs return to the Linc.
Here are some things to watch for in tonight’s preseason debut:
Darren V. Donnel
Donnel Pumphrey was easily one of the biggest disappointments from last preseason. He put on a so-so display in limited playing before ultimately tearing his hamstring and missing the entire season. Pumphrey has managed to recoup some stock with an impressive showing in training camp. The 5’9 running back is currently listed fourth on the Eagles depth chart.
Im curious to see how the team uses Pumphrey with Darren Sproles back with the team. Last year, there was no definitive pecking order at the running back position, leaving room for players with similar skill sets, like Pumphrey and Sproles. This year, we know Jay Ajayi is the team’s lead back with Corey Clement taking on some of the receiving duties. Is there room on the roster for both pint sized running backs? It’ll all depend on Pumphrey’s performance this preseason.
Who WILL Start?
The team’s decision to cut Mychal Kendricks still seems somewhat ill advised to me, but it wasn’t the least bit surprising considering the team has been trying to get rid of him since Doug Pederson took over. Nate Gerry is currently listed first on the depth chart at weak side linebacker, with Kamu Grugier-Hill right behind him. Both have been spitting reps all throughout training camp, so its safe to assume it’s more of a 1A and 1B type deal.
Both are expected to rotate heavily throughout the preseason, while the team figures out who to play at weak side backer. Gerry, the converted safety out of Nebraska, is the perfect example of a modern NFL linebacker. Athletic, quick, a little bit on the smaller side, but solid in coverage. Grugier-Hill was the team’s special teams ace last season and won over the coaching staff with his willingness and hard nosed style of play. While neither project to be perennial probowlers at the linebacker position, both are young with a little bit of upside. This is the position battle to watch this offseason.
Although, it is a bit of a mute point…
Who’s in the slot?
While the competition for weak side linebacker is probably the most interesting position battle to watch, it’s not exactly the most important considering the Eagles have a third corner on the field much more often than a third linebacker.
Sydney Jones, now fully recovered from his torn achilles, is set to start in the slot. This will be Eagles fans first real chance to get a look at Jones, if you don’t count last year’s regular season finale. While Im optimistic Jones will find a home for himself somewhere on this defense, achilles injuries can be very tough to recover from. Devante Bausby has been right in the thick of the slot corner competition. I expect to see a lot of Bausby tonight and wouldn’t be too surprised if he impresses every bit as much as Jones.
Nate “Highest completion percentage in a rookie debut” Sudfeld
With Carson Wentz still nursing his knee and Nick Foles dealing with neck pain, Nate Sudfeld is set to make the start in the Eagles’ preseason opener. This should be interesting because Sudfeld is still a relative unknown. He pitched in relief during the team’s regular season finale against the Cowboys and finished with the NFL record for highest competition percentage in a rookie debut, but that was mostly due to a heavy dose of dump-offs.
Nick Foles is more than likely headed for greener pastures once his contract is up this offseason, meaning the Eagles will be in the market for a new back up QB. The coaching staff already believes Sudfeld has the potential to be a starting QB in the NFL, now he needs to take advantage of his playing time and prove he’s the back up of the team’s future.
The Rookies
Dallas “Philly” Goedart has been one of the biggest surprises of camp. The team’s top draft pick has done nothing but catch touchdowns. Tonight, he finally gets the chance to do it against someone other than his own teammates. With the starters only expected to play a series or two tonight, I doubt we’ll see Goedart and Zach Ertz on the field at the same time much, but that just means more playing time for Philly.
The other rookie Im excited to see is Jordan Mailata. The team’s seventh round pick is a complete enigma. He’s mostly worked as the third string left tackle, but I expect the team to use the former rugby star in some unique packages. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Mailta get a redzone carry tonight.
The other Australian
Jordan Malta isn’t the team’s only Australian. Punter Cameron Johnston is set to make his debut as the Eagles new starting punter tonight, and he’s another player I can’t really make heads or tails of. He preformed well last preseason, but has been so-so in camp. Hopefully he can figure things once he actually starts playing a live game, otherwise, the team might be calling for reinforcements.
Snowballs & Batteries 