Revisiting Eagles’ biggest questions by position after training camp

During the quiet time on the NFL calendar in late June, I posed a question about each position group on the Eagles’ roster — both offense and defense.

A couple months later, after a long training camp and a full preseason, it’s a good time to revisit those exact questions ahead of the 2024 season.

Did we get any answers? Are some things still murky?

Let’s take a look:

Quarterback: Will the new coaches get the most out of Jalen Hurts?

The early returns look good here. During the spring, the Eagles’ offense looked like a work in progress and Hurts looked like a quarterback who was very clearly still learning. But the franchise quarterback had an excellent summer, perhaps the best training camp of his career. The most impressive thing was the command he showed of the new offense from Kellen Moore and Doug Nussmeier.

Last season, Hurts threw 15 interceptions and needed to cut that down. By now you’ve heard that Hurts didn’t throw an interception until the 16th and final training camp practice of the summer. After Darius Slay picked him off, Hurts told him, “About time.” It would be one thing if Hurts was simply dinking and dunking to avoid turning the ball over in camp but he wasn’t risk-averse. While there were some more check-downs this summer, Hurts was still pushing the ball and taking chances. He just looked in rhythm with this new offense and that bodes well for the regular season.

Running back: Can Saquon Barkley return to form?

There were some good moments for Barkley during the summer but it wasn’t like he was shockingly good in practice. There’s a good chance we won’t truly be able to see what Barkley can do until the games start and people are trying to tackle him. One of the main reasons the Eagles wanted a guy like Barkley was his ability to run through contact and that’s something he simply can’t show during a “thud” practice in August.

While it was a mostly unspectacular training camp from Barkley, he made all the plays you’d expect him to make and it definitely looks different when he takes a handoff as opposed to the other running backs on the team. Barkley also has smooth hands and is the Eagles’ best running back in pass protection.

Receiver: Who will be the WR3?

It took a long time to get to this answer but we now know this job belongs to Jahan Dotson. General manager Howie Roseman last week made an in-division trade with the Commanders to land the former first-round pick, who slots in behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith in what has the potential to be an elite offense. Dotson, 24, had solid production in Washington but clearly didn’t live up to his first-round status. With the Eagles, he won’t have to. Dotson is racing to learn the new offense and be ready to roll on Sept. 6 in Brazil.

Before the trade, it was clear the Eagles didn’t really have a No. 3. They had some candidates like Parris Campbell, John Ross, Johnny Wilson and Britain Covey but none of them really separated themselves. That led to the trade.

Tight end: Who wins the backup job?

This answer came very early in training camp. The backup behind Dallas Goedert is Grant Calcaterra. The third-year tight end began camp as the No. 2 tight end and never really got challenged for that position. Calcaterra, a 2022 sixth-round pick, was known for his pass-catching ability coming out of college but has improved as a blocker over the years and is still working on that part of his game. Calcaterra didn’t even have to suit up for the final preseason game; he got the veteran treatment.

The bigger question is about the TE3 job. Veteran C.J. Uzomah had an underwhelming training camp and got released before the final practice of the summer. E.J. Jenkins had a good training camp but there’s a chance he doesn’t stick either. The Eagles could be scouring the waiver wire after final cuts.

Interior OL: How will the Eagles replace Jason Kelce?

We already knew this answer in June. It was always obvious that Cam Jurgens was going to play center but this question was more about how he’d handle all that comes with it. Jurgens looked the part in training camp. It’s not easy to replace a legend but Jurgens was drafted in the second round a few years ago with this exact moment in mind. No reason to think he won’t be fine.

It is worth noting that Jurgens and Jalen Hurts will split the responsibilities as it pertains to pre-snap checks. That’s an area where Kelce’s experience really showed, but Hurts is looking forward to having more on his plate.

Offensive tackle: Is Mekhi Becton the swing tackle?

Nope. We asked this question when it looked like Tyler Steen was going to be the Eagles’ right guard but that has changed. Steen suffered an ankle injury on Day 3 of camp and was replaced by Becton, who hasn’t given the job back. Becton is now the Eagles’ right guard for the 2024 season between Jurgens and Lane Johnson. Becton went from sixth-man to starter at a position he had never played before.

That change was good news for veteran Fred Johnson, who now appears to be the top backup offensive tackle. Steen has missed even more time with an ankle injury but he has tackle in his background too. And now that Steen isn’t a starter, he has to be ready to play multiple spots in a pinch.

Defensive tackle: Are the Georgia guys ready to step up?

We definitely saw good signs from Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis this summer so it looks like they’re ready for a big season but we don’t really know yet. With Carter, there’s no question that he has the ability to be an All-Pro. He’s the most important piece of this 2024 defense. If Carter plays to the level he did in the summer, then he will have a monster season.

Davis was in good shape this summer but he needs to stay there. In Vic Fangio’s defense, Davis is going to be asked to play more snaps and his conditioning has been in question before. So far, so good. But he needs to be in great shape in December too.

Edge rusher: Are Eagles ready to replace Haason Reddick’s production?

The Eagles’ edge rushers have the unenviable task of facing Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata throughout training camp. So there were some quiet moments for the starters this summer. But seeing them against the Patriots, Bryce Huff really shined. And when Johnson missed a day of camp, Josh Sweat had three sacks in a single practice. Huff and Sweat are going to need to be the main edge rushers but the backups will need to perform as well.

It was notable that Nolan Smith played deep into the third preseason game. He’s a first-round pick in his second year and it would be a major boost for the Eagles to get more production out of him in Year 2. Smith showed some flashes again but it’s unclear how much they can really rely on him. Brandon Graham in Year 15 had a good summer. So did rookie Jalyx Hunt, who might be less of a project than we initially thought.

Linebacker: Who is the starter next to Devin White?

In 15 of 16 practices this summer, the linebacker combination to start the day was Devin White and Zack Baun. But the Eagles really mixed and matched after that, getting Nakobe Dean and rookie Jeremiah Trotter Jr. in there as well. Dean had the best training camp of his NFL career and has pushed really hard for a starting gig. While some other competitions really crystallized during training camp, the linebacker battle is harder to figure out.

Fangio didn’t seem completely opposed to some sort of rotation at off-ball linebacker but made it clear that it would be more ideal to settle on two players here.

Cornerback: Who wins the CB2 and NCB jobs?

It seems like the answer to both of these questions is the rookie Quinyon Mitchell. The Eagles brought Mitchell along nicely during training camp. First with the second-team defense, then as a first-team nickel and finally as the starter on the outside. Entering the 2024 season, it seems like Mitchell is going to play outside in the base package and inside on nickel downs. This role for Mitchell means that he’s not really going to leave the field as a rookie. That’s a tough job assignment, playing two spots, but Mitchell had a strong training camp and has a bright future. He showed a ton when he faced A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.

On those nickel downs when Mitchell ends up inside, it appears that Isaiah Rodgers is the most likely guy to get those reps on the outside over Kelee Ringo. Those two had a fun competition all summer but Rodgers consistently got more first-team reps.

Safety: Will CJGJ be the spark they were missing?

It was fun to watch C.J. Gardner-Johnson in practice every day. He brings the juice and an edge to the defense. It was on full display in training camp. Whether he was dancing between reps or trash talking players on offense, Gardner-Johnson was hard to miss on the field.

Of course, the top priority is for Gardner-Johnson to play safety and play at a high level. He did that this summer too. But he also plays with an edge — and as long as it’s harnessed correctly, that can be a major boost.

Special teams: Who are the return men?

The Eagles brought in a bunch of guys with punt return experience this offseason but Britain Covey is still their best option. While the trade for Dotson took away some opportunity for Covey on offense, he was one of the best punt returners in the NFL last season and will have the opportunity to do that again in 2024.

As for the new kickoff, the Eagles tried a bunch of different combinations with two returners. They seem to like running backs in this role because the play sort of sets up like a run. We’ve seen Kenny Gainwell and Will Shipley back there, along with other players like Rodgers and Campbell. My guess is those top running backs will get a shot.

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