Philadelphia Eagles 2013 season preview: SB Nation Q&A

1. Who is the easiest player on the roster to root for?

Hmm...that's a very good question. With the roster having so much turnover and with a scheme change on defense, there is a lot to take into account. Obviously, there are two types of players that you root for: the ones you know are good and the ones you hope will be good. I think the most universally liked player on this team is Jason Peters. The guy hasn't played a regular season game since January of 2012 and prior to that he was easily the best offensive lineman in the league. He tore his Achielles last season (twice) and missed the entire year, which really impacted the offense. I think Eagles' fans want him to succeed more than anyone because of what he means for the team. If I had to pick runners-up, I would say Evan Mathis, Brent Celek and LeSean McCoy due to their work ethic and personalities.

2. If you could buy a ticket to just one game this year...

I think this a pretty easy question. The Eagles play former head coach Andy Reid and the Chiefs on Thursday Night Football at Lincoln Financial Field in Week 3. Not only is this a homecoming for the most productive head coach in the team history, but for the franchise's greatest quarterback Donovan McNabb as well. McNabb will have his jersey retired that night and the atmosphere should be intense with happiness, respect and possibly hatred. Reid and McNabb have a love/hate relationship with the fanbase, so the crowd reaction should be about as interesting as the game itself.

3. Which veterans could be cut before the season due to salary cap issues? (Note: If doing this question after cut down day, you can talk about the notable cuts in general.)

Former first-round pick Danny Watkins was really the only notable cut the Eagles made. That was a long time coming. It is interesting to monitor the Brandon Graham situation, as he could possibly be traded at the trade deadline.

4. Which second year player is going to make the biggest leap?

Without a doubt, that would be Mychal Kendricks. He had an up-and-down year as a rookie, mostly because he was switching positions throughout the season from WILL to SAM to WILL again, then there was the midseason defensive coordinator switch and at no point was he used to blitz, which was his specialty in college.

He seems to be very comfortable as the WILL inside linebacker in the 4-3 Under/3-4 defense and has been electric this preseason. Outside of maybe Fletcher Cox (also in his second year), Kendricks is the most important player on this young defense.

5. What are the odds of your head coach getting fired?

Zero. This is Chip Kelly's team for the foreseeable future (next three years minimum).

6. What franchise or NFL records could be broken this season?

I think Chip Kelly could easily break the plays per game record by Week 12 and he may be able to beat the points per game mark as well for the Eagles.

7. Which rookies will see regular playing time this year?

This team is somewhat influx and will see a lot of young players getting major playing time. First-round pick Lane Johnson will start at right tackle, tight end Zach Ertz will be a key contributor if he learns catch consistently and safety Earl Wolff will be a starter by season's end. The guy to really look at is third-round defensive tackle Bennie Logan who looks poised to steal away the starting nose tackle job from Isaac Sopoaga, who was signed to a decent deal in free agency.

8. Predict the order of finish in your division.

1) Giants 2) Redskins 3) Eagles 4) Cowboys

9. What do you expect your season-end record will be?

7-9