Now that the NFL Draft is over and things have kind of died down in the offseason, it's time for the return of the BGN mailbag. I'll be aiming to answer your questions in this post once every weekend. As always, thanks to everyone on Twitter who sent in a question. Let's talk some Eagles football. To the Q&A ...
@Number2Allander asks: Do you think Carson Wentz has a chance at starting Week 1?
Yes. There's absolutely a chance. Now, is it a good chance? For now, I wouldn't say it's likely. The Eagles are seemingly committed to Sam Bradford as the starter despite the fact he only views them as his "next best option." I actually think Bradford is going to look good in training camp and preseason because he looked good there last year. The problem is his success in those areas doesn't fully translate to when the games actually matter. The only way I don't see Bradford starting in Week 1 is if he's injured or if he's clearly outplayed this summer by Wentz or even Chase Daniel. If the quarterback competition is close, the tie goes to Sammy Sleeves.
With that said, the Eagles would absolutely love to see Wentz step up and seize the job.
@Angrypants24 asks: If Sam Bradford starts and finishes all 16 games this year, what do you think the Eagles’ record will be?
Let's start off by recognizing it's not likely Bradford will play all 16 games. There's potential for a quarterback controversy with Daniel and Wentz right behind him. Then there's the fact Bradford hasn't played all 16 games since 2012. For the sake of this question, though, I'll say the Eagles go 6-10 with him at the starter. The offense just isn't that inspiring, especially with him at the helm. The defense should be good enough to prevent the Birds from only winning something like four games, though.
@Chizzy_GetsBusy asks: Who should start at the left guard spot along the offensive line?
The ideal starter at left guard is Isaac Seumalo. The team sees the 22-year-old blocker as an eventual starter after taking him in third round. The problem is he's at a disadvantage. Seumalo will miss Eagles OTA practices due to the NCAA's graduation rule that impacts undergrad rookies who attend colleges with the quarter system. Another factor potentially working against Seumalo is that he never played left guard in college. He played every other position except that one.
Assuming Seumalo isn't the starter, it could come down to the likes of Allen Barbre, Stefen Wisniewski, Andrew Gardner, and Malcolm Bunche. Barbre is the incumbent. Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland really lives him. He'll likely get the first crack at the job. Wisniewski has started and played in 77 games during his career. Gardner is just a guy. Bunche is a dark horse candidate after spending the entire 2015 season on Philadelphia's practice squad. The battle for left guard should be a good competition.
I think Seumalo or Wiz should be the starter, but I wouldn't be shocked if Barbre ends up keeping his job.
@TomAresco asks: With all of the buzz around Jalen Mills, where does Blake Countess stand in making the team?
I have Countess making the team in my 53-man roster prediction. I do wonder where he fits in, though. The team currently lists him as safety. This, combined with the fact Jalen Mills expects to play at cornerback, makes me think there's room for him. Things could get tight. The Eagles have a lot of defensive backs ... 16 in total. At the very most, there's 11 DB roster spots to be earned. If he doesn't make the final team, Countess could end up being this year's version of Randall Evans where he spends most of the season on the practice squad.
@MikaPwnr7 asks: Do you believe the Eagles’ cornerbacks can hold their own over the course of the season?
Yeah, I do. The Eagles don't have any stars at cornerback, but I think what they have now is sufficient in the short-term. I'm a big believer in Eric Rowe. I think he's going to be a good one. I don't think he'll be a guy who makes play on the ball as much as he'll be the guy who keeps the wide receiver he's covering fairly quiet. I also really liked what I saw last offseason out of JaCorey Shepherd. Sure, it was only practice, and it remains to be seen if he can stay healthy, but he showed some real ball skills. He should be a good starter in the slot. I think Leodis McKelvin is a capable starter in the NFL and the same goes for Nolan Carroll. I'm guessing one of those two wins the starting job opposite of Rowe. Again, this is hardly a lock down secondary, but I think it'll at least be serviceable. The Eagles' corners might also really benefit from improved pass rush thanks to the return of the wide nine under Jim Schwartz.
@maiL_reversed asks: Brandon Ingram or Ben Simmons?
Nice, some Sixers talk. I'm far from an NBA Draft expert (go check out our friends at Liberty Ballers for that) but I have to go with Ingram over Simmons. It'd be nice for the Sixers to get someone who can actually shoot. He also fits nicely into the starting lineup without any question of where he fits in. Here's hoping for #OneFourTwentyfourTwentysix.
@chickenfuzz asks: "why"
"why not"
@arifishbein asks: Kind of a general question but this is all going to end terribly, right?
There's that Philadelphia optimism.
I think there's hope for the Eagles because of Wentz. If he can prove to be a legitimate franchise quarterback, the Birds are set. But there's always the chance he'll be a bust and the Eagles will be bad over the next couple of seasons. And if that's the case, the Eagles will be missing some key draft picks so things will be even worse. So, no pressure, Carson.