Sneaky concerns about the 2019 Eagles

There are just under three weeks until the first 2019 Philadelphia Eagles training camp practice begins on Thursday, July 25. Until then, we’re here to help you pass the remaining time in the dead zone.

There are many reasons to be excited about the upcoming Eagles season — and that’s a topic we’ll soon be focusing on here at BGN — but today we’re looking at some of the sneaky concerns with this year’s squad. What are some underrated worries you have about this team? (Meaning: not an obvious one like “Carson Wentz’s health.”)

John Stolnis and I got together to talk about these issues in the latest BGN Radio podcast episode [CLICK HERE TO LISTEN]. See below for some of the concerns we touched on.

Could the offense underachieve?

The Eagles have a lot of offensive questions on paper. Stolnis wonders: do they have too many options? What this team’s identity?

My skepticism involves Mike Groh and the offensive coaching staff. The Eagles got off to way too many slow starts last season. Will a healthy Carson Wentz and improved surrounding talent fix everything? Or is the coaching staff an issue at all?

Also: are we overrating the offensive line? It’s not hard to envision a scenario where it’s one of the better units in the league. But are we not giving enough weight to the fact this is an aging and injured unit? Jason Peters is 37, Jason Kelce considered retirement, and it’s unclear exactly when Brandon Brooks will be back.

To what extent is Miles Sanders ready to make an instant impact? Make no mistake: Sanders’ potential is intriguing. But how much is he going to be able to contribute right away, especially after missing spring practices with a hamstring injury?

Unsettled spots on the defense

The Eagles are counting on a lot of projection at defensive end. Brandon Graham, Derek Barnett, and Vinny Curry all had injuries in 2018. And if one of those guys gets hurt again, is Josh Sweat really ready to step up and be a reliable contributor? It just doesn’t seem like the pass rush rotation is bound to be as strong as it was in 2017 and 2018.

Who starts in the secondary? Malcolm Jenkins is a lock on the back end. Is Rodney McLeod healthy enough to play Week 1? Is Andrew Sendejo the third safety or do compensatory pick considerations factor in? Who’s starting at cornerback? Will Jalen Mills start the season on PUP? Is Ronald Darby going to be ready? Avonte Maddox is too talented not to be on the field ... but where exactly will he be lining up? There are a lot of questions to be answered.

PLUS

More sneaky concerns not already mentioned here

A special shoutout to all the Eagles fans in the Pacific Northwest

Debating whether the Eagles should sign Connor Barwin

Non-football question: Are fireworks overrated?

And much more!

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Up next: Stay tuned for more Eagles coverage to pass the time until training camp begins.

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