There are many questions for the Eagles to answer this offseason

2019 was a bit of a weird season for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Expectations were sky high heading into the campaign but the team failed to live up to the hype. Most of the season was disappointing until the Eagles made a December run to clinch the NFC East. But the late joy was short-lived as Philly was bounced in the first round of the 2020 NFL playoffs.

It’s clear the Eagles have a lot of work to do to get this team back to being a legitimate Super Bowl contender. There are many decisions to be made that aren’t so straightforward and simple.

The next several months are going to be very interesting for the Eagles. Here’s a look at the questions Howie Roseman and Doug Pederson will need to answer.

QUARTERBACK

WHAT WE KNOW

Carson Wentz is a legitimate franchise quarterback.

QUESTIONS

• Who will be Wentz’s backup next season? Josh McCown and Nate Sudfeld are both set to be free agents.
• Do the Eagles view 2019 practice squad signing Kyle Lauletta as a real competitor for the No. 2 quarterback job?
• Do the Eagles take another shot at drafting a developmental quarterback after whiffing hard on Clayton Thorson last year?

RUNNING BACK

WHAT WE KNOW

Miles Sanders is a play-making talent to feature even more prominently in 2020. Boston Scott proved he has some juice and can fill the Darren Sproles role.

QUESTIONS

• Will the Eagles re-sign Jordan Howard? He was the team’s leading rusher prior to essentially missing the rest of the season with a shoulder injury.
• Are the Eagles counting on getting anything out of late season signing Elijah Holyfield?
• What level of tender will the Eagles issue to restricted free agent Corey Clement? He’s gone from having 100 receiving yards in the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory to potentially fighting for his roster spot in 2020.
• Are the Eagles going to resist the temptation of re-signing Darren Sproles AGAIN? They announced he’s officially retiring but until he’s not on the Week 1 roster, you can never be too sure.

WIDE RECEIVER

WHAT WE KNOW

Changes are coming.

QUESTIONS

• What the hell do the Eagles do with Alshon Jeffery? Can the team really bring him back into the fold amidst allegations he’s been leaking criticism about Wentz and the offense? Should the Eagles try to get rid of him in an NBA salary dump trade where they attach a draft pick to move off his contract? How does Jeffery’s Lisfranc injury factor into all of this?
• To what extent can the Eagles count on DeSean Jackson in 2020? He turns 34 this year and he really only played one game in 2019.
• Who will the Eagles target to play in the slot with Nelson Agholor very likely to leave in free agency?
• Can JJ Arcega-Whiteside be counted on to take a step in Year 2? How concerning is his lackluster rookie season?
• Is Greg Ward definitely going to be on the team in 2020? Do the Eagles have any hopes for fringe guys like Deontay Burnett, Robert Davis, and/or Shelton Gibson?
• Can the Eagles finally draft a good and fast wide receiver? It’s never been done in the Howie Roseman. This team needs speed.

TIGHT END

WHAT WE KNOW

The Eagles have one of the best tight end duos in the NFL.

QUESTIONS

• Should the Eagles trade Zach Ertz? He turns 30 this year and he’s reportedly looking for more money despite the fact he has two years left on his deal.
• Is Dallas Goedert happy with his role and playing time as a second tight end? He’ll be eligible for a contract extension after the 2020 season.
• Just how committed are the Eagles to playing 12 personnel?
• Who will be the Eagles’ third tight end?

OFFENSIVE TACKLE

WHAT WE KNOW

Lane Johnson is arguably the best right tackle in the league.

QUESTIONS

• Jason Peters said he wants to keep playing but the Eagles can’t seriously bring the 38-year-old back after drafting Andre Dillard in the first round last year ... can they?
• What’s the Eagles’ plan to replace Halapoulivaati Vaitai, who’s likely to leave in free agency? Can Jordan Mailata be counted on after he’s gone on injured reserve with back injuries for two straight years?

OFFENSIVE GUARD

WHAT WE KNOW

Brandon Brooks is one of the best guards in the league.

QUESTIONS

• Will the Eagles pick up Isaac Seumalo’s option for the 2022-2024 years in his contract? Were they satisfied with his 2019 performance?
• Will Brooks be as healthy and effective in 2020 after two straight offseasons of recovering from injury?
• Who is the Eagles’ top backup guard with Vaitai likely leaving? Is Matt Pryor ready to handle that role?

CENTER

WHAT WE KNOW

Jason Kelce is one of the best centers in the league.

QUESTIONS

• Is Kelce going to retire after giving it thought last year? He turns 33 in November.
• Is Seumalo a viable backup plan at center? He’s had issues with snapping the ball in the past.
• Is the team counting on Nate Herbig — the youngest player on the roster at 21 years old — to turn into anything? He was basically a glorified practice squad member in 2019.

DEFENSIVE END

WHAT WE KNOW

Brandon Graham will return for his 11th season coming off his second most sacks in one year. He’s a good starter.

QUESTIONS

• Are the Eagles going to pick up Derek Barnett’s fifth-year option? The team seems very high on him but he only has 14 sacks in his first three seasons.
• Will the Eagles re-sign Vinny Curry after he played well down the stretch?
• Can Josh Sweat show more consistency after some nice flashes in Year 2?
• Is Genard Avery going to have a real role on this team after the Eagles traded a 2021 fourth-round pick for him prior to the deadline?
• Can Joe Ostman come back from injury and push for a roster spot after looking like he might make the team in 2019?
• Is Shareef Miller going to turn into anything or was that a fruitless draft pick? He got no playing time as a seventh defensive end in 2019.
• Is Daeshon Hall going to begin the 2020 season on PUP after suffering an ACL tear on the Eagles’ final regular season snap?

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

WHAT WE KNOW

The Eagles need more out of this position.

QUESTIONS

• Can Fletcher Cox bounce back after posting the second lowest sack total of his career in 2019? He won’t be coming off injury and he’s still only 29.
• Can Malik Jackson be relied upon after suffer a season-ending injury in Week 1?
• Who will the Eagles add to their defensive tackle rotation? Timmy Jernigan and Hassan Ridgeway are set to be free agents.

LINEBACKER

WHAT WE KNOW

The Eagles like Nathan Gerry, who is about to play on the last year of his deal.

QUESTIONS

• Are the Eagles going to pick up Nigel Bradham’s option for 2020? He turns 31 in September.
• Is Kamu Grugier-Hill going to leave in free agency?
• Might the Eagles try to sign Gerry to an extension?
• Is T.J. Edwards ready for a bigger role in 2020 after playing a little bit as a rookie?

CORNERBACK

WHAT WE KNOW

Cre’Von LeBlanc rules. Also, the Eagles need help here.

QUESTIONS

• Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby are going to be free agents. Will the Eagles re-sign one, both, or neither?
• Do the Eagles move Avonte Maddox to safety? Or does he remain at nickel corner? And if he’s staying in the slot, what do the Eagles do with Strap?
• Can the Eagles really count on Rasul Douglas or Sidney Jones? They both had chances to prove themselves as starters in 2019 but failed to hold on to their playing time. Neither player logged a single defensive snap in the fail game of the season. Jones made some big plays down the stretch but he was also a healthy scratch for a few games.
• Can the Eagles draft a good outside corner? Hasn’t previously happened under Roseman’s watch. Is free agency the better option?

SAFETY

WHAT WE KNOW

Malcolm Jenkins said he won’t be back unless he gets a new contract.

QUESTIONS

• Will the Eagles pay Jenkins? What’s the alternative, really?
• Will the Eagles re-sign Rodney McLeod, who is set to be a free agent?
• Who is the third safety? Is Marcus Epps really a viable option?

SPECIAL TEAMS

WHAT WE KNOW

The Eagles signed kicker Jake Elliott and Pro Bowl long snapper Rick Lovato to long-term extensions. Cameron Johnston is an exclusive-rights free agent so he’ll be re-signed to a minimum deal.

QUESTIONS

• Who will be returning kicks and punts for the Eagles in 2020? Can Tremon Smith emerge there?

COACHING STAFF

WHAT WE KNOW

Head coach Doug Pederson and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will return for their fifth straight seasons in Philly.

QUESTIONS

• Who will the Eagles hire at offensive coordinator, wide receivers coach, and defensive backs coach?
• Is Duce Staley going to be back if he get passed over the OC job again?
• Will there be any other assistant spots that open up?

FRONT OFFICE

WHAT WE KNOW

Howie Roseman admitted he can be too attached to the Eagles’ own players and the team must get younger.

QUESTIONS

• Will Roseman prove his end of season comments weren’t just lip service? Will his actions match his words?
• Can Roseman fix positions that he’s struggled to adequately address in the past?
• Will the Eagles lose vice president of football operations Andrew Berry? Will there be a replacement hire if he leaves Philly?