The Eagles have now held 10 practices during training camp, enough time to get a good idea of what the team’s strengths and weaknesses are.
An interesting development of camp so far is the issues most were concerned about, like cornerback and depth on offensive line, looks like strengths. This team does not have a bunch of weak spots like most thought. Instead, the roster looks solid and ready to compete this season.
They are not, however, a perfect roster.
So two weeks into training camp, here are my 5 biggest concerns about the Eagles:
The Wide Receivers: The Eagles have much more talent on offense than people think. Their offensive line should be very good. Their depth charts at running back and tight ends rival any other team in the league. The receivers, however, look like they could be an issue.
The group has had some positive moments, but overall, they have been the weakest unit on the team. They have been unable to get consistently open, and for the most part, aren’t making contested caches. Really only Quez Watkins has exceeded expectations, while players like Travis Fulgham and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside haven’t done much with their opportunities.
The Eagles have to hope that either Devonta Smith is going to be a legitimate No. 1 receiver right away or the receivers look bad because they are going against a very good secondary. It is possible either of those things happen — but the chances are not great.
Sirianni On Game Day: Sirianni comes to the Eagles with a good resume but no actual experience being a head coach. He has never called plays in a game. He has never had to be the one making the big decision on Sundays. He has never had to figure out how to calm down a roster during a game when things aren’t going great.
Game planning will be important, and given his background, it seems like Sirianni does have a very bright football mind. The Monday through Saturday parts of the job matter, but ultimately Sirianni is going to have to prove himself on Sundays. The fact he has literally no experience doing the job he will have to do this season is worrisome no matter how much potential he might have.
Boom-or-Bust Offense: So far in training camp the Eagles offense has looked like they can do two things. They should be able to run the ball. They should be able to connect on deep passes.
What they haven’t shown is that they can string together passes consistently and move the ball down the field in five, six, seven play drives through the air. Being able to run the ball and get chunk plays is important, but basing your entire offense on that is risky. There will be games where they put up plenty of points, but to consistently be a great offense they are going to have to be able to pass the ball at all levels of the field.
Through 10 practices the passing game simply has not been good enough.
Special Teams: The Eagles should surprise people and win more games than they are projected — but to do so, they are likely going to have to win plenty of close games. Chances are they won’t be blowing out many teams.
To win those close games they are going to need strong special teams. Field position and field goals are going to be important. That isn’t ideal for a team that has question marks at kicker and punter.
Jake Elliott has made some big kicks in his career, but he was inconsistent last season and it isn’t a stretch to say his job is on the line this season. The team’s punter, Arryn Siposs, has never kicked in an NFL game. They have no clear (or good) option at either kick or punt returner. The team’s special teams coach is one of the youngest coaches in the NFL.
It is possible the unit is good, but if they aren’t, it is very hard to hid a bad kicker or punter — and things could go south very quickly on special teams.
Jalen Hurts: Jalen Hurts has a ton of potential and checks off almost every box you would want in a quarterback prospect. He has had a solid training camp and hasn’t looked like he won’t be ready for the job.
He has also, however, not had the speculator camp the Eagles were hoping to see. He has been very inconsistent and ultimately holds the blame for the offense struggling most days. Hurts had had 270 reps as the starting quarterback and has thrown 10 total touchdowns, a very low number compared to the Eagles starting quarterback in past years would put up in training camp.
This isn’t to say Hurts can’t or won’t have a strong season. I wouldn’t bet against him.
But there is no denying that one of the worst places to be in the NFL is to enter the season with a question mark at quarterback — and that is exactly what the Eagles are doing with Hurts.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!