After roughly six weeks off the Eagles will be back on the field Thursday for the first practice of training camp, the unofficial beginning of the 2019 season.
The team enters training camp, like most teams do, with plenty of questions about their roster. The difference between the Eagles and other teams? They have legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, making it that much-more critical that they figure out the answers to the questions on their roster as soon as possible.
Here are five things the Eagles have to figure out over the next month of training camp:
Can Halapoulivaatai Vaitai play guard?
The drop by receiver Alshon Jeffery gets the most attention in the team's playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints, but the injury to right guard Brandon Brooks might be the most significant moment in that game. Not only did it slow-down the offense, but the damage it did could filter over into this season as Brooks is not expected to be ready to practice at the beginning of training camp — and he might not be ready for Week 1.
The Eagles plan to replace Brooks until he is ready appears to be tackle Halapoulivaatai Vaitai, who lined up with the first-team offense during OTAs and minicamp at right guard, a new position for him. Vaitai has been the Eagles' top backup at tackle over the last few seasons, but has never played guard. The team is encouraged by how he has played so far, but they need to make sure he is ready before putting him out onto the field in Week 1. The Eagles need a strong season from their offensive line, especially considering the injury history of quarterback Carson Wentz, and can't afford to have a weak link in the chain.
If Vaitai isn't the answer the team must move to Plan B, even if that means bringing in a veteran guard.
Is Nate Sudfeld ready to be the backup?
Super Bowl LII MVP Nick Foles is down in Jacksonville, meaning the safety net the team has been able to count on the last two seasons is now gone. Taking over his role as top backup is Nate Sudfeld, a player with plenty of potential but not a ton of actual game experience. Sudfeld as all the tools you want in a quarterback, as he is smart, has a strong arm, is mobile and has been in the offense for the last two seasons. The Eagles trusted him enough to be the backup in Super Bowl LII.
History has shown, however, that there is a fairly good chance Sudfeld will be called upon to play this season. Very few quarterbacks play all 16 games, and Wentz has ended the last two seasons on the bench due to injury. If the Eagles don't like what they see out of Sudfeld they won't be hesitant to bring in a veteran quarterback, considering the Super Bowl aspirations this team has.
There might be more pressure on Sudfeld, during both practices and preseason games, than any other player on the roster.
Who are the starting cornerbacks?
The Eagles' cornerback position has been discussed at length this offseason. Now we are finally going to start to get some answers. Who lines up where is going to be very interesting to see on Thursday, as it is expected that all of the cornerbacks besides Ronald Darby will be healthy enough to practice. That means Jalen Mills should be back and we will find out for the first time since he injured his foot last season if he is stepping back into his role as a starter. In addition we should get more clarity on where Sidney Jones currently stands on the depth chart. The Eagles have plenty of potential at cornerback but not many sure things. They need to get a firm grasp on what their secondary is going to look like and who they can count on this season.
Is Miles Sanders readyto contribute?
The Eagles had not used a second-round pick on a running back in 10 years prior to the selection of Mile Sanders in the second-round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Their decision to select him so high immediately put the pressure on the rookie, who is expected to contribute right away. Sanders, however, has struggled to stay healthy since coming to Philadelphia, missing almost all of OTAs and mandatory minicamp practices during the offseason. Missing so much time as a rookie is not good, especially as Sanders adjusts to the NFL and tries to learn the playbook. The Eagles' decision to bring in Darren Sproles might be an indicator that they feel they need a veteran at running back incase Sanders isn't ready. How Sanders looks in training camp, and if he can stay healthy, is going to go a long way in deciding just how much he plays this season — and if the decision to use a second-round pick on him was the right move.
How good are the backup defensive ends?
The quarterbacks have received all of the headlines recently, but it is the defensive line that is arguably the top reason the team has won four playoff games and one Super Bowl over the last two seasons. The team's dominant defensive line saw plenty of change this offseason with the departure of Chris Long and Michael Bennett, arguably their two best defensive ends from last season.
The team's current plan to replace them consists of hoping that Derek Barnett, Josh Sweat and Vinny Curry can combine to provide the same production Long and Bennett did last season. That is a risky move, considering Barnett missed almost all of last season with an injury, Sweat has never really played in the NFL and Curry had a down season in Tampa Bay.
If the Eagles make a significant move at any position during training camp it is likely going to be at defensive end.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
