1. The Eagles will try to acquire Russell Wilson.
Where there's smoke, there's likely to be fire. Wilson has been Howie Roseman's white whale since the 2012 NFL Draft, and one down year doesn't change that. Back-to-back noisy offseasons in Seattle have opened the door for possible trade discussions. The Eagles will call. The Seahawks won't let the conversation get very far. Wilson won't be dealt, and the Eagles will try to keep the interest from leaking.
2. Jason Kelce will return for the 2022 season as the highest-paid center in the NFL.
Kelce's contract has an odd trigger that gives the future Hall of Famer unprecedented leverage. If Kelce is on the roster (and under his current contract) on June 2, a $30M guarantee will trigger. Two things are obviously true: The Eagles aren't going to pay Kelce $30M guaranteed and they aren't just going to cut the best offensive lineman on the team and fan favorite. A new deal gets done, with just enough money to quell Kelce's retirement thoughts for another year.
3. The Eagles will not pick at No. 15, No. 16 and No. 19.
Mock drafts are fun. Dreaming of taking three prospects within the top 20 of a draft (something no team has done since the 1991 Cowboys) makes this one of the most fascinating offseasons in Eagles history. But don't confuse what's possible from what's likely. Roseman will trade one of the picks on draft night, likely to a team in desperate need of a quarterback. A 2023 first-round pick will be the return, giving the Eagles ammunition to complete the rebuild one year from now or hedge at quarterback if Jalen Hurts doesn't make a leap.
4. No, a wide receiver will not be taken in the first round for a third straight year.
Expect the Eagles to be connected to wide receivers. Don't be surprised when mock drafts have a wide receiver landing in Philadelphia between now and April. It won't happen. Matt Millen's Lions can stand alone as the last team to do it.
5. D.J. Chark will be the veteran wide receiver signed on the first day of free agency.
This offense desperately needs a veteran, big-bodied wide receiver on the opposite side of DeVonta Smith, something the productive Eagles rookie acknowledged himself recently. Quez Watkins is intriguing as a No. 3, but is miscast as a No. 2. As for Jalen Reagor? A trade out of town is the most likely ending to an ugly tenure. Chark, 26, produced over 1,700 yards from 2019-2020 before losing most of the 2021 season to ankle injury. We're talking about an underrated wide receiver in a class of star wideouts.
6. Ex-Colts will fill out the offense.
Nick Sirianni lands two of his former guys from his days in Indianapolis: Mo Alie-Cox at tight end and Marlon Mack at running back.
7. The Eagles will trade Miles Sanders.
Sanders is the most overrated player on the Eagles, and not worth the kind of money he'll likely ask for in a contract extension. The Eagles can easily replace his production with a combination of Mack, Boston Scott and a mid-round draft pick. If Roseman could get a Day 2 pick in next year's draft, it would be worth it to add to the asset chest.
8. Don't expect the highest-priced free agency safety to arrive, but that's not a bad thing.
Saints safety Marcus Williams has been connected to the Eagles. He's a star, and one of the 10 best free agents available. He'll also be really expensive, and eat into a ton of the Eagles available cap room. Much like when the Eagles passed on Jairus Byrd to sign Malcolm Jenkins, keep an eye on Justin Reid, a 25-year-old that just took a big leap at free safety for the Texans last season.
9. Youth and upside will be the priority on the defensive line.
Some might connect the Eagles to another swing at the veteran pass rusher market. The strategy that once worked with Chris Long certainly didn't with Ryan Kerrigan. And while names like Justin Houston, Jerry Hughes or Jason Pierre-Paul could all be intriguing on one-year deals, a swing at Arden Key (26) or Kemoko Turay (26) fit this current roster way more.
10. Gardner Minshew will be traded for a better return than the Eagles paid less than one year ago.
Minshew was a steal for the Eagles. It was clear the moment the trade went down, and was solidified when he had to come in and play for an injured Hurts. Minshew is on path to becoming the next Ryan Fitzpatrick: Good enough to spot start and lull you into thinking he could be a full-time starter, but not quite good enough or dynamic enough to make that thought linger for very long. Plus, there was the whole asking Sirianni about 'taking over the job for good' thing that somehow was swept under the rug. Ambitious backup quarterbacks either take the job or get a new one. Minshew will get a new one. Colt McCoy will arrive as a veteran backup, and the Eagles will draft a developmental quarterback to add to the room.
11. Jerry Robinson will remain the last linebacker taken by this franchise in the first round.
With the two picks Roseman actually holds onto in the first round, the Eagles will select a defensive lineman and cornerback. The philosophy of this team won't change overnight, despite how many phone calls WIP takes about Devin Lloyd or Nakobe Dean in the next eight weeks.
12. Hurts will be the starting quarterback on Day 1 of OTA, training camp, preseason and regular season.
Actions speak louder than words or rumors. Despite a run at Wilson, Hurts' standing as the Eagles quarterback won't seriously be challenged. For a second straight year, the entire fan base will question if Hurts is actually Roseman and Jeff Lurie's guy. By next January, he'll have banked 36 (health permitting) starts as the Eagles starter and we'll be debating if he's worth a contract extension before his fourth year in the NFL.
