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Championship contenders don't typically enter a season with many glaring concerns. Questions? Sure, they'll have a lot of those. The Philadelphia Eagles boasting one of the NFL's most talent-rich offenses, are no exception. Storylines come in abundance. More will surface as this team navigates OTAs and the regular season. Some questions are larger than others. Here's the biggest one facing every projected Eagles offensive skill starter.
The noise surrounding Hurts never fully disappears, even after a Super Bowl championship. That's life in Philadelphia. Mannion now inherits one of the league's most scrutinized quarterbacks, and whether fair or not, this partnership will be judged by offensive efficiency, explosiveness, and playoff success.
If the offense hums, the "Is Hurts the guy?" conversations may finally die. If not, they'll grow louder. Don't stress over this one. That's the life of an NFL quarterback.
Saquon Barkley remains one of the league's most dangerous weapons. No one should expect another 2,000-yard rushing campaign, though. That's unrealistic territory for almost anyone.
The better question is whether Barkley can still resemble the All-Pro force Philadelphia believed it was getting. The answer feels like yes. The workload needs to be managed wisely.
This may be the easiest answer here. The answer is emphatically and unequivocally 'Yes'. We've seen evidence of this in his rookie season. Smith has already proven he can thrive when Brown isn’t available.
More targets should only boost production. If Sean Mannion truly builds the passing attack around No. 6, Smith's first Pro Bowl nod feels less like a ceiling and more like a reasonable expectation.
This is where things get fun. Philadelphia didn't trade up in Round 1 for Lemon to treat him like a rotational piece. He's expected to contribute immediately. Bold prediction? He finishes second on the team in receptions and receiving yards.
The floor is that he may even threaten DeVonta Smith's rookie franchise receiving mark. The ceiling is that he takes the league by storm and grabs Pro Bowl honors over Smith in year one.
Somebody is going to feast on favorable matchups. Whether it's Wicks, Brown, or some rotation of both, this role matters. Defenses can't key on everyone.
Whoever wins this battle may wind up delivering some of the offense's biggest splash plays. They won't lead the team in receptions. The hierarchy is Smith, Lemon, and Dallas Goedert, but if they make the most of the opportunities that do come their way, this team becomes even more impossible to guard.
Yes, that's technically two questions. They're both valid. They both need answers. Goedert remains one of the league's better tight ends when available (and when Philadelphia remembers he's on the roster), but availability has always been part of the conversation.
He turns 32 in July. Time doesn't usually improve durability, strength, speed, etcetera. The Eagles don't need perfection. They need him upright when it matters most.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: The biggest question facing every key Eagles offensive skill player
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Jalen Hurts, quarterback.
Will the Jalen Hurts-Sean Mannion pairing finally silence the long-term quarterback debates?
The noise surrounding Hurts never fully disappears, even after a Super Bowl championship. That's life in Philadelphia. Mannion now inherits one of the league's most scrutinized quarterbacks, and whether fair or not, this partnership will be judged by offensive efficiency, explosiveness, and playoff success.
If the offense hums, the "Is Hurts the guy?" conversations may finally die. If not, they'll grow louder. Don't stress over this one. That's the life of an NFL quarterback.
Saquon Barkley, running back
Can he bounce back, or was last season the first sign of regression?
Saquon Barkley remains one of the league's most dangerous weapons. No one should expect another 2,000-yard rushing campaign, though. That's unrealistic territory for almost anyone.
The better question is whether Barkley can still resemble the All-Pro force Philadelphia believed it was getting. The answer feels like yes. The workload needs to be managed wisely.
DeVonta Smith, wide receiver
Can he post true WR1 numbers without A.J. Brown opposite him?
This may be the easiest answer here. The answer is emphatically and unequivocally 'Yes'. We've seen evidence of this in his rookie season. Smith has already proven he can thrive when Brown isn’t available.
More targets should only boost production. If Sean Mannion truly builds the passing attack around No. 6, Smith's first Pro Bowl nod feels less like a ceiling and more like a reasonable expectation.
Makai Lemon, wide receiver
What should realistic rookie expectations actually look like?
This is where things get fun. Philadelphia didn't trade up in Round 1 for Lemon to treat him like a rotational piece. He's expected to contribute immediately. Bold prediction? He finishes second on the team in receptions and receiving yards.
The floor is that he may even threaten DeVonta Smith's rookie franchise receiving mark. The ceiling is that he takes the league by storm and grabs Pro Bowl honors over Smith in year one.
Dontayvion Wicks and/or Marquise Brown, wide receivers
Who becomes the offense's true X-factor?
Somebody is going to feast on favorable matchups. Whether it's Wicks, Brown, or some rotation of both, this role matters. Defenses can't key on everyone.
Whoever wins this battle may wind up delivering some of the offense's biggest splash plays. They won't lead the team in receptions. The hierarchy is Smith, Lemon, and Dallas Goedert, but if they make the most of the opportunities that do come their way, this team becomes even more impossible to guard.
Dallas Goedert, tight end
Can a career season carry over into another, and can he stay relatively healthy for a full campaign again?
Yes, that's technically two questions. They're both valid. They both need answers. Goedert remains one of the league's better tight ends when available (and when Philadelphia remembers he's on the roster), but availability has always been part of the conversation.
He turns 32 in July. Time doesn't usually improve durability, strength, speed, etcetera. The Eagles don't need perfection. They need him upright when it matters most.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: The biggest question facing every key Eagles offensive skill player
Continue reading...
