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Though the confetti has long been cleaned off Broad Street, the Philadelphia Eagles are still riding high in the court of public opinion.
They are the reigning Super Bowl Champions, have a roster loaded with Pro Bowl talents, and, like every other team, got better this offseason with the addition of new talent, even if they had to say goodbye to a few fan favorites along the way.
And with training camp still over a month away, it's safe to say that fuzzy feeling will continue as fans cross over the Ben Franklin Bridge to hit up their preferred New Jersey beach town.
So, with the Eagles' next organized team activities not coming until late July, why not examine some of the hottest takes coming out of camp to see where Philadelphia falls among the greater NFL landscape?
3. Jalen Hurts remains incredibly efficient
Last spring and into the summer, one of the biggest storylines surrounding the Eagles was Jalen Hurts and how often he was connecting with his pass catchers on the practice field.
Now sure, it is just practice, where the rush isn't live and no defender wants to make a silly play that could negatively impact his team's season, but Hurts was borderline perfect at the NovaCare Center, leading some to wonder if he'd taken a major step forward as a passer.
So, after watching some early-season struggles turn into a campaign for the ages, capped off with a Super Bowl MVP and a parade down Broad Street, Hurts was similarly effective during his spring appearances, earning camp MVP from WIP's Eliot Shorr-Parks for his efforts.
Is this the year where Hurts takes a step forward? Proving to fans that he is an elite quarterback in both efficiency and production? Or will he instead remain a useful cog in an offense defined by their success running the football, even if he doesn't put up 5,000 passing yards or become the next league MVP?
So far in his career, Hurts has been pretty much willing to do whatever the Eagles have wanted him to do in order to win games, as that has been his No. 1 priority. But with a Super Bowl in the bag and a nine-figure contract on the books, could Hurts demand a bigger role from new offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo? Fans will find out soon enough.
2. The Eagles don't have enough pass rush. Or do they?
After taking care of the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl without having to rush more than their four down linemen, the Eagles defense was the talk of the NFL.
Vic Fangio's old-school coaching worked, the Eagles all came together, and in the end, they were rewarded for their efforts with a Lombardi Trophy, a parade down Broad, and a number of free agent exits, mostly from the defensive side of the ball.
Super Bowl defensive MVP Milton Williams? Gone. Long-time stalwart Josh Sweat? Gone too. Goodness, even one of Philadelphia's true stalwarts, Brandon Graham, has hung up his cleats for good, calling it a career as a two-time champion.
To some, the Eagles' current rush is a major problem, as outside of Jihad Campbell, who is widely expected to start off as an off-ball player instead of a full-time edge rusher, Philadelphia only addressed the situation with Day 3 picks and cheaper free agent options like Azeez Ojulari and Josh Uche.
Will the Eagles be able to overcome their losses to remain one of the best defenses in the NFL? Well, that depends on who steps up and who doesn't. For Lane Johnson's money, the addition of Uche has been a positive, as he's always found the former Patriots outside linebacker tough to block, as he explained to Athlon Sports.
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“I remember playing him against the Patriots…really quick,” Johnson said. “I think he's very versatile with what he can do.”
Is Uche a strong camp away from recapturing his double-digit sack form from a few years back? While only time will tell, certainly someone has to step up to replace Sweat, Graham, and Williams, be it Uche or one of his new teammates.
1. Saquon Barkley is just entering his prime
Do the Eagles win the Super Bowl earlier this year without Saquon Barkley?
Originally drafted by the New York Giants after a legendary run at Penn State, Barkley was always one of the better running backs in the NFL when healthy, rushing for 5,211 yards and 35 touchdowns with his original NFL team, but was he that much better than players like Miles Sanders or D'Andre Swift, who both had 1,000 yard campaigns in South Philly?
Well, as it turns out, the answer was a resounding yes, as Barkley turned in one of the single greatest running back seasons in NFL history.
2,005 regular season rushing yards. An NFL record 2,504 total rushing yards. And 202 total touchdowns for good measure. Throw that all together, and Eagles fans will be talking about Barkley's 2024 campaign for decades to come.
So, after all of that, fans have to expect Barkley to at least take a minor step back, right? Maybe, but in the opinion of the Nittany Lions legend, he's only getting started, as, in a recent media session, he noted he feels as though he's just entering his NFL prime.
“But the beauty of it is,” Barkley via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I don’t know how many touches I had (482 in the regular season and postseason), nor how many yards (2,857 from scrimmage), but it doesn’t feel like it. I feel really good.
“I feel like I’m entering my prime. I just gotta continue to have the mindset of listening to everyone, buying into whatever they want me to do. Whatever they want me to do, try to do it at the best of my ability.”
At 28, the idea of Barkley just reaching his athletic prime flies somewhat in the face of running back conventions, as typically, 27 is considered an inflection point for most running backs. With that being said, Barkley isn't most running backs, with a unique combination of build and vision that is unlike any other player in the game today.
Could the Eagles make a concerted effort to give Barkley a lighter workload at least during the regular season next fall? Yes, between the returning Will Shipley, free agent addition AJ Dillon, and priority undrafted free agent Montrell Johnson Jr., it shouldn't be too surprising if the team tried to give him drives off when the game is at hand. But if Barkley is on the money, the Eagles will be contending for the Super Bowl once more, as he's a truly elite option behind the NFL's top offensive line.
