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The Philadelphia Eagles are going into 2019 with sky-high expectations, as many in the media are lauding them as a potential contender. But is the hype warranted?
The Eagles won nine games and snuck into the playoffs this past year, upsetting the Chicago Bears in the Wild Card Round before falling to the New Orleans Saints in the Divisional Round the following week.
They certainly made some big additions this summer, especially in the form of wide receiver DeSean Jackson, and with Carson Wentz healthy, the offense could be very explosive.
Philadelphia will kick off its preseason this Thursday when it plays host to the Tennessee Titans, so here are three things to watch in the Eagles' preseason opener.
3. How Will Doug Pederson Allocate Carries?
The Eagles have one of the deepest backfields in the NFL, boasting a group that includes Jordan Howard, Miles Sanders, Josh Adams, Corey Clement, and Darren Sproles.
Howard seems to be the lead back, as he has been getting the bulk of the carries in training camp, but with such a deep and versatile group of running backs, it will be interesting to see how Doug Pederson allocates touches in this first game.
Obviously, Pederson is going to want to set the tone with some sort of pecking order, and he is going to have a heck of a time deciding which running back gets the most action behind Howard.
Sanders has been very impressive this summer, but Adams proved this past year that he is capable of being a key member of a rotation, so we'll see how everything shakes out.
2. Who Will Be the No. 1 Receiver?
The Eagles signed Jackson for a second go-around in Philly earlier this offseason, but will he be supplanting Alshon Jeffery as Wentz's No. 1 receiver? Probably not, but there is no question that Jackson has the track record to be that guy.
Jackson and Jeffery are very different receivers in that Jackson is a vertical threat while Jeffery is more of a possession wide out, but they complement each other very well. It could end up being a situation where both guys see nearly equal action in 2019. Who knows?
The rest of the Eagles' receiving corps consists of guys like Nelson Agholor and rookie JJ Arcega-Whiteside, which some feel gives them the deepest group of wide outs in the NFL.
But Jackson and Jeffery are clearly the top two targets, so it will be curious to watch whom Wentz (and Pederson) seems to favor more on Thursday night.
1. How Will Carson Wentz Look?
Of course, the biggest question for the Eagles heading into 2019 is the health of Wentz.
Wentz played in just 11 games before going down with a back injury in 2018, and in 2017, he was knocked out late in the season as a result of a torn ACL.
Now, Wentz seems to be ready to go, but for a guy who hasn't played a full season since his rookie year, injury issues are definitely a big concern with Wentz, so all eyes will be on him in this game.
How will he look in the pocket? How good will his footwork? Does he have his timing down?
All of these are questions that will be answered on Thursday evening.
