A Successful Summer

Summer football is over. The next time the team is in action will be the season opener against the Patriots. Before we look ahead to the season, let’s take a look back at the summer.

The Eagles had a good summer. Most importantly, they stayed healthy. There were minor bumps and bruises, but all the starters and key backups should be available for the opener. That’s huge.

Think back to the last time the Eagles were coming off a Super Bowl appearance. Carson Wentz was rehabbing a torn ACL and missed the first few games. Alshon Jeffrey wasn’t healthy. Brandon Graham missed a lot of time during the summer. Nigel Bradham was healthy, but suspended for the opener. The current team is in much better shape.

Aside from health, the next item is Jalen Hurts. He took a big step forward from 2021 to 2022. Instead of resting on his laurels, Hurts just had the best camp of his young career. It looks like he’s gotten even better, which is a scary thought for the rest of the NFL. Hurts is a special runner. If his passing continues to improve, the Eagles offense will be off the charts. They finished third in scoring last year. They could be special in 2023.

Marcus Mariota didn’t have the showing we hoped for. He wasn’t good in camp and then struggled in games. He did make plays with his legs, but his passing was erratic and that’s probably a generous description. On the flip side, rookie Tanner McKee was better than expected. He probably won’t be the backup this year, but looks like he can handle that in the future.

QBs only succeed when they have good protection. The Eagles lost Isaac Seumalo in free agency and that opened up the RG spot. Cam Jurgens was expected to compete for the role. That didn’t exactly happen. He had a great summer and won the RG job convincingly. The Eagles had the best OL in the league last year. It looks like that will be the case again this season.

The OL goes beyond the starters. Andre Dillard left in free agency and Jurgens moved up to a starting role. That left holes on the backup line. Rookie Tyler Steen started slow when he focused on RG. When he got snaps as the backup LT, the light went on for him. He played well at both LT and RG. Fred Johnson came out of nowhere to win a roster spot. He’s more of a long term project. Holdovers Sua Opeta and Jack Driscoll are back for another season.

https://twitter.com/EaglesXOs/status/1691800380500221997

DeVonta Smith and AJ Brown were a dynamic duo in 2022. They both looked great this summer. They were dominant during the joint practices.

Dallas Goedert had the best summer of his career. It seems like he’s taken his game to another level. With Hurts, Goedert, Smith and Brown, the Eagles passing attack should be the best in franchise history.

We didn’t get to learn a lot about Sean Desai, but there were some hints that he’s going to be a creative, aggressive defensive coordinator. He blitzed on a regular basis in the preseason. That’s not something the Eagles did much in recent years. Desai moved players to different positions at times. Nolan Smith got snaps at off-ball LB. James Bradberry played some in the slot. There was a 4-safety look one day at camp. Desai used double A-gap blitz looks (a Jim Johnson specialty). Desai did some creative things with the DL. Fletcher Cox was a DE in one look.

I love seeing Desai pull this kind of curveball out in preseason. This is a good mid-RZ call to marry up with Robber or some of their internal Fire Zones. pic.twitter.com/s9IxuzxS5z

— Honest NFL (@TheHonestNFL) August 26, 2023

Desai got a good showing from the Georgia gang this summer. Rookie Jalen Carter started slow, but then started to show big time ability. He also played with an attitude. That’s what you want from a DT. Nobody wants a gentle giant. Carter had some spectacular moments and has created a lot of buzz.

Nolan Smith had a terrific summer. He looked good in camp, joint practices and the preseason games. His motor and athleticism jumped out every day. Smith looked like a guy that the coaches have to find a way to get on the field.

Nakobe Dean had a quiet start to camp, but came alive in his preseason action. He had a key FF and looked good.

There was a major question about who would play beside Dean. The plan didn’t go as expected, but the Eagles signed Zach Cunningham during the summer and he won the other starting LB spot. Cunningham is a veteran run stuffer who should pair nicely with Dean.

Safety was another question mark heading into the summer. Reed Blankenship had a great showing in camp and the joint practices. He covered well and made plays in the passing game. Blankenship now gives the Eagles a safety to build around. Sydney Brown had a good summer and showed real potential. There is still some question about who will start with Blankenship, but there was more good than bad from the overall group.

The Eagles felt good about CB going into the summer. They have to feel great at this point. Josh Jobe took his game up a notch and will be the top backup. Rookie Eli Ricks went from undrafted to winning a roster spot. Mario Goodrich played well enough to earn the backup nickel spot. The Eagles are as deep at CB as they’ve been in a long time. They also have young talent behind the veteran starters. That’s good for the future.

The biggest issue coming out of the summer was the punter competition not working out. Neither Ty Zentner nor Arryn Siposs punted well. Siposs is on the practice squad for now, but the team has to be looking at other options.

When your biggest issue is poor punting, you’ve had a good summer.

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