Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

What I’m Worried About

Posted September 5th, 2026 | 1 Comment »

Yesterday I wrote about things that have me excited for the upcoming season. For the sake of balance, here are some things that have me a bit nervous as we head into the new season.

I mentioned Jalen Hurts as one of the things I’m excited to see. He also falls into the category of potential concerns. Hurts is learning a new offense and has new receivers to throw to. There are going to be some ups and downs. Hurts had some bad games in previous years, but he was always able to bounce back from them. Could all the new changes turn a bad game into multiple bad games?

I think Hurts will be fine, but it is fair to acknowledge there could be real struggles. The passing game was erratic this summer. There are some reasons for that. Still, there are no guarantees things will go well. We will all be curious to see how Hurts plays this fall.

Sean Mannion is a first time offensive coordinator. He’s stepped into a team with Super Bowl expectations. That is the standard in Philly these days. Mannion will have the pressure of dealing with rabid fans and one of the league’s biggest media contingents. He, and Hurts, will be living under a microscope. Everything we’ve heard about Mannion is promising, but he will have some ups and downs of his own. No new coordinator gets things perfect right away. You learn on the job. We’ll see how he handles Hurts, Nick Sirianni, fan pressure and media scrutiny. Mannion is getting ready to go one one heck of a roller coaster ride.

I’m excited to see DeVonta Smith this season, but I’d be lying if I said I had complete confidence in the other receivers. The group has the potential to be very good. They also could underachieve and make life hard on Hurts and Mannion. Dontayvion Wicks really flashed at time this summer. Is he ready to be WR2? He had an issue with drops in the past. That needs to stay in the past. Rookie Makai Lemon was limited by a hamstring issue and then failed to impress when he did get on the field. The practice time between the preseason finale and regular season opener is critical for him. Lemon needs to get more comfortable and play faster.

We don’t know how Darius Cooper, Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore will be used. We do know they will need to deliver when they are on the field and they need to be ready to step up if any of the top trio gets hurt.

TE is fine if everyone stays healthy. That just isn’t likely to happen based on Dallas Goedert’s history. The guess is that the Eagles will add Zach Ertz after Week 1 so that they have another proven pass catcher in the mix. Johnny Mundt is a good blocker. EJ Jenkins is a good blocker as well. We don’t know enough about his receiving skills to make a strong judgment. Eli Stowers might miss the beginning of the season as he deals with a hamstring issue. The Eagles will work him in when he’s healthy. They will give him a chance to show what he can (and can’t) do.

The new scheme needs good TE play for the offense to be at its best. The group has potential, but also is far from a sure thing. We’ll have to wait and see if thye do addErtx. Then we’ll have to see how he looks.

Landon Dickerson didn’t have any injury issues this summer. But he also didn’t look completely healthy. He struggled more than previous Training Camps. Was Dickerson just pacing himself like some veterans do? Or was he really having ups and downs? Dickerson played though an injury last year and his performance suffered because of that. He and the team know better this time around. If he struggles, the Eagles will turn to Drew Kendall.

I’m genuinely curious to see Dickerson in action. At his best, he is one of the top OGs in the league. He gets movement in the run game due to his combination of size and strength. He’s stout in pass pro and locks guys up when he gets his hands on them. We didn’t see that kind of play last year. If Dickerson isn’t getting the job done, Kendall sure looks ready. He’s quick off the ball and blocks well on the move. He’s actually a better fit for the new scheme than Dickerson. He just isn’t as physically dominant.

I don’t really have any concerns with the Eagles front seven. The group is deep and talented. The only potential issue is Jonathan Greenard’s injury, but it sounds like he should be fine pretty soon.

Depth in the secondary is a possible concern. Jonathan Jones has had a good career. He was hurt much of the summer so we don’t have a good feel for where he’s at right now. Kelee Ringo played well late in the summer, but much of that was going against backups. Could he handle being on the field against starting WRs? Mac McWilliams isn’t physically special which means he needs to win with knowledge and experience. He’s just starting Year 2 so he doesn’t have knowledge or experience.

These concerns pale in comparison to some of the problems facing other teams. Howie Roseman has built a deep, talented roster and Sirianni gets his teams to win. This should be a good season. If some things go right, this could be a great season.

*****

Daniel Jeremiah had Howie Roseman as a gest on his podcast.

This was a good interview. Howie was relaxed and gave some good answers. You should enjoy their mutual love of Willie Lampkin.

*****

Willie Lampkin was robbed!

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Excited to See

Posted September 4th, 2026 | 1 Comment »

The start of the 2026 season is just around the corner. We spent much of the summer talking about the roster and player development. Let’s now focus on the guys who are going to be the key players. Here is what I’m excited to see this season.

Jalen Hurts will be in the new offense. He was up and down this summer, as I expected. While there will be ups and downs in the regular season as well, I expect him to be better. He’ll have a true gameplan to work with instead of installing plays or running them for the second or third time. He’ll have a full complement of starters around him. Throwing to DeVonta Smith with Lane Johnson blocking for you is better than throwing to Hollywood Brown with Fred Johnson at RT. Hurts feels like a man on a mission. I’m excited to see how he does.

Saquon Barkley had a great summer. He was disappointing last year, for a variety of reasons. Like Hurts, Barkley seems really locked in. I think we could see a monster season from him.

DeVonta Smith gets a chance to be WR1 after the departure of AJ Brown. Smitty isn’t physically dominant, but he is a top talent. Don’t forget that he was a Top 10 pick and won the Heisman Trophy in college. He’s not exactly chopped liver. Smitty could have a big year.

This may seem a bit crazy, but I’m excited to see Johnny Mundt blocking. The Eagles TEs were bad blockers last year. Mundt is a proven veteran who will help the run game. He could be a big help when the Eagles are trying to protect a lead late in games. The defense knows you’re going to run. You have to be able to block them and win with toughness.

Speaking of blocking, it will be good to see a healthy Eagles OL in action. Landon Dickerson is the only guy with issues right now. We’re still curious to see him in game action. Will that bring out the best in him? If he struggles, Drew Kendall will be ready to step in. Kendall had a strong showing this summer, in practice and games.

Jalen Carter was a difference-maker in 2024. Injuries hurt him last season, leading to a more erratic performance. Carter is healthy, wealthy and in great shape this year. I’m excited to see him get back to being a full-time wrecking ball.

I think we’re all excited to see Jalyx Hunt this season. He was good last year and then had a great summer. Hunt was the star of the defense in camp and practices. Now we finally get to see him in action.

Jihaad Campbell is the Eagles second best LB. I know a lot of people are excited about Jeremiah Trotter Jr, but he’s not nearly as good in space/coverage and that’s a critical part of the modern game. Campbell played the run well in the preseason opener and was also good in coverage. He had a good overall summer and should be ready for a breakout season.

People spent much of the offseason trying to figure out what the Eagles would do at safety. The team stuck with Drew Mukuba and Marcus Epps as the projected starters. Both guys looked good at times last season. I’m excited to see how they do going into a full season with starting experience in the scheme. Mukuba is the playmaker and Epps is the hitter/tackler.

The Eagles knew they needed an upgrade at CB2 so they signed Riq Woolen back in March. He was great in the spring and then a bit more up and down in the summer. He finished well, making some big plays in the joint practices with NE. I’m excited to see how Woolen plays this year and how he can impact the overall defense. Fangio has a loaded defense that could be special.

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