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Philadelphia Eagles: What To Watch For At OTAs

By Anthony DiBona

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Just 4 more days to go, that is all. Philadelphia Eagles‘ football is almost back…well sort of but not really. The team is set to begin organized team activities Tuesday, May 26th which include 7-on-7, 9-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills but obviously no contact is allowed. But since head coach Chip Kelly has took over the team, they haven’t tackled in practice anyway, so this will basically be a normal practice day for Kelly and the birds.

Although the first two days of OTAs will not be open to the media, the third day of their first week of OTAs will be open to the media starting at 12:20, according to Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com.

Although this doesn’t likely seem like a big deal, it’s rare that an Eagles’ practice is open to the media so it’ll be nice to get a look at some of the new faces in midnight green. Sadly, I won’t personally be able to attend the festivities, I’ll be keeping a close eye on Twitter to try and keep track of everything throughout the media’s availability throughout the day. That being said, here are some things and notes to watch for as OTAs begin.

Quarterback Battle

With some new faces at the quarterback position, it’ll be interesting to see who will actually make the final roster. But specifically for OTAs, which quarterback will be getting #1 reps? Sam Bradford is the favorite and should be the starter on opening day, but whether or not he’ll even be healthy enough to practice on the first day of OTAs remains to be seen. Mark Sanchez seems to think he has a shot at the starting job and rightfully so. He played well in 2014, despite some ups and downs and should push Bradford for the job but will likely lose out if Bradford can stay healthy.

Then there’s the battle for the #3 quarterback spot between Matt Barkley and Tim Tebow. It’s clear that the Eagles aren’t very confident in Barkley, considering rumors have come out this offseason that they’ve tried to trade him numerous times.

While many believe Tebow doesn’t have a shot to be a quarterback in the NFL, I personally believe Philadelphia is a great “final destination” for him and he could thrive in Kelly’s offense, especially as a reserve quarterback or super duper two-point conversion weapon. Either way, I think what Tebow brings to the field with his legs and character will help him win the job over Barkley.

Who Starts In The Secondary?

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While everyone is worried about who will start at safety, I’m equally as concerned to see who will start at cornerback. The Eagles only have two clear starters in their secondary and that’s safety Malcolm Jenkins and their free agent jewel, cornerback Byron Maxwell. Besides that, the two other spots are up for grabs and it’ll be interesting to see who gets the first-team reps at both of the empty spots.

In the past, Kelly has usually had the younger guys start off at the bottom of the depth chart and work their way up, he doesn’t want anything handed to anybody. That being said, I’m not sure he can keep second-round pick Eric Rowe out of the starting line-up at either safety or cornerback. If Kelly stands by what he says, Rowe will likely start off at cornerback, opposite of Maxwell and second-year defensive back Jaylen Watkins will start at safety.

But let’s not forget about all of the other players the Eagles have added to their secondary this offseason including Walter Thurmond, E.J. Biggers, JaCorey Shepherd and Randall Evans. Those new faces paired with “old” faces like Brandon Boykin, Nolan Carroll, Earl Wolff and Jerome Couplin will surely make the secondary battle one to watch for.

The Wide Receiver Shuffle

Besides second-year wide receiver Jordan Matthews, the Eagles’ wide receiver depth chart is a complete unknown. While everyone is expecting a whole lot from Josh Huff and Nelson Agholor, they really haven’t proven anything in the NFL yet. Then there are veterans such as Riley Cooper, Miles Austin and Seyi Ajirotutu, who will likely battle for the lower end slots on the depth chart. But people may be expecting too much of the young guys at wide receiver just a bit too soon.

I’m particularly interested in the undrafted free agent wide receivers that the Eagles signed in Devante Davis, Rasheed Bailey and John Harris. Each of them brings something different to the table and one of them could surprise and make the Eagles’ final 53-man roster. My pick would be Davis due to his size and ability in the red zone, which is something the Eagles lacked in 2014. But it’s way too soon to tell without seeing the players actually on the field in midnight green.

That being said, it’ll be fun to see which players among this group of wide receivers separate themselves from the pack and cements their name as a starter. Of course, everyone seems to be hoping that the starting trio will be Matthews, Huff and Agholor but it’s completely possible that one of them disappoints and loses out to a veteran for the beginning portion of the season. One final thing to look for is where Matthews lines up. After being strictly a slot wide receiver during his rookie season, it would be nice to see him get reps on the outside as well.

Next: Sam Bradford Finally Has Weapons Around Him

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