Jump to content

New roles for Jason Kelce, Fletcher Cox? Ranking Eagles most important storylines for OTAs


time2rock
 Share

Recommended Posts

New roles for Jason Kelce, Fletcher Cox? Ranking Eagles most important storylines for OTAs

5b2ee56c-b76c-4a98-8180-e4726f02f481-635Martin Frank
Delaware News Journal
 

It only seems like the Eagles are sipping piña coladas while every other NFL team is busy with three weeks of organized team activities followed by mandatory minicamps.

The Eagles and Bengals are the only teams holding two weeks of OTAs and no mandatory minicamp. Teams are allowed a maximum of 10 days of OTAs. The Eagles will have only six.

The Eagles will hold their first spring practice Tuesday, with sessions to follow on Thursday and Friday, and three more sessions next week. Then they'll break until training camp begins in late July.

BAD TASTE:Eagles new cornerback angry at how Giants treated him; did he sign with Philly for revenge?

SUPER OFFSEASON?:Eagles' offseason looks a lot like 2017 – and the Super Bowl similarities are striking.

Last year, the Eagles followed a similar pattern. They had two weeks of spring practice, then skipped the mandatory minicamp. So it's possible that some players could skip the entire spring program if they so choose.

The reason, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said, is health. 

"Everything that we do is going to be thought out with the players' health and safety in mind first,” Sirianni said. "That was one thing we felt like we did a good job last year, staying healthy for different reasons. 

"(Last year), we felt like we were able to get what we needed to get done in those weeks that we had last year."

But the OTAs this week and next do serve a purpose for the Eagles leading into their seven-week break until the start of training camp in late July. Here's a look at the four most important things to watch for:

f1.JPG.f833591edb97db2830d067f8754fe8d3.JPG

1. Jalen Hurts' growth

No, these spring practices won't be a true indication of whether Hurts is worthy of becoming the franchise quarterback beyond this season. But it will be our first look at Hurts since the playoff loss in January.

After that game, Hurts was seen in a walking boot. And shortly thereafter, he had surgery.

Hurts spent much of the offseason working with coaches in various states around the country, including Tom House in California. The Eagles' intention is to become more of a passing team after switching to primarily a run-based offense midway through the season.

The Eagles traded for wide receiver A.J. Brown to help accomplish that goal. But Hurts must improve on his 61.3% completion percentage from last season, along with his decision-making.

In fairness to Hurts, that percentage was better than the 52% from his rookie year, when he replaced Carson Wentz for the final 4½ games of the season. But there's still plenty of room for growth for a QB who'll turn 24 in August.

We should start seeing if that offseason work has paid off.

f2.JPG.adea903cc06b7abea470865d9b456098.JPG

 

2. Cox, Kelce as mentors

Since the workouts are voluntary, it's not known if both defensive tackle Fletcher Cox and center Jason Kelce will be in attendance.

But two of the greatest Eagles at their respective positions could be playing their final seasons in Philadelphia. And the Eagles drafted both of their eventual successors by taking defensive tackle Jordan Davis in the first round and center Cam Jurgens in the second.

Davis, especially, could be cutting into Cox's playing time this season, thus making Cox's situation particularly intriguing. The Eagles released Cox in March rather than guarantee his $18 million salary for 2022 with more guaranteed years to follow. The Eagles then re-signed Cox a few days later to a one-year deal worth $14 million.

Cox, 31, has not met with the media since the season ended. But Cox's play has been declining the last few years. And Davis, who's 6-foot-6, 341 pounds, ran a 4.78 in the 40-yard dash.

"He's a big, explosive, violent man that can win one-on-ones," defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon said about Davis.

As for Kelce, 34, he has contemplated retiring in each of the last four offseasons before returning. Kelce is still a top center in the NFL. But he helped scout Jurgens leading up to the draft and gave him a strong endorsement.

So the way Cox and Kelce embrace their mentorship roles could enable their replacements to be ready sooner. That begins in the OTAs.

f3.JPG.0cc135df174bd724cc4b703f5bd35f75.JPG

3. What Brown can do for Eagles

In Brown and DeVonta Smith, the Eagles have their best pair of wideouts since the early years of DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin a decade ago.

While Brown might be new to the Eagles, he's not new to Hurts. The two have been close friends ever since high school, and they often work out together during the offseason.

Brown, of course, will prevent opponents from focusing on Smith, who as a rookie set the team receiving record with 916 yards. But Brown's presence will also help Quez Watkins, who had 647 yards receiving last year.

"I loved it, honestly," Watkins said about Brown's acquisition. "He’s an extra guy in the room, an extra threat in the room. So for us, it’s just going to be dynamic."

But it will take reps for Brown and the other receivers, along with Hurts, to develop chemistry. That begins this week. 

f4.JPG.ec1eb4409680abf1063f4004fa95f364.JPG

4. Safety in numbers?

In essence, the Eagles traded cornerback Steven Nelson and safety Rodney McLeod, who both left as free agents, for cornerback James Bradberry and safety Marcus Epps.

At cornerback, Bradberry, who was released by the Giants earlier this month, is an upgrade.

At safety, Epps doesn't have nearly the experience that McLeod has had. But last season, Epps did work in with McLeod and returning starter Anthony Harris. The problem is there isn't much experience behind Epps and Harris.

That means K'Von Wallace, the Eagles' fourth-round pick in 2020, Andre Chacere and Jared Mayden, have to show they can play a role if called upon. The three have a combined four NFL starts.

"Everything that I look for in a safety, all those guys in that room have those qualities," Gannon said.

Then, more specifically about Epps, Gannon added: "Just like any young player, a guy that hasn't been a full-time starter, it's just consistency. He's played at a high level the times that he's played for us, and you have to be able to do that over the long-haul, snap after snap.

"Really excited to see him play this year."

https://www.delawareonline.com/story/sports/nfl/eagles/2022/05/31/eagles-storylines-ota-practice-jalen-hurts-new-roles-jason-kelce-fletcher-cox/9927327002/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...