By Tucker Bagley, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 
The preseason is officially over and the regular season is around the corner. With the four games of preparation complete, it's time to look ahead to the regular season, starting with the decisions that will come in the next 36 hours as the Eagles set their final roster.
Here now is a look at five predictions for the 2016 season as well as a look back on Thursday's game and how it could affect some of the Eagles decisions this weekend.
Going Deep
1. The Eagles will field a top-10 defense
With Jim Schwartz at the helm and Fletcher Cox leading the way, the Eagles will ride their defensive line and elite safety tandem to a level this franchise hasn't seen since the Jim Johnson days. The Eagles defense has played an extremely aggressive brand of football during the preseason and that energy can carry over to the regular season, especially with a few weak opponents on the early part of their schedule.
What will be interesting is if Mychal Kendricks can return to the player he was in 2012 and 2013. At his best, Kendricks was a quick-twitch athlete who played like his hair was on fire and was a great blitzing linebacker. He could be the playmaker the second level of this defense needs.
2. The Eagles offense will lack explosiveness
As much fun as their defense may be, the offense could be the complete opposite. With no downfield targets to speak of and an offensive line that is still trying to gel together, the Eagles will struggle to push the ball down the field. Expect a lot of check downs and quick passes to Zach Ertz and Jordan Matthews to put together long, methodical drives.
One guy who could change things is Josh Huff who is absolutely electric with the ball in his hands. If Doug Pederson can manufacture touches for Huff in space, he can use his running ability to pick up huge chunks of yards on screens and short crossing routes.
3. Ryan Mathews will struggle to remain healthy
The Eagles running game will really hinge on Mathews' health and I just can't see him playing all 16 games. Last year, Mathews was placed behind DeMarco Murray and his snaps were limited in order to keep him on the field, but he still got hurt and started to wear down after being so effective during the early part of the season.
However, Mathews really struggled as a receiver last year and his inability to catch the ball out of the backfield could lead to Kenjon Barner and Wendell Smallwood getting more touches as Pederson's screen-heavy offense. This distribution may lead to Mathews' role getting reduced again, but still, he will remain their bruiser between the tackles and his history states he won't be able to withstand that punishment.
4. Rodney McLeod will become a fan-favorite
We touched on the safeties earlier, but McLeod plays the type of game that will immediately endear him to fans. He's on the smaller side, but he's a hard-hitter and has a knack for playing on the back end and covering a lot of ground in coverage. During last week's game in Indianapolis, Schwartz had no problem playing single coverage across the board against four wide receivers, with McLeod alone on the back end.
He has heart, talent and instincts. I would expect a lot of No. 23 jerseys appearing at the Linc around Christmas time.
5. Barring injury, Carson Wentz will not start in 2016
Now, I still think that Wentz will get some time in mop-up duty, especially after watching Chase Daniel play so poorly during the preseason. But unless Sam Bradford becomes so incompetent that he forces a change to be made, the Eagles will gain nothing from putting the rookie out on the field.
If Bradford can finish the season as the starter and put up decent numbers, the team might be able to find a trade suitor. If Wentz had played more than one game in the preseason, this would be a different story, but it's clear the rookie has a long way to go and may not be ready for 60 minutes of NFL football just yet.
Injury Report
M.J. McFarland: The tight end suffered a knee injury during the first half last night and never returned. The rookie was buried on the tight end depth chart and didn't seem to have a good shot at surviving this weekend's cuts.
Numbers Game
4: The last time the Eagles went a perfect 4-0 in the preseason, they finished the regular season with four wins too. The year was 2012, and it proved to be the final one of the Andy Reid era as the Eagles looked increasingly incompetent as the season went along. There have been a lot of positives during this year's preseason, but it is worth noting things are a bit different during the regular season.
3: The Eagles utilized Paul Turner as their punt returner last night, and he responded by taking one to the house. However, he wasn't exactly the special teams ace in college, fielding just three punts during his entire collegiate career. That's one less then he returned last night. Who knows, maybe this kid is just a really quick learner.
1.7: Jets quarterback Christian Hackenberg averaged a measly 1,7 yards per attempt last night. That's not good. The Penn State product forced himself up some draft boards with a nice series of pre-draft workouts, but he once again proved last night that he is unable to navigate the pocket or perform when he's under pressure.
Quotables
"He's a strong practice squad candidate."
-Mike Mayock on every single Eagles' player he doesn't think will make the 53-man roster.
Usually Mayock does a pretty good job on the telecasts, but he was brutal last night. In addition to saying that Barrett Jones would be a good practice squad player, even though he's ineligible, Mayock insisted that every player who made a play deserved a practice squad shot. The boring commentary just made an unwatchable game unbearable.
Bullish
Paul Turner: His 71-yard punt return TD sewed up his roster spot last night. Turner has been the Eagles best receiver during the entire preseason, leading the team in receptions and receiving yards. Add in his production on special teams and the Eagles have a guy who could be a solid value for the next few years. Credit the team's scouts on this find.
Steven Means: Anytime it looks like Marcus Smith is gaining ground, Means just pulls further ahead. Smith gets one sack, Means gets two. Smith gets a QB hurry, Means gets a QB hit that leads to an interception. If it wasn't for Turner, Means would be the darling of this preseason and it would be a shock if he was somehow left off the roster on Saturday. I still think there's room for both him and Smith, but if the Eagles have to choose, Means has the upper hand.
Ed Reynolds: The Stanford product just has a knack for making big plays in the preseason. His 90-yard pick six capped off another solid preseason and it looks like a dead heat between he and Jaylen Watkins for the fourth safety spot. The Eagles may opt to keep five safeties, but that doesn't seem likely with two veteran starters atop the depth chart. Reynolds has given the coaching staff a tough decision to make.
Bearish
JaCorey Shepherd: A lot of great cornerbacks have a lot of confidence and it seems like Shepherd's has been lacking since coming back from his ACL injury. Before getting hurt, Shepherd was supposed to be the Eagles' slot corner, but he has really struggled this preseason, even becoming a healthy scratch last week. At this point, he's going to be out on the streets Saturday afternoon.
Chase Daniel: Yes, he's a backup, possibly a third-stringer depending on Carson Wentz's health, but Daniel has done little to instill confidence in anyone not named Doug Pederson this preseason. Daniel's physical limitations seriously outweigh his smarts and he hasn't looked even remotely effective against other team's second-stringers. He's proven that he seriously isn't worth $7 million and even a downgrade from Mark Sanchez.
Chris Pantale: He seemed like a sure thing just a few weeks ago, but Pantale had three drops last night, bringing his preseason total to five, and hasn't looked like someone who could be a productive member of an NFL roster. Granted, Pantale's value would be as a versatile blocker, but with other positions of depth, the Eagles may opt to only keep three tight ends so they can add an extra safety or defensive end.
Three-Step Drop
1. Sometimes it takes getting cut or given up on to wake a player up, but after watching Dorial Green-Beckham these past two weeks, it's hard to believe the Titans gave this guy up for Dennis Kelly. DGB looks the part of a big-time wide receiver and with a bit of polishing, he could really be something special. The sky is the limit for this kid.
2. It'll be interesting to see what happens when the NFL Draft comes to Philadelphia next spring. After seeing the excitement surrounding the event these past two years in Chicago, this city should be really excited to be the epicenter of the NFL for a few days and show the league it isn't that second-rate city it's often portrayed to be. First-round pick or not, this will be fun.
3. It's been almost three weeks since the news regarding Lane Johnson broke and we're still waiting for a formal announcement. Now, if Johnson is still eligible at 4 p.m Saturday, he will have to be on the 53-man roster. Also, he will be able to play next Sunday if his B-sample remains in limbo. As nice as it would be for him to play, it may be easier on the Eagles brass if they know where he stands before they start cutting people.
Who's Next
The Eagles will open up their regular season with a contest against the Cleveland Browns next Sunday. The Browns will visit the Linc for the for the first time since 2008, where the Eagles came out on top 30-10.
The Browns seem to be a favorite for the top pick for next year's draft and shouldn't be too tough of a test for the Eagles.
