By Justin Goodman
The day is finally here, your 2018 Philadelphia Eagles reported to the NovaCare Complex for training camp today. With the team’s first mandatory practice slated for Thursday at noon, there are a number or storylines and questions surrounding the reigning champions quest to repeat.
Even though there are not as many holes in this year’s roster as opposed to seasons past, coming off of their first Super Bowl title in franchise history, there are still concerns for fans that could derail the hopes of back-to-back parades down Broad Street. The most glaring question circulating in Eagles fans minds undoubtedly is the health of Quarterback Carson Wentz’s knee. Today the Eagles found base received some good news about his training camp status. According to a tweet this evening from NFL insider Ian Rapoport.
Great news for #Eagles QB Carson Wentz, who won’t go on PUP. He’ll be limited but at least practicing.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 25, 2018
This action by the Eagles to keep Wentz off of the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list heading into the camp is a huge positive, as he will be able to take part in 7 on 7’s for the time being. With hopes of being a full participant in team workouts in the coming weeks.
Carson’s rehabilitation appears to still be trending in a positive direction, and the team remains optimistic that he will not miss extensive time to start the season. Whether or not he will be ready for week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons, is still up in the air.
These concerns about Wentz’s health aren’t keeping any Die-hard Eagles fans up worried at night too much, after all Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles still remains on the roster headed into camp. Much to the delight of the fans who argued all offseason that Foles was too valuable of an asset as a backup to trade away for a measly package of draft picks.
Another striking question headed into the 2018 campaign for the team revolves around how newcomer, defensive end Michael Bennett will fit in to the locker room. The three-time pro bowler on paper, appears to be an upgrade over Vinny Curry at the position, who left town to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, a negative buzz still remains circulating around Bennett’s name after he was arrested back in March on charges from a 2017 incident at Super Bowl LI where he allegedly injured an elderly woman by pushing through security following the game. While the Bennett situation continues to linger, with an arraignment date scheduled for August 7th, one can only hope that he will fit in seamlessly with this defensive line in 2018.
The team also has a number of question marks with veteran players returning from injuries. Jordan Hicks, Jason Peters, Chris Maragos, and Darren Sproles all are looking to come back strongly from their season ending injuries from a year ago.
The secondary roles will also be a bit of a concern, especially at the slot corner. With the offseason loss of Patrick Robinson, the team will need to plug in a cornerback replacement to replace his production in the slot. The popular option seems to be Ronald Darby and Sydney Jones starting on the outside, with Jalen Mills moving to the slot. This is all heavily dependent on the health of Jones, who is still a large question mark finally coming back healthy from his devastating Achilles injury in his final season at the University of Washington. Jones only has one career appearance in an NFL game under his belt, week 17 last year against Dallas. This position battle at corner will surely be one of the top storylines to keep your eyes on as camp kicks off Thursday afternoon.
