Eagles-Bucs: What we learned

The Eagles topped the Buccaneers, 17-9, on Thursday night in their preseason debut. Here are 10 things that we learned:

1. Carson Wentz wasn't overwhelmed by the moment. It was his first game in an NFL uniform, his first game in the stadium he will call home for years to come, his first game in front of fans who chanted his name as early as the first quarter, and Wentz didn't shirk from the occasion. He, well, owned it. Following Chase Daniel helped. There was really only one place to go. But the disparity between the quarterbacks illustrated the difference between taking command of the position and not. Wentz's movements were quarterback-esque. He stood tall in the pocket, he went through his progressions, and when his sixth sense kicked in – unlike Daniel, who squatted in the pocket like a duck – he casually stepped away from pressure and often made a play.

2. Wentz is a work in progress. The Wentz we saw against the Bucs was the Wentz I've seen since May. He has all the physical tools – a plus arm and top-end athleticism – but he's still very much green. His best throws have been on the move, most likely because he can play instinctively. When he's asked to make an intermediate-length pass from the pocket, the wheels start turning, the mind starts racing, and his mechanics can break down – as they did on a 20-yard out he threw that wobbled high over his intended receiver. Wentz is still getting used to the speed of the game. The window closes quickly, as it did when he overthrew receiver Paul Turner in the red zone and was intercepted. But he has the ability to generate plays on his own, make something out of nothing, or save a dead down. He climbed out of the pocket and hit Zach Ertz for 19 yards. He evaded the rush, rolled to his right and connected with Rueben Randle for positive yards. He ran down a ground-ball snap that sailed past him, managed to turn and survey the field as he moved to the sideline, and wisely chucked the ball out of bounds when nothing was there.

3. Wentz is a gamer. He took a number of shots and shook them off. But he has to learn to be selective when he runs. He dashed and slid early. It was a perfect pop-up slide. Russell Wilson would have approved. But Wentz was upended during one scramble and was a few inches from falling on his head. You admired his gumption on third down, but those efforts should be reserved for games with meaning. For a quarterback, the best ability is durability. But, overall, it was a positive debut for the rookie. He has a ways to go, but the bones are there.

4. The second-team offensive line is a wreck. The Bucs opted to play their first-team defense into the second quarter, but there was no excuse for how poorly the second-unit line – tackles Dennis Kelly and Andrew Gardner, guards Stefen Wisniewski and Isaac Seumalo and center Josh Andrews -- performed. Kelly and Gardner were, in particular, disappointing. No one will ever mistake either as a legitimate starter, but both have more than five years of NFL experience. They couldn't consistently secure the edges vs. Tampa. It wasn't as if the Bucs were running exotic blitz packages. Seumalo, at least, has the rookie excuse. But he looked completely lost. His performance reminded me of the first time Danny Watkins played in a preseason game. He didn't seem to know whom he had to block. Seumalo missed all of spring workouts and, like all first-year players, will have growing pains. But he's a long way from being able to dress on regular-season Sundays. It could be worse – the first unit could have performed as badly (although it was impossible to judge the starters based off just three plays). But the bigger issue is whether Doug Pederson can rely on any his reserves if they are pushed into the forefront. And, more than likely, someone will have to start with Lane Johnson facing a (probable) 10-game suspension. Matt Tobin started at left tackle for the resting Jason Peters, but he appears to be the likely candidate to fill in at right tackle. Tobin wasn't involved in the second-unit disaster, but he, too, has yet to prove he can be reliable.

5. The defensive line will be a strength. If the Eagles are to be competitive this season, and if Jim Schwartz's 4-3 defense is to thrive, the front four must generate pressure consistently. Thursday night was a good start. Defensive tackles Fletcher Cox and Bennie Logan met at quarterback Jameis Winston and forced a fumble on the Bucs' second possession. Connor Barwin notched a sack. And Steven Means flashed several times – hurrying backup Mike Glennon into an ill-advised toss-up that was picked off by Chris Maragos and sacking and forcing the quarterback to fumble later on. Tampa neutralized the attacking front with two-step drops and screens during its third drive -- and the Eagles will have to do a better job against that tactic because they're likely to see it a lot this season – but all in all, Pederson had to come away pleased with his defense.

6. Chase Daniel didn't look like a $6 million backup. It was just one game. Less than one half. And, as noted above, Daniel received little help from his offensive line. But the former Chiefs quarterback had a miserable debut as an Eagle. There was plenty of pressure, but he was almost always a tick late in recognizing when it was time to evade rushers. And when he did have time, his throws were often off target. He's not a big guy, obviously, but he played small. Daniel had Ertz wide open over the middle on one play, but he didn't see him and tucked the ball and scrambled ahead for a minimal gain. Again, I don't want to make too much of one preseason game. But Daniel had been struggling the last week or so of camp. The Eagles front office gave Pederson his choice of a backup and he backed Daniel, but right now, it looks like an expensive mistake.

7. Nelson Agholor and Josh Huff are stuck in neutral. With no Jordan Matthews – out with a knee injury – the other Eagles receivers had an opportunity to draw attention. No one did. Agholor was targeted twice and failed to record a catch. He tried to fool a Bucs cornerback with a double move on the first toss, but the defender didn't bite and Daniel's timing pass sailed long. Wentz's first pass was slightly high and Agholor had to climb to get it, but it flew through his hands. It was just a small sample of plays, but the second-year receiver hasn't stood out much at camp, either. There's obvious ability there, but Agholor doesn't seem to have one special trait. He doesn't have sonic speed. His hands are mediocre, at best. And he doesn't have imposing size. Huff does have speed and some heft. But he's undisciplined. He caught a short slant in the second quarter, but fumbled the ball out of bounds when a defender poked the ball out from behind. Pederson tried to utilize his ability after the catch with an early screen, but Agholor's block attempt was woeful and Huff couldn't escape harm. Huff will likely make the team because of his return ability. He had a nice 39-yard kick return in the first quarter.

8. Jalen Mills came back to earth. The rookie cornerback had been earning praise from both Eagles coaches and reporters covering camp, but he was more than mortal in his first preseason game. He seemed overwhelmed by the speed. It's been the opposite in practices. Mills will adjust, but he's far from contending for one of the starting spots. He was beaten by receiver Mike Evans early and had to grab his arm. If the pass weren't long, Mills would have likely drawn a penalty. He did garner a pass interference flag later. Mills' worst moment might have come when a receiver turned him around. He tried to rebound, but whiffed on the tackle. He was either pulled or pulled himself later and was replaced by Denzel Rice.

9. Kenjon Barner is making a strong case for the roster. The Eagles might end up keeping just three running backs, but with Ryan Mathews' injury history, they will need some depth at the position. Darren Sproles is a solid complement, and the offense could likely get away with having him fill the No. 1 spot for a game or two, but if Mathews were to go down, the Eagles would need a tailback who could consistently handle a 20-carry load. I'm not sure if Barner is that guy. But he's probably the best the Eagles have at this point. Rookie Wendell Smallwood has been sidelined for almost two weeks with a quad injury, and he has missed valuable time. Barner rushed seven times for 35 yards behind the suspect second-unit o-line. Running has never been his issue. Catching has been, and he'll need to catch passes in this offense. He was targeted only once against the Bucs. Mathews touched the ball only twice, but he was the offensive MVP. He ran twice for 15 yards and scored from five yards.

10. And some leftovers: With Malcolm Jenkins (hamstring) out, Ed Reynolds and Jaylen Watkins got plenty of reps at safety. They're both vying for the No. 3 spot with Blake Countess and Maragos. Reynolds led the team with seven tackles. He's a sound tackler, but he struggles in space because of his lack of speed. Watkins is better in space. He can cover. But tackling remains a problem. Put together, Reynolds and Watkins would make one heck of a safety. … I'm not sure why Ertz played so many snaps after the first team sat. We know what he can do. Why risk getting him hurt when you have three tight ends (Trey Burton, Chris Pantale and M.J. McFarland) below him? … Drops continued to be an issue. Aside from Agholor, Ertz and receiver T.J. Graham had what could be described as missed grabs. … The Eagles' special teams looked sharp. Najee Goode forced a fumble on the opening kickoff. Huff and Barner had nice returns. Caleb Sturgis kicked a 42-yard field goal.