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Scouting the Eagles

An NFC pro personnel scout breaks down the Eagles for Paul Domowitch.

Eagles quarterback Nick Foles. (David Maialetti/Staff Photographer)
Eagles quarterback Nick Foles. (David Maialetti/Staff Photographer)Read more

A position-by-position breakdown of the Eagles through the eyes of an NFC pro personnel scout:

QUARTERBACK: 'I don't think [Foles] is a 1-year wonder. I expect him to have another good season.'

[Nick] Foles is a smart, efficient quarterback with a slightly above-average arm. He's not going to throw a lot of dumb interceptions. I doubt he'll ever have another season with only two picks, but he sees the field well and doesn't often get fooled by coverages.

"Chip's offense is very quarterback-friendly. Nick isn't a pinpoint passer like [Tom] Brady or [Peyton] Manning or [Aaron] Rodgers. But he doesn't have to make a lot of tough throws in that offense. The way Chip spaces his receivers out, you can put a lot of air on balls. You can float it. You can throw it into an open space.

"When he's under duress, he sometimes tries to do too much and can look a little awkward at times. But I don't think he's a 1-year wonder. I expect him to have another good season.

"[Mark] Sanchez had a terrific preseason. Some of the throws he made were unbelievable. And he wasn't just throwing bubble screens and flairs. He was hitting the tight ends with perfect passes on seam routes. He averaged over 9 yards per attempt. He threw the ball better this summer than he ever has in his career. If something happens to Nick, Sanchez is not a bad guy to have to fall back on. I don't think I would have said that 3 months ago."

RUNNING BACK: 'He [McCoy] had 366 touches last year. That's a lot.'

"[LeSean] McCoy is one of the best backs in the league. I haven't seen anyone with his cutting ability since maybe [Barry] Sanders. But I'm going to be very interested to see what happens with him this year. He had 366 touches last year. That's a lot. I know he's still fairly young, but a lot of guys go over the cliff after a heavy-use season like that. They're never the same. I don't know that he's going to be nearly as special as he was.

"He's already had toe and thumb injuries this summer. Maybe the toe turns out to be nothing, but those things can linger and be a real problem, especially for somebody whose whole game is based on cutting. Against the Steelers, he turned a play that should've been a 5-yard loss into a 13-yard gain.

"I'm going to be very interested to see how they use [Darren] Sproles. They didn't use him much as a receiver in the preseason. A few times in the screen game. But we didn't see him in the slot like he was [used] in New Orleans. All four of his catches against the Eagles in the playoffs came when he was at receiver. Running pivot routes and stop routes. We didn't see that this summer, but I've got to believe there's a whole package of that stuff for him.

"I think there's obviously a place for Sproles in their offense. He's still very dangerous in space and nobody is better than [Chip] Kelly at putting a guy in space. But outside of some screens and maybe taking a couple of carries off of McCoy and returning punts for them, I don't know how much of an impact he's going to have.

"I was surprised they only kept three backs on their roster. They obviously like [Chris] Polk. Whatever they saw last year, they obviously liked him enough to keep him, even with him missing the whole preseason. I know they have [Matthew] Tucker on the practice squad. But I thought they made a mistake trading away Bryce Brown. I know he didn't play well last year. But he does have rare ability. And somebody is going to bring it out in him at some point. Whether that's sooner or later, I don't know."

WIDE RECEIVER: 'There aren't any superstars there who can run away from anybody.'

"This isn't a great group. They're just OK. I think the system helps them. I think the spacing helps them. I think the way Chip gets matchups helps them. But there aren't any superstars there who can run away from anybody. I don't see anybody like that. And none of them has great hands. You watch them and they all jump and catch the ball. The only reason you ever jump to catch a ball is because you don't trust your hands.

"[Jeremy] Maclin is a productive receiver, but he's already had two ACLs. I saw the replay of him going down against the Steelers last month. I was shocked that he was able to get back up. I doubt you can count on him giving you 16 games.

"[Riley] Cooper had a breakout year last year. He's not a No. 1 [receiver], but I don't know that you need a No. 1 in that offense, which is why I think Chip was so willing to get rid of [DeSean] Jackson. Every week, somebody else will be featured depending on what the [opposing] defense is doing.

"The rookie, [Jordan] Matthews, is a really good player, and really smart. I think he'll help them right away, especially in the slot against smaller corners. [Josh] Huff's a tough kid, but seems to lack confidence, which is a little surprising considering he's playing for his college coach. Maybe he just needs time."

TIGHT END: 'I'd be willing to bet he's [Ertz] going to put up big numbers for them this year. He's going to get used a lot.'

"[Zach] Ertz is going to be a terrific player. A Pro Bowler if he stays healthy. I would guess Chip spent a good portion of the offseason plotting how to get this guy in space, how to get him mismatched against people who can't cover him. I can't put a number on it, but I'd be willing to bet he's going to put up big numbers for them this year. He's going to get used a lot.

"The only problem with that is he's a terrible blocker, and I'm not sure how you hide that. Are they going to put him in the slot and let him just block nickel backs and safeties and shield him? Because if they put him at the line of scrimmage, he's just not very good yet.

"[Brent] Celek is in the top echelon of blocking tight ends in the league right now. He understands the whole scheme. But I don't know that Ertz can get you stalemates against a lot of guys. You almost have to run away from him or try to protect him a little bit.

"I love Celek. The guy is a beast. He seems to thrive on contact. Hit me. Hit me harder. He doesn't run great, but he runs well enough and knows how to use his body well enough to get open and in position to make a play. He catches the ball when he gets lit up. He doesn't go down.

"I understand why they kept [Trey] Burton. He's got great hands and runs really well, although he's too small to be a tight end. I'm a little confused as to why they decided to keep both Burton and [James] Casey, though. I guess Casey gives them a little something as a blocker that they don't feel Burton's ready to give them."

OFFENSIVE LINE: 'He's [Peters] in his prime. He's the best left tackle in the game, hands down.'

"With [Lane] Johnson at right tackle, they have the most athletic unit in the league, and one of the best. It'll be interesting to watch them these first four games with Johnson out and [Allen] Barbre at right tackle. Barbre's just adequate as a tackle. If you watched him in the preseason, he struggled out there on the edge.

"The Eagles want to get five [receivers] out when they throw the ball. They don't want to chip or leave a tight end or back in because the offense isn't as aggressive and the spacing isn't the same.

"If Barbre has to face an elite guy, he's going to struggle. He struggles with spin moves and with guys getting underneath him. He's just OK out there. I'd have a lot fewer concerns about him if he was inside at guard.

"Johnson makes such a difference. He's still struggling strengthwise, but he is so damn fast. When he runs and pulls, he can get to anyone. Between him and [left tackle Jason] Peters, there's nobody in the league who comes close to them as far as [tackles] being able to run.

"[Center Jason] Kelce is developing into one of the best centers in the league. He can't overpower the big nose tackles. But I watched him against New England last month and he just wheeled around Vince Wilfork the whole game. He shielded him easily. His hands are so good and he just runs so well. He gets to the second level. He can lead sweeps all the time. He can snap and get out.

"Peters is what, 32? But he's in his prime. He's the best left tackle in the game, hands down. [Left guard Evan] Mathis always has been a tough, athletic guy. He spent 6-7 years as a journeyman backup before finally finding the perfect system for his talents in Philadelphia, first with Howard Mudd, now with Kelly and Jeff Stoutland.

"He's not small, but he's not like one of those giant guards. He's smart, conscientious. It's not easy to play offensive line in that system because, with that tempo offense, you have to process information in like 2-3 seconds. But he's good at it. They're all good at it."

DEFENSIVE LINE: 'Fletcher Cox flashes at times and shows he can be dominant, but he's in the wrong system and he seems to play like he knows that.'

"When I went back and watched Beau Allen against [Steelers center] Maurkice Pouncey, Pouncey is as good as there is. He's athletic and has great hands. The whole package. But Allen wasn't overwhelmed by any of it. I think he eventually will replace [Bennie] Logan as the starting nose tackle. He's as good a pass-rusher as Logan. He's a good, solid player.

"I like [Cedric] Thornton a lot. He keeps getting better and almost never is on the ground. Fletcher Cox flashes at times and shows he can be dominant, but he's in the wrong system and he seems to play like he knows that. He's a pretty good technician, and when he does flash, he looks like a monster. He just doesn't do it enough.

"[Vinny] Curry has found a spot for himself as an inside pass-rusher. He's slippery and makes plays and is relentless. There's a place for him. [Brandon] Bair played really well in the preseason. He gets off blocks. He's long. He's active. [Taylor] Hart didn't show much in the preseason, but I really liked him at Oregon. I think he'll eventually develop into a real good five-technique. Might be a couple of years down the road, though."

LINEBACKER: '[Mychal] Kendricks can be a Pro Bowl player, especially if they let him loose on blitzes this year.'

"They're awfully thin inside. They'd better hope [Mychal] Kendricks and [DeMeco] Ryans stay healthy. [Najeh] Goode's OK. Kendricks can be a Pro Bowl player, especially if they let him loose on blitzes this year. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets 10-12 shots to blitz a game. The guy isn't very big, but he's so fast and always is around the ball. By the end of last season, he seemed to be making a lot fewer mistakes. He'll also be their dime linebacker. Ryans still is a very good player, but I want to see what, if any impact, all of those [2013] snaps are going to have on his 30-year-old body. They'll be taking him off the field in dime, probably some in nickel, too.

"On the outside, [Trent] Cole still is playing well. It took him half a year to get going last year, but I'd be a lot more concerned if he had all eight of his sacks in the first eight games rather than the last eight. [Connor] Barwin's a good player, but not particularly physical. He doesn't run anybody over or collapse the pocket when he rushes, but he's their best coverage linebacker and does a good job at setting the edge.

"I was a little surprised [Brandon] Graham made the team, given that they didn't seem to have much use for him last year. He can't tackle in space and he still can't cover very well, but he can rush the passer, maybe better than any edge-rusher they've got. If they have to collapse a pocket and can only go with four pass-rushers, it wouldn't surprise me to see them put him out there as one of their four. He's good at it.

"The rookie, [Marcus] Smith, is a project, and I'm not sure he's ever going to be the elite pass-rusher they thought he could be when they drafted him in the first round. He flashes every now and then and you can sort of see the suddenness that might've made him a first-round pick.

"Against the Steelers, when he turned and ran with [wide receiver] Antonio Brown on a wheel route, he showed he can run with a guy like that. But I don't know that he's ever going to have that mindset to be the nastiest player on the field that you have to have to be a top edge-rusher in this league."

SECONDARY: 'If [Cary] Williams or [Bradley] Fletcher had gone down for an extended period of time, they would've been screwed ... no way they would've made the playoffs.

"Last year, they had absolutely no depth at cornerback. They were playing Roc Carmichael in games. If Williams or Fletcher had gone down for an extended period of time, they would've been screwed. I can tell you there's no way they would've made the playoffs.

"[Nolan] Carroll was a nice free agent get. He gives them much needed depth and is capable of stepping in if something happens to Williams or Fletcher. The only problem is he's not the most durable guy in the world. He's started 26 games, but that was over four years. He missed much of the preseason. He missed games at Maryland. I don't know that he can be an every-down corner. But he is an upgrade over what they had last year and is going to allow them to play a lot of dime, which they couldn't do last year.

"Williams and Fletcher are both capable corners. Neither of them are shutdown guys. But they are long, physical, technically sound, seldom allow themselves to get beat deep and they tackle very well. We'll have to see how their physical style of play meshes with the new points of emphasis on contact and holding. They know what the rules are, but they're used to putting their hands on guys. And that's going to be called.

"I really like [Brandon] Boykin. He's got terrific instincts and quickness to play inside against the top slot guys. I personally think he could compete for a starting job outside, but it's pretty clear Bill Davis doesn't feel a 5-9 guy can survive out there against the big receivers in the league.

"Jaylen Watkins is raw. None of these young kids played man coverage in college. He didn't look very good at it in the preseason. He looked lost in man coverage.

"They solidified themselves at safety with the addition of [Malcolm] Jenkins. I'm a big fan of his. He's a very good football player. Really smart. He understands the game. They supposedly let him go in New Orleans because they didn't think he was a great tackler in the open field. But I didn't really see that. Is he Brian Dawkins? No. But he'll tackle people.

"Jenkins makes everybody around him better. Nate Allen has looked much better this preseason playing with Jenkins. Allen doesn't have great instincts, doesn't take great angles. But he's going to benefit from having a smart guy like Jenkins back there with him. I think you'll see a lot fewer breakdowns on the back end this year.

"I don't know what happened to [Earl] Wolff. I liked him coming out of N.C. State. But he didn't show anything in the preseason. You didn't see him blow anybody up. You didn't see him make any big plays in coverage. They gave him a chance to compete for the starting job and he came up really small. I'm not sure what that says. Maybe the knee is still bothering him. I don't know."