The Eagles head into Week 1 against the Commanders with a lineup that looks familiar in plenty of places, but not everywhere. Philadelphia is trying to open the NFC East race with a statement, and the biggest changes are easy to spot on offense and in the return game.
Sean Mannion’s offense keeps a lot of the same structure, but the wide receiver group has been reshuffled. With A.J.
Brown gone, Smith has moved into the WR1 role, Dontayvion Wicks is projected as the WR2, and rookie Makai Lemon is expected to start in the slot. The Eagles have been easing Lemon back into the mix after he missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury, and they’re counting on him to make an immediate impact even if the connection with Jalen Hurts is still a work in progress.
"He's been getting better and better each day," Mannion said. "We spoke during camp.
Unfortunately, [he] missed some time in practice, but I think what's been impressive is, mentally, he's been very sharp: alignments, motions, route detail. He's done a really nice job of that.
"His confidence is growing with each practice. Again, he's a young player.
He's getting better and better. I think the mental focus that he had while he was injured, staying engaged, has shown because each time we go out there on the practice field, his confidence is just growing and growing, and you can see the talent.
I mean, it stands out every time you're out there, and it's going to keep getting better and better."
Up front, the Eagles are set to roll with the same starting offensive line combination they used the previous season for the first time since the 2007-2008 seasons. The group is healthy, and that stability is expected to be the backbone of the offense.
On defense, Philadelphia brings back a unit that has been elite over the past two seasons, when it finished with the No. 1 pass defense in the league. The Eagles added Woolen as the CB2 so DeJean can stay in the slot, and Epps won the starting job at safety opposite Mukuba when the team is in nickel. In base looks, DeJean will move to safety.
"He was just solid the whole way through" said Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. "But we still like Michael [Carter], and we have the ability to play him some there too."
There is still one question mark on that side of the ball: Greenard, who is listed as "day-to-day" and has been limited in practice all week. The expectation is that he’ll start if the Eagles decide he’s ready, but it sounds like a coin flip. If he’s held out, Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt would start at pass rusher.
"There's a minimal amount of practice, real practice, that you have to go through, especially for a guy coming off an injury," Fangio said. "It's like [Aaron] Donald with the Rams.
He's just coming off rustiness, no injury and wasn't ready this week. So, we'll see."
Special teams brings its own bit of intrigue, especially with the return jobs. Shipley and Bigsby handled returns last season, while Dameon Pierce could be elevated from the practice squad to add another option this weekend.
The punt return spot is also unsettled. Lemon is listed there on the depth chart, but Covey could be elevated from the practice squad as well, and the Eagles may still prefer him since he can be elevated three times and has the strongest case as their best punt returner.
"We've been able to work with Makai the last -- obviously, in the spring before he got dinged up a little bit," Eagles special teams coordinator Michael Clay said. "Then, at the latter part of training camp. He's been diligent in working out, catching a ton of footballs after practice, after he gets his work with the offense.
"I'm always going to have confidence in the work that they put and the work that I see [from] them going in."
For Week 1, Philadelphia’s projected starters show a roster with plenty of familiar pieces, a few new wrinkles, and a couple of spots still up for grabs.
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