I hope everyone is enjoying summer, getting to the beach, having a cookout, maybe going on vacation.
Because you better get in those summer activities soon. Sure, it's still just early July, but football is just around the corner. It really is.
Eagles training camp kicks off on July 25 and from then until early January, our lives — well, at least mine — will be consumed by football.
You have questions, I have answers. Let's dive in.
@DZangaroCSN @CSNPhilly Eagles O/U for wins? 8.5— Dave Malone (@Dmatwa1) July 6, 2016
If this is the over/under number, I'll take the under. Could the Eagles win nine games, maybe 10? Sure, I guess. But I have them with seven or eight wins in Doug Pederson's first season as head coach.
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Here's a look at a game-by-game prediction, which would have the Eagles with an 8-8 record.
vs. Browns: Win
at Bears: Win
vs. Steelers: Loss
at Lions: Win
at Redskins: Loss
vs. Vikings: Win
at Cowboys: Win
at Giants: Loss
vs. Falcons: Win
at Seahawks: Loss
vs. Packers: Loss
at Bengals: Loss
vs. Redskins: Win
at Ravens: Loss
vs. Giants: Loss
vs. Cowboys: Win
The Eagles better get off to a pretty good start like this, because that's a buzzsaw in late November, against the Seahawks, Packers and Bengals in back-to-back-to-back weeks.
@DZangaroCSN Starting nickel corner will be?— Chris McCroskey (@ChrisAMcCroskey) July 6, 2016
This is tough because we're not even sure who the starting corners in the base defense will be. In the spring, they were primarily Leodis McKelvin and Ron Brooks, who both came in knowing Jim Schwartz's defense.
Ultimately, I think McKelvin will be a starter, along with either Eric Rowe or Nolan Carroll. The Eagles would probably prefer Rowe win that job because he's younger and Carroll is on a one-year deal.
I think the Eagles' top three corners are McKelvin, Rowe and Carroll, so I expect those three to be on the field when the team is in Nickel, with perhaps Carroll in the slot.
The other most-likely options are Brooks, who can play there, and rookie Jalen Mills, who was impressive this spring.
@DZangaroCSN Who do you think has to step up their production from last year?— Andres Torres (@TAndres456) July 6, 2016
If I had to pinpoint one player, it would be Nelson Agholor.
Obviously, we don't know what's going to happen with the criminal investigation (charges haven't yet been filed), but assuming he plays and isn't suspended, the Eagles definitely need more out of him.
Agholor is probably going to be a starter again and he needs to be better than he was as a rookie, when he caught 23 passes for 283 yards and one touchdown. That's not good enough for a first-round pick. Just isn't. Especially for someone as talented as he seems to be.
Now, Agholor did have a high ankle sprain as a rookie, which didn't help him any, but in his second year, the Eagles are counting on him in 2016.
