The Eagles are about to kick off their final week of voluntary organized team activities, but they’ve already been on the field for six of their 10 practices.
On Monday morning, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson was asked which players have stood out so far. All six guys he named were 26 or younger.
“All these guys are younger guys who have benefitted from playing in regular-season games and even postseason games,” Pederson said. “That’s valuable experience.”
Here are the players he named in order:
Nelson Agholor, WR, Year 5
After an offseason of questions and rumors, Agholor has looked good so far this spring. He’s a little bigger but still has his speed and is making plays.
“I think Nelson has had a really good offseason,” Pederson said.
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Because he’s playing on his fifth-year option year, Agholor, 26, has an inflated salary of nearly $9.4 million in 2019. It’s also a contract year; he’ll be a free agent at the end of this coming season. If he has a big year, he could earn a lot of money on the open market in nine months.
Dallas Goedert, TE, Year 2
The second-year tight end had a good rookie season, catching 33 passes for 334 yards and four touchdowns, and might be in line for an even bigger role in 2019. Pederson has talked this offseason about using more 12 personnel, which means having Zach Ertz and Goedert on the field together. They actually used it more than most teams last year, but will likely do it again in 2019. With the growth of Goedert, they’d be crazy not to.
“Dallas Goedert has really improved on where he left off at the end of last year on offense,” Pederson said.
The thing that continues to impress me about Goedert, 24, is how he uses that big body and how well he controls it. He is an absolute matchup disaster.
Carson Wentz, QB, Year 4
We’ve talked about this guy just a tad this offseason. Wentz, 26, looks like himself, which is to say he doesn’t look like a guy recovering from injury. In the first two open practices, we’ve commented about how good Wentz has looked: Day 1, Day 2.
Getting on the same page as his receivers this offseason is important and now Wentz has a head start. Remember, he was still recovering from his knee injury this time last year. This spring, he hasn’t shown signs of problems with his knee or his back. He’s even ditched the knee brace on his left leg.
Avonte Maddox, DB, Year 2
Pederson said Maddox “has kind of picked up where he left off.” Maddox, a fourth-rounder last year, had a very promising rookie season. He played nickel corner, outside corer and even some safety. The Eagles value versatility, but they value it even more when a player looks good at every spot they play. That was the case with Maddox in 2018.
You might remember that Maddox, 23, came back to Earth a little bit in the playoffs, but it seems like that experience has helped him become better.
“He’s looked good,” Pederson said.
Sidney Jones, CB, Year 3
Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz already said this is an important season for Jones. Technically, this is Jones’ third NFL season, but it’s really Year 2 after what we should probably consider a redshirt rookie year. In 2018, he started off strong, but a hamstring injury hampered him for a lot of the year.
“I think Sidney Jones is playing with the absence of Jalen (Mills) and (Ronald) Darby right now, just playing with confidence and playing with great ability and skill,” Pederson said. “And the player that we drafted.”
Jones, 23, is supremely talented. There’s a reason he was considered to be a first-round pick in 2017 before he tore his Achilles. Now, the Eagles are starting to see that talent on the field.
Rasul Douglas, CB, Year 3
In his first two seasons, Douglas has been forced into a starting role. This year, he deserves a legitimate opportunity to win a starting job.
Pederson said the 23-year-old Douglas “is another one that has had a really good spring.”
While Jones and Maddox have altered jobs, Douglas has been the consistent starter this spring (at least in open practices) at one of the outside corner jobs. Darby and Mills aren’t on the field yet, but we’ll see if Douglas can do enough to compete for one of those jobs even when they come back.
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