32 in 31: Philadelphia Eagles

Another year of 32 in 31. Sports News on Tap takes the month of August to preview the National Football League. We spend every day of the month looking at a new team and how they will fare in 2013.

Truthfully, I cannot figure out the Philadelphia Eagles. I would love to tell you the Chip Kelly system will fall flat on its face or that it will be a great success leading Philadelphia back to the playoffs for the first time since 2010.  But right now, there is so much unknown with this team.  I could honestly see this team winning six games or winning 10. I will say this... If the Eagles win nine or more games, there will be a rush of teams looking for the next great college coach to make the transition to the professional ranks. If Kelly's system works in the NFL, most systems will be able to find a way to manage in the league. 

OFFENSE
Michael Vick will be running the show in Philadelphia at least to begin the year.  Vick is looking for redemption after struggling in 2011 and 2012. Kelly's system seems to be one where Vick would succeed in so maybe he bounces back yet again with a great season. I feel like this will be a huge year for LeSean McCoy.  Shady will fit right in to an offense where they want their running backs to not just run the football but also be a threat for catching the football. This is also why I am not that high on Bryce Brown to have another big year. He does not really do much except run the football and Kelly usually goes with strictly athletes.

To the athletes' point, could DeSean Jackson be made into a new player. Andy Reid never used Jackson like the Green Bay Packers use Randall Cobb or the Minnesota Vikings used Percy Harvin. Sure, he would get a reverse or two, but never anything creative. Jackson might be a sneaky player to keep an eye on this season with a mastermind like Kelly controlling the offense. I could see him having a bigger year than people are probably expecting.

For the Eagles, they have dealt with offensive line issues it feels like since Clinton was in office and last year, they lost nearly their entire line to injuries. They tried to fix some of their issues by getting Lane Johnson in the first round from Oklahoma, a tackle. People were varied his potential, but most felt like he could be a player to help the Eagles especially in the passing game. Additionally, they get Jason Peters back for the first time since 2011, I do not know how much Peters has left in the tank, but he could still be impactful going up against the rugged defensive lines of the NFC East.

DEFENSE
The Eagles are moving to a 3-4 with Kelly in town, and that can definitely cause some issues at least in the inception year. Teams find out guys they paid a bunch of money to might not fit into the new system. The biggest casuality to the new look is Trent Cole. He had a rough season last year and now is asked to stand up in his stance at age 30 something I am assuming he has not done in a long time. Cole might be a player whom gets Aaron Kampmann'd, a player not suited for the 3-4 although Cole has much more speed than Kampmann ever did. Brandon Graham should be a stud and everyone keeps talking about Mychal Kendricks. Do not worry about his size, folks.

Their secondary appears to still be a mess. They signed Kenny Phillips in the offseason from the New York Giants only to release him before the season even started due to consistent nagging injuries. They did get Patrick Chung too, but he cannot stay healthy for the life of him either. Their cornerbacks do nothing for me except for Brandon Boykin, an undersized speedster out of Georgia. I would not be surprised if he makes some big plays for the Eagles next season.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Alex Henery is as good as they come by in the National Football League for field goal kicking, he will be the go-to guy once again. Donnie Jones won the punter battle over Brad Wing. As we just mentioned, Boykin can be a vital game changer with his speed, excellent returner too.

KEY ADDITIONS
OLB Connor Barwin, TE James Casey, S Patrick Chung, P Donnie Jones, CB Cary Williams, NT Issac Sopoaga, LB Emmanuel Acho, OT Allen Barbre (THIS ISN'T A KEY ONE, HOW IS HE IN THE LEAGUE STILL?!) - The two pickups from the Houston Texans, Connor Barwin and James Casey, should be huge for this team in 2013.

KEY SUBTRACTIONS
CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB Nnamdi Asomugaha, OT King Dunlap, DT Cullen Jenkins, LB Akeem Jordan,

EAGLES DRAFT PICKS
OT Lane Johnson, TE Zach Ertz, DT Bennie Logan, QB Matt Barkley, S Earl Wolff, LB Joe Kruger, CB Jordan Poyer, DE David King - Ertz, Logan and Barkley were all fantastic mid-round picks. I feel all three could have an impact for Philadelphia in the upcoming years.

GAME TO WATCH
Sunday November 17th vs. Washington 1 pm:  In what figures to be an extremely tight NFC, the Eagles only play two divisional opponents in the last seven games.  Washington is one of those teams and if they could get a win here, it might set the Dirty Birds nicely for the rest of the season.

WIN TOTAL
7-9 - This had to be the assumption. I basically hedge my bets with the unknown here. I think the Eagles are not going to be bad this season and will get better as the season goes on.  

Charlie.