PHILADELPHIA -- The Eagles open the 2021 NFL regular season at the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 12 at Mercedes Benz Stadium. Philadelphia finished the 2020 season at the bottom of the NFC East with a 4-11-1 record.
It's a team of extremes in a sense, with some position groups (including the offensive and defensive lines) heavy on veteran players who are aged 30-plus, and other groups (such as wide receivers) that are light on NFL experience. There is upside for first-year coach Nick Sirianni and projected starting quarterback Jalen Hurts (23 years old), but there are also plenty of unknowns when it comes to the Eagles' skills group.
The roster will be cut to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Here is a projection:
QUARTERBACK (3): Hurts, Joe Flacco, Gardner Minshew II
On Saturday, the Eagles traded for Minshew, the former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback who will add depth to the group with Hurts and Flacco. The Eagles released Nick Mullens.
RUNNING BACK (4): Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell, Jordan Howard, Boston Scott
Kerryon Johnson's knee injury solidified Howard's spot. He can be used in short-yardage and late-game situations, while Gainwell and Scott will be deployed in the passing game.
WIDE RECEIVER (5): DeVonta Smith, Jalen Reagor, Greg Ward, Travis Fulgham, Quez Watkins
There is not a player older than 25 in the wide receiver room. The lack of experience is a bit concerning. But Watkins and Reagor have shown growth this offseason and are projected to start alongside Smith, making for a pretty explosive, albeit young, group. This is one of the more difficult position groups to project, with 2019 second-round pick JJ Arcega-Whiteside and the blazing John Hightower in the mix as well. In this projection, both of those players are left off.
TIGHT END (4): Dallas Goedert, Zach Ertz, Tyree Jackson, Jack Stoll
Ertz remains on the Eagles' roster despite all of the offseason trade chatter. The Eagles need to go heavy at tight end initially to carry the promising Jackson through before placing him on an injured list.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9): Lane Johnson, Brandon Brooks, Jason Kelce, Isaac Seumalo, Andre Dillard, Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Jack Driscoll, Nate Herbig
There's a lot to like about this group assuming the elder statesmen in Johnson, Brooks and Kelce can stay healthy. Dickerson has been eyeing the start of the regular season for a return from an ACL injury.
DEFENSIVE LINE (9): Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Derek Barnett, Ryan Kerrigan, Milton Williams, Josh Sweat, Tarron Jackson, Hassan Ridgeway
This group is expected to be the primary strength of the team. Keep an eye on Sweat, who had a monster training camp and is a popular pick among his teammates for having a breakout season.
LINEBACKER (6): Eric Wilson, Alex Singleton, T.J. Edwards, Patrick Johnson, Genard Avery, Davion Taylor
Wilson and Singleton have emerged as the most likely starters, while Avery and Johnson fit in the hybrid Sam linebacker/pass-rusher role defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon favors when showing a set with three linemen.
CORNERBACK (6): Darius Slay, Steven Nelson, Avonte Maddox, Zech McPhearson, Craig James, Josiah Scott
The starters (Slay, Nelson, Maddox) are solid, but there are questions about this group's depth. McPhearson, a rookie, had a strong start to camp before cooling off some.
SAFETY (4): Anthony Harris, Rodney McLeod, K'Von Wallace, Marcus Epps
McLeod continues to work back from an ACL injury, while Wallace has been dealing with a groin injury, creating some uncertainty at the position.
SPECIALISTS (3): Jake Elliott, Arryn Siposs, Rick Lovato
With Cameron Johnston now a member of the Houston Texans, the punting duties fall to Siposs, the former Australian rules football player. Elliott made 73.7% of his field goal attempts last season, more than 10 percentage points lower than in any of his other three seasons in the NFL.