Five things to expect from the Eagles in 2014

Growing up a Philadelphia Eagles fan, every new season brought about a rush of excitement and optimism. It used to be looking forward to how quarterback Donovan McNabb would hook up to his receivers, how many yards would running back Brian Westbrook rush for and how many names would safety Brian Dawkins take. Now, it’s looking at what crazy offensive schemes will Head Coach Chip Kelly draw up and can we fend off the rest of the topsy-turvy NFC East to claim the elusive division crown. This year in comparison to years past, is bringing about more optimism. Not only can we expect big things from the Eagles this season, but we can expect great things for years to come.

Now here’s what I expect from the Philadelphia Eagles in 2014.

1) QB Nick Foles will repeat his production from 2013

The third-year quarterback from Arizona had a blowout 2013 season. Foles didn’t start until Week 6, but in his 13 appearances, which included 10 starts, the quarterback threw for 2,891 yards, 27 touchdowns, a 119.2 passer rating and only 2 interceptions. I fully expect Foles to replicate these numbers, or even surpass them.

The Eagles may have lost their quarterback’s top target in DeSean Jackson, but in 2014 they have added a bunch of new faces to their already impressive arsenal of weapons. Veteran running back and perennial playmaker Darren Sproles came over in a trade from the New Orleans Saints. In the draft, the Eagles added top wide receiver prospect Jordan Matthews from Vanderbilt and speedy wide receiver Josh Huff from Oregon (someone who is all too familiar with a Chip Kelly style of offense). Let us not forget Jeremy Maclin is returning from injury.

Foles has an intact offensive line (minus OT Lane Johnson for four games), a plethora of weapons to throw to and has the confidence of coach as he is, unlike last season, the undisputed starter. All signs point to full steam ahead for Foles, and I expect him to easily surpass 30 passing touchdowns this season.

2) Zach Ertz will take the starting tight end role from Brent Celek

Tight end Brent Celek has had a stellar career in Philly garnering 312 catches, 3,975 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns in seven seasons. However, he is 29 now, and in Chip Kelly’s fast paced offense, more athletic and faster players are more desirable. Second-year tight end Zach Ertz brings a little more size, speed and youth to the offense. Ertz stands an inch taller than Celek at 6-foot-5, is six years younger and ran a tenth of a second faster on the 40-yard dash (which is a big deal to NFL scouts).

All signs have been pointing towards Ertz playing over Celek since last season. In 2013, Celek received 50 targets compared to Ertz’s slightly more 56. If Kelly was slightly favoring Ertz as a rookie, over a seven year veteran, he’ll definitely favor him this season.

3) Jordan Matthews will be one of the best offensive players for Philadelphia in 2014

Visualizing Jordan Matthews having a solid rookie season isn’t ridiculous. He is 6-foot-3, ran a 4.46 40-yard dash and has a 35.5 inch vertical. But, I believe he is going to break out this season for the Eagles. Yes, he does have to compete against wide receivers Riley Cooper, Jeremy Maclin, Brad Smith and Josh Huff, and even vie for targets with both tight ends and running backs LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles. But, he brings a unique combination of size, speed and strong hands that can’t be found anywhere else on this offense.

Matthews will be the main target for Philly in the red zone alongside Ertz. With so many other weapons alongside him, other teams cannot afford to put more than one defender on him, allowing him to use his size and speed to get open along the sidelines. His tangible and intangible qualities along with the offensive system he’ll play in will allow him to have a great rookie season. Expect 800-plus yards and 6-plus touchdowns from this receiver.

4) The Eagles will have a top 15 defense

Wait, that’s not that impressive? For Philadelphia, it actually is.

In 2013, the Eagles had the 29th ranked defense in regards to total yards allowed per game. While their offense was second best in the league, their defense paled in comparison. They struggled mightily and it’s astounding the Eagles made the playoffs with such a weak defense. But I feel 2014 will be a different story.

In the past few seasons, the Eagles have had a strong front four, but little help at linebacker. Then they switched to a 3-4 scheme, and have acquired the likes of linebackers Connor Barwin, Mychal Kendricks and DeMeco Ryans to assist veteran Trent Cole. Last season, their secondary was the real issue, a lot of young talent and no experience. But now, their rookies and young players have a season under their belt where they gained experience and had time to gel together as a unit, and they have added some more experienced free agents to the secondary. The Eagles will impress with a well-rounded defense this season.

5) Philadelphia will repeat as NFC East Champions

The Eagles, for the most part, were an impressive team last year. With more talent added to the team and more experience earned, they should be even better this season. In regards to competition for the division title, their only real threat is Washington.

Washington is just as scary as Philadelphia in regards to talent. But as a whole they struggled last year going 3-13. They also have a new head coach, Jay Gruden, and need more time to gel as they have retooled parts of their offense and defense.

Dallas has a strong offense, but nothing is going on defensively. They lost Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jason Hatcher to free agency (Washington in fact), and their other defensive leader, middle linebacker Sean Lee, is out for the season.

Finally, the New York Giants have also been in a state of flux. They lost wide receiver Hakeem Nicks to free agency, their defense, usually one of their strong points had a poor 2013 season and quarterback Eli Manning has looked mediocre in preseason, which could be an extension of his poor play last year.