The May lull that follows the NFL Draft is now behind the Philadelphia Eagles, who began organized team activities on Tuesday with the first of six sessions over the next two weeks, followed by two days of mandatory minicamp to conclude the offseason program. Add in the expected A.J. Brown trade next week, and you can expect three weeks of football activity in Philadelphia before the summer break.

In a sign that interest in the Eagles never wanes, a call for mailbag questions netted dozens of questions. We’ll tackle a few of them here, with more to come in the coming weeks.

Note: The questions were lightly edited for clarity. 

Do you think Jalen Hurts can make the transition to a new, more open offense given all the changes? And if he isn’t able to adapt, what do you think will happen? Will they trade him? — Scott L.

Zach Berman: When I’m on the sideline Wednesday (and throughout the spring and summer), Jalen Hurts’ transition to the new offense will be the top item on my list. So, this question is a good place to start.

The quick answer to this is yes, I expect Hurts to answer the bell and respond to the changes — and some of the charges against him this offseason. I’ve heard him described (and have since written) as a football version of compound interest. That is an apt description. He’s built a career responding to different challenges and demonstrating improvement.

Of course, there’s nuance to this. The system isn’t the only change. The players around him are different. And plans often evolve. Let me explain.
To begin with, the expected Brown trade will weaken the skill position players. The Eagles have improved their depth and added intriguing options, but they’re losing one of the best players in the NFL who averaged 1,258.5 yards per season during the past four years. You can’t sell me on an addition by subtraction. It’s a subtraction. That affects the passing game — and I think there will be hurdles to overcome, especially early in the season while younger players develop. It’s not prohibitive, and it’s incumbent upon Hurts to help elevate the talent around him, but I think the offense would be better with Brown than without him. Further, if the offensive line experiences injuries — especially on the interior — then the protection could be an issue. That’s where personnel comes into play.

From a broader perspective, I’m curious to see how drastic the changes in the passing game prove to be — especially if there are growing pains. The offense the Eagles finished the season with in 2021 and 2024 was different than what they intended when they entered the season. When Sean Mannion said he expects the offense to be a “blend,” that word should not be dismissed. I still believe that an offense will ultimately be built around what Hurts does best to win the next game. I believe Hurts will be receptive to adapting and playing more under center, throwing the ball over the middle and spreading the ball around. But if the offense is stagnant, you lean on what you do well.

I’m also in the camp that Hurts’ legs need to be a weapon in the offense. It’s part of what makes him special. Being a “triple-threat quarterback” requires the arm, legs and mind. If the running aspect of his game continues to recede, he’s not the same player. That’s a conversation that should not be dismissed.

To the final part of your question, what will happen if this doesn’t work? Hurts has built equity. He deserves respect — he’s a Super Bowl-winning quarterback who plays at his best on the biggest stage. He’s been a bona fide MVP candidate, and even in his down season, the Eagles won 11 games and hosted a playoff game. Plus, he’s shown going back to college that you should bet against him at your peril. Whenever he’s been in a supposed “prove-it” situation, he’s proven it.

The complicating factor is that he’ll be in line for another contract after this season. And if there’s regression, then it’s a real question whether the Eagles would commit another massive contract coming off two seasons with a dropoff. But that conversation is premature at this point. Let’s see how Hurts looks this season, and if you want to use history as a guide, you should bet on Hurts responding to the challenge.

In what scenario do you see Sean Mannion staying with the Eagles more than this year? If the offense struggles, it seems like Sirianni and the entire staff will be let go. If the offense does well, then Mannion will likely receive head-coaching offers. I was excited about the hire, but concerned we would be looking for a new OC next year. — Hunter S.

Berman: This is a fair question  — and it’s one I suggested before the Eagles hired Kellen Moore. That proved to be the case. Moore turned the Eagles’ success into a head-coaching job. To answer the question, the scenario in which Mannion stays with a successful season is if there’s a view that he needs a bit more seasoning, considering he’s in only his third year as an NFL coach and is 34 years old.

When Moore was hired by the Saints, he had six years as an offensive coordinator. Even when Sean McVay was hired as head coach at 30, he was an offensive coordinator for three seasons. So there’s a world in which the Eagles offense thrives and Mannion is identified as a future head coach, but the consensus is that he needs a bit more time. Or perhaps an owner wants to be a year early rather than a year late and the Eagles are searching again.

Still, my view is to let your biggest problem be that you have so much success that you need to hire an offensive coordinator again. That’s a good sign for the franchise. It’s a legitimate concern you have. I’m not dismissing it, and it’ll be present as long as the head coach does not call plays. You’ll take the byproduct from success in that case.

Can you dive into the defense’s ceiling for this season? With Vic Fangio conducting maybe the best group of his tenure in Philly, is the expectation that this should be a top 4 (or better) defense in the league and relieve pressure from the offense if Mannion’s scheme takes time to click? What kind of impact will the significant new additions of (Jonathan) Greenard and (Riq) Woolen have on the unit as a whole? — Travis W.

Berman: The Eagles finished No. 1 in defensive DVOA in 2024, so it’s hard from a metrics perspective for this to be the best defense during Fangio’s three years. But I don’t think it’s a stretch to suggest it’s the best personnel on defense during Fangio’s defense, and it’s the biggest reason for optimism for the Eagles in 2026.

They have two defensive backs (Cooper DeJean, Quinyon Mitchell) who were first-team All-Pro in their second seasons. They have a defensive lineman (Jalen Carter) and a linebacker (Zack Baun) who made All-Pro rosters in 2024. Jonathan Greenard is a Pro Bowl-level edge rusher. Riq Woolen is an upgrade at cornerback. They have ascending or in-prime talent in the defensive front (Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, Jalyx Hunt, Nolan Smith). Nakobe Dean’s departure hurts, although Jihaad Campbell was drafted to take over. The big question mark is safety. Marcus Epps and Michael Carter II will compete for that job at nickel (DeJean will play safety in base), with the possibility of the Eagles adding a veteran.

I like the personnel on this group better this season than last season, when the Eagles finished No. 7 in DVOA. A top 5 finish is conceivable. They will not have a single starter who is in his 30s on opening day (Baun turns 30 in December). It’s a talented group with starters mostly in the primes of their careers. And there’s continuity with Fangio, who has a strong understanding of how to deploy this personnel. Injuries are always a possibility and there are questions about depth in the secondary, but I’m bullish on the Eagles’ defense in 2026.

How do you rank the five offensive linemen drafted in the last two classes in terms of 1) Likelihood to play this year and 2) Long-term impact on the team? — Conor D.

Berman: For those who are not following, the five offensive linemen drafted during the past five years are:

Drew Kendall (5th round, 2025)
Myles Hinton (6th round, 2025)
Cameron Williams (6th round, 2025)
Markel Bell (3rd round, 2026)
Micah Morris (6th round, 2026)

Here’s how I would rank them based on your categories.

Likelihood to play this year: Kendall, Bell, Hinton, Morris, Williams
Long-term impact: Bell, Kendall, Williams, Morris, Hinton

Unless the Eagles add a veteran, Kendall will be the Eagles’ top reserve interior lineman this year. That’s an important role and why he could see meaningful snaps. Bell is at least initially blocked by Fred Johnson at swing tackle, but as a third-round pick, he’ll be on the roster and could be second in line for snaps among backup tackles.

Beyond this season, Bell has the best chance of a long-term impact. If he shows promise in development this season, the Eagles could view him as a potential successor for Lane Johnson. It’s hard to say any fifth- or sixth-round pick will become core starters for the Eagles — especially if they haven’t proven anything yet — so I’m reluctant to put any of them in that category. I know there’s optimism about Kendall inside the Eagles’ building, though.

What does the kicker position look like after this season? Jake Elliott’s legacy is undeniable, but his recent performance is concerning, to say the least. — Dave R.

Berman: Kicker is a position that tends to be evaluated on a year-by-year basis — it’s not as if teams have succession plans at the position with somebody on the roster waiting in the wings. I can’t tell you who will kick for the Eagles in 2027, although I can tell you it’s not certain to be Jake Elliott.

Elliott took a pay cut this season to guarantee his contract and has no guaranteed money after this season. It’s conceivable that Elliott rebounds from recent inconsistencies to return in 2027, but he’ll need to kick his way onto the roster. He’s not entrenched. Elliott went 20-of-27 on field goals last season after going 28-of-36 in 2024. That’s below 80 percent both seasons — not at all what teams expect from kickers. The 2024 inconsistencies can be explained away, in part, by going 1-of-7 from the 50+ (even if those kicks are becoming more makeable), but he was 7-of-10 from 40-49 yards last season. If you’re looking for a reason to believe in him, it’s based on past equity and hoping kickers can bounce back better than other spots.

“Still confident in him,” special teams coordinator Michael Clay said. “You could go game by game, situation by situation, but nobody really wants to hear any of that. Everybody wants to know, what have you done for me last? But for Jake, 10 years in the NFL, 10 years to do it in Philadelphia, big kicks, hard to go against a confidence in that. …For a lot of these players, whatever bad things happen, they fall into that pit hole of like, ‘Am I good enough?’ Obviously, you’re good enough to play in the NFL. There’s only 32 kickers in the NFL or vice versa. There’s only 64 starting D-ends. So for him to fall in love with the game again and keep that energy and keep that confidence up, I think is going to be huge for Jake. That’s where I come in, being his caddy and keeping him up in all those situations.”

Earlier in the offseason, Howie (Roseman) talked about having learned a lesson about needing a wider variety of skill sets at the tight end position. Does it really seem like he learned that lesson? The only player brought in who seems to have blocking as a strength is (Johnny) Mundt, but he is older and supposedly his strength is blocking in space rather than at the point of attack. Meanwhile, (Eli) Stowers and (Dae’Quan) Wright are pass catchers not at all known for blocking ability. The teams like the Rams, who are focusing more on multiple TE sets, seem to focus on guys who are more versatile and are, at worst, solid at both receiving and blocking, which helps not to tip off the likely play call as a pass or run. It feels like Stowers and Mundt being fairly one-dimensional is going to give opposing defenses a good idea of whether a run or pass is the likely call. Does it seem like Howie isn’t totally committed to improving the TEs’ abilities to support the run game? — Brian M.

Berman: Roseman’s comments have seemed to be interpreted to mean that every tight end must have those skill sets, whereas my interpretation was that he was discussing the variety of skill sets in the room. The Eagles added Johnny Mundt, giving them that blocking tight end in the room. That’s a change over last season, when the Eagles’ reserves were Grant Calcaterra and Kylen Granson.

If I made a 53-man roster projection today, the three tight ends would be Dallas Goedert, Stowers and Mundt. So, yes, there’s a variety of skill sets in that room, which is what Roseman said he wanted to achieve. It would help if Goedert blocks better than he did last season.

Perhaps too much is being placed on the Mundt signing. I view him as a role player, which is what a blocking tight end should be. Think Jack Stoll from past rosters. Your point about opposing defenses getting a read on the play with one-dimensional tight ends is valid, although isn’t that the case for most blocking tight ends who are reserves? Then again, teams also like to be able to run out of 11 personnel and throw out of 12 personnel. In that case, it helps to have a mismatch player such as Stowers.

Maybe I’m the wrong audience for this question because I think too much is made out of the blocking element. The Eagles have someone they can use in that role, but I’d still want my tight ends to be major factors in the passing game.

Who do you feel the WR3 ends up being and what is their role this year? Is this the year the Eagles finally actually use a WR3 for production? — Matt O.

Berman: I expect Makai Lemon and Dontayvion Wicks to be the Nos. 2 and 3 receivers. Lemon likely will spend more time in the slot even if he’s the “No. 2” receiver, although Wicks will have a big role for the Eagles. He can play inside and outside, he can separate downfield and he has a background in the offense. I’m expecting more production from the No. 3 receiver this year because I don’t expect the Eagles’ top two receivers to both top 1,000 yards as they did in three of the past four seasons.

After DeVonta Smith, the ball will be spread around. The Eagles will look to replace Brown’s production in the aggregate. That means Lemon, Wicks and Dallas Goedert will all have production. I think Stowers will have a Year 1 role as a pass catcher. We’ll see if Hollywood Brown emerges as a contributor. I also expect the Eagles to be a run-heavy team. This doesn’t mean the No. 3 receiver is a 750-yard player, but he’ll have a bigger role than Jahan Dotson did the past two seasons.