Ten things fans should watch out for during Eagles OTA’s

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Right guard rampage

Talking of which, the Eagles recently re-signed Stefen Wisniewski. The interior guard who was a key cog in the Eagles SB52 run returns as a likely depth piece. Seumalo has made the left guard spot his own and earned a contract extension as a result, but if Brooks is going to miss time at the start of the year, Wisniewski will be expected to start on the right.

Behind him, Matt Pryor is waiting in the wings. Just how much has he developed since being drafted one year ago? We’ll get our first glimpse this week.

Nate Sudfeld and Cody Kessler

There’s no real QB2 scrap, but that’s easy to say when you’re not standing next to a man who has started in over a full season’s worth of NFL games and has started for two different teams. Sudfeld is going to feel the heat, even if his role as Wentz’s backup is relatively secure.

I think this will actually be a really good way to grade Sudfeld. Seeing him go head-to-head with Kessler, a fringe-starter, for an entire offseason will show the Eagles just how ready, or not-ready, Sudfeld is to be relied upon in a crucial moment.

Defensive end competition

The Eagles lost Chris Long and Michael Bennett this offseason and while bringing back Vinny Curry was a step in replacing them, were there efforts enough? We’ll begin to get a glimpse of how the new depth chart will shake out this week.

Derek Barnett and Brandon Graham are likely entrenched as the starting duo, but it’s the roles behind the starters that are the key ones, knowing how much Schwartz likes to rotate his defensive linemen.

Whether it’s fourth-round selection from one year ago, Josh Sweat, one perhaps one from this year in Shareef Miller, the Eagles are going to rightfully start expecting results from their investments.

There’s naturally a lot of intrigue surrounding Miller, but the Penn State alum is still a little raw in his skillset and will take some coaching at the NFL level to develop some pass-rushing moves to add to his arsenal. It just so happens that OTA’s take place this week, giving us a firm indicator of his progress and how Phillip Daniels opts to work with him.

Competing alongside the duo will be Joe Ostman. The former Central Michigan pass-rusher had a great preseason for the Eagles last year after going undrafted, rallying to amass 9 tackles. At 6’3, 259 lbs, Ostman tallied 45.5 tackles for loss and 26 sacks during his collegiate career and his development on the practice squad has left the coaching staff purring. It’s going to take a big step up if Ostman makes the roster as the third defensive end on either side of the trench.

The defensive end battle will be a hard-fought contest that will likely come down to training camp and preseason. All players are in a position to play a factor in the upcoming season, but it’s the size of that role that will be dependent on these next few months.