Questions about the Eagles, the goods on Aaron Rodgers, and other NFL opening thoughts

First and final thoughts related to the Eagles as they prepare for Friday night in São Paulo, Brazil …

There is little doubt that — among A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Saquon Barkley, Dallas Goedert, and even Jahan Dotson — the Eagles have as much talent or more at their offensive skill positions than they’ve had in their history. As long as Jalen Hurts gets those guys the ball, as long as Kellen Moore is the play-designer and play-caller his coaching career suggests he will be, the offense should hum.

That expectation, though, comes with the assumption that the Eagles’ greatest strength over the previous three seasons — their offensive line — will remain just as strong as it has been. It might. It certainly might. Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata still are the tackles. Left guard Landon Dickerson is among the best interior linemen in the NFL. Mekhi Becton, the new right guard, was a starter last season for the New York Jets, though at tackle. And center Cam Jurgens, Jason Kelce’s successor, was drafted two years ago to be Jason Kelce’s successor. On paper … excellent.

» READ MORE: The top 10 places you’ll see Jason Kelce this NFL season — even though he’s supposed to be retired

In reality, there are risks. Behind those starters, depth is lacking. An injury to any of them would be damaging, perhaps crippling, to the entire unit. And even if all five of them remain healthy, it’s reasonable to think there will be some regression in the line’s overall quality of play. Johnson is 34. Becton is learning a new position. And Jurgens, who started at right guard last season, is relearning an old one.

“I’m not a right guard; I’m not a center,” Jurgens said during training camp. “I’m a football player. Wherever they want to put me, I’m going to be there. I don’t care if I was a starter at right guard last year or center this year. I’m just a football player. I feel like I’ve played so many positions throughout my football career. I mean, in third grade, I was a center because I weighed too much. Had the stripe on my helmet. Couldn’t carry the ball. After that, I think I was a running back, cornerback, linebacker. I’ve been a football player. That’s what I’m going to try to continue to be.”

It was the right thing to say. But it doesn’t mean the shoes that Jurgens has to fill aren’t yacht-sized, and it doesn’t mean that the engine of the Eagles offense won’t sputter and stall. It might. It certainly might.

If Jalen Carter is the Eagles’ most important defensive lineman — and he is — Bryce Huff is their most intriguing. Yes, technically he’s a linebacker, not a defensive end. Still, he’ll function in much the same way that Haason Reddick did: to rush the passer first and foremost and sometimes to drop into coverage. He has to prove he can carry out that second responsibility. He was not an every-down player for the Jets last season.

“There’s a lot of different things in comparison to what I did in New York,” said Huff, who, by picking up 10 sacks last season, earned himself a three-year free-agent deal from the Eagles worth as much as $51 million. “In New York, it was a full-on attack front. This defense, we have to see, have to have a broader vision, and take in more. Just seeing those motions and pre-snap indicators in a game, as well as right after the snap, and knowing how to react to certain things has been good.”

Again, more risk here for the Eagles. They traded Reddick and took a pricey chance on Huff. He must show he was worth it, and right away.

A little more on intrigue: There are some certainties heading into the 2024 NFL season. We can count on Patrick Mahomes being remarkable, and we can count on the New York Giants not being remarkable. But the league’s most fascinating and polarizing player remains a big question mark. What kind of quarterback will Aaron Rodgers be for the Jets, now that he’s 40 and nearly a year removed from tearing his right Achilles tendon?

Ian O’Connor’s terrific new biography, Out of the Darkness, delivers the goods on Rodgers’ life, his strained relationship with his family, his lies about getting vaccinated against COVID, his veer into conspiracy theorizing — everything that keeps the future Hall of Famer at the top of the football-loving public’s minds. In a reporting coup, O’Connor even drove Rodgers’ parents, Ed and Darla, to MetLife Stadium for the Jets’ 2023 season opener, only to watch Rodgers go down on the Jets’ fourth offensive play.

“Nobody expected him to be hurt as bad as he was,” Huff said, “and when we found out he was, it was like a hit to the soul.”

Without Rodgers last season, the Jets won just seven games (one at the Eagles’ expense). With him this season, they ought to be a playoff team, and they’re sure to be what every New York franchise wants to be: the center of everyone’s attention.

The Eagles play in their season opener against the Green Bay Packers in São Paulo, Brazil. Join Eagles beat reporters Olivia Reiner and EJ Smith as they dissect the hottest storylines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from Corinthians Arena.