The Philadelphia Eagles have a few intriguing breakout candidates on both sides of the ball, but the one tabbed by most people to have a big 2014 season is Stanford Cardinal tight end Zach Ertz, who looked solid as a pass-catcher and blocker (despite blocking being regarded as a weakness in college) for the Eagles last season when given the chance. This season, he’ll be given plenty of chances to shine, and a 70-catch season is well within reason despite all of the other weapons in the Eagles offense.
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According to the NFL Network’s Albert Breer, Ertz has been “as advertised” in training camp thus far, and that’s solid confirmation that he’s headed for a big year. Ertz hauled in 36 passes for 469 yards and four touchdowns, and his ability to stretch the field and make an impact in the red zone could cause him to have similar numbers to Vernon Davis.
While it isn’t a surprise to hear that Ertz is making waves at training camp, I’m sure more people will be surprised to hear that a certain first-round bust at quarterback is playing well. Breer reports that the Eagles coaching staff has been impressed by Mark Sanchez, and those following beat writers closely won’t actually be surprised by this; Sanchez has made some nice throws in camp after being a mixed bag in previous offseason workouts.
If Sanchez can keep it up in the all-telling preseason, then he could become trade bait for the Eagles later on. Sanchez is a good backup in this league, but he’ll have to really play well in the preseason to earn starting consideration somewhere. Then again, he does have the pedigree and some positive buzz, so he might not be that far off from getting that chance again, largely thanks to his name.