15 Bold Predictions: No 11: Philadelphia Eagles soar

If the Super Bowl were won in the preseason, then the Philadelphia Eagles would be having a parade down South Street.

Through the preseason, the Eagles have scored a plethora of points, and they’re starting to prove that Chip Kelly may not be as crazy as people initially thought.

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Alas, that’s not how the NFL works, as preseason victories and losses are scarcely indicative of how a team will perform in the regular season.

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With that being said, I don’t think what’s going in Philadelphia is just a fluke. This team looks good, and the new-look regime is dangerously deep. The depth on this team should play into a playoff berth for Kelly’s squad.

In the offseason, the Eagles had by far the most amount of changes, and it was an offseason littered with question marks.

Why did Chip Kelly trade for Sam Bradford? Why did Chip Kelly trade LeSean McCoy for Kiko Alonso? Why did Chip Kelly let Jeremy Maclin walk? Why did the Eagles not draft Marcus Mariota?

Well the answer to all those questions is because Chip Kelly, while a little bit unorthodox, knows what he’s doing. By making all of those moves, Kelly has the team that he wants, not the team he simply inherited from the Andy Reid regime.

Of course, the most talked about move was acquiring Sam Bradford. The Eagles got no draft picks in the move. Just the former number-one overall pick.

While injuries were a concern for Bradford, he looked good in the lone preseason game he’s played in. He hasn’t played a full season since 2012, but people tend to forget what kind of talent he is. Before he got hurt in 2013, only Peyton Manning had more touchdowns than he did.

“What Kelly did was fill the roster with players who fit the mold of his team. If things pan out and injuries don’t occur, Kelly’s going to come away looking like an absolute genius.”

This is essentially a quarterback-proof offense (look at what Mark Sanchez was able to do last year), and Bradford will likely have a career season.

Bradford is also already winning over some of the guys on the talented offensive line.

“I told him I got his back, no matter what, whether it’s wrong or right,” All-Pro left tackle Jason Peters said, according to Les Bowen of Philly.com.

Aug 22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles outside linebacker

Connor Barwin

(98) loses his helmet as he and defensive end

Fletcher Cox

(91), defensive end

Vinny Curry

(75) and inside linebacker

Emmanuel Acho

(51) tackles Baltimore Ravens running back

Lorenzo Taliaferro

(34) during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

The former Ram isn’t going to be scared. He knows he has a second chance and he’s going to make the most of it.

Behind Bradford is a myriad of talented running backs. The newly signed DeMarco Murray, last year’s leading rusher, will be the lead man. Although history has not been kind to running backs the year after they lead the league in yards, Murray won’t exactly have to do it by himself.

The underrated Ryan Mathews was also signed by the Eagles, and the ultra-versatile Darren Sproles is back for a second year in Philly. Former Carolina Panther Kenjon Barner had an incredibly productive preseason, and he’s just another piece of this unit nicknamed “The Legion of Zoom.”

While the wide receiver group is unproven, they have speed (Jordan Matthews), height (Riley Cooper) and experience (Miles Austin).

Brent Celek is back, too, and Zach Ertz should be in line to have a breakout year.

This offense moves so fast that defenses often have a tough time keeping up with the young legs in the Eagles’ receiving corps.

Despite concerns about the defensive backfield, the Eagles boast the deepest front seven in the entire NFL. When looking at the linebackers, the biggest issue is trying to figure out where everybody will play.

Brandon Graham, Connor Barwin, DeMeco Ryans, Kiko Alonso, Mychal Kendricks and Brian Brahman are the most notable backers, and it’s a vastly talented unit. Despite missing all of last year, anyone who watched Alonso’s rookie year will know what kind of potential this kid has. He’s a magnet to the ball and a consistent playmaker.

On the defensive line, the Eagles have Fletcher Cox, who’s probably the most underrated defensive player in the NFL. The dude is straight-up disruptive, and he has the ability to wreck games. He sets his teammates up and makes them look better. Speaking of underrated, Cedric Thorton, Benny Logan and Vinny Curry are also featured on that defensive line lacking mainstream recognition.

Disruptive is probably the word that best categorizes the Eagles’ front seven. But it might be an understatement, too.

The young secondary features ex-Legion of Boom member Byron Maxwell, as well as the intelligent Malcolm Jenkins patrolling the back end as a safety.

Younger guys will have to step up, but that’s the type of thing Kelly beliefs in: Next man up. That mentality is based on the fact that Kelly knows what he currently has on the roster, and he likes what he sees.

What Kelly did was fill the roster with players who fit the mold of his team. If things pan out and injuries don’t occur, Kelly’s going to come away looking like an absolute genius. I’ve been telling friends and peers that if everyone stays healthy and everything goes according to plan, the Eagles will go 12-4 or 13-3.

They don’t have an impossible schedule, and playing the NFC South makes things easier as well.

This offense has the quarterback it needs as well as the proper supporting cast, and the defense has the athleticism and underrated players to make some serious noise.

Although I’m not going to go as far as to say the Eagles will win their first Super Bowl, I will acknowledge the fact that this could very well be the year.

Chip Kelly has his team, and this could be the year for serious hope in Philly.

Next: 15 Bold Predictions: Todd Gurley, Duke Johnson will shine

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