After a long offseason, the Eagles will finally play a football game on Thursday night.
In a few weeks of training camp, some players have shown great flashes, while others have slipped on the depth chart. Now, it's time to see how everyone will fare in a real game.
We'll start with the big fish:
QB Carson Wentz
Yeah, I don't need to tell you to watch Wentz. You were going to do it anyway.
The No. 2 overall pick will walk onto the field for his first NFL game on Thursday night and should play a great deal. Head coach Doug Pederson said Wentz will likely play most of the second half.
It's important to remember that Wentz is playing with and against third-teamers for two reasons. One, the level of competition isn't going to be great, but neither will the players on his side of the ball. Two, these are the receivers and linemen he's been working with throughout camp, so he should be on the same page with them.
The coaching staff will obviously be keeping a close eye on Wentz, too. Here's what Pederson will be watching:
NFL
"Well, the biggest thing is just his decision-making," Pederson said. "The timing of throws, the accuracy of throws, how well he in turn manages the offense and how well they move. Basically, allowing him to just have fun and cut it loose. He’s such a mobile guy that when he can scramble and get on the perimeter, he has the ability to make some tremendous throws and accurate throws out of the pocket. I’m kind of excited to watch him do those types of things in a live setting."
WR Josh Huff
How many times can we list Huff as a player to watch? Well, we'll list him at least one more time. With Jordan Matthews' injury, Huff should line up as the slot receiver with the first team on Thursday night.
For a while now, I've wanted to see Huff in the slot. I think that with his ability to run after the catch and with his shiftiness, it's a better fit for him than playing outside. Obviously, Matthews has become a very good slot receiver, so Huff isn't going to supplant him when they're both healthy.
WR Chris Givens
Givens has had an up-and-down training camp so far, but still has a chance to win one of the starting receiver jobs for this season. He's expected to be one of the two starters on Thursday, along with Nelson Agholor. Huff and Rueben Randle will also be worked in.
Now, if the offense looks good early, we probably won't see much of Sam Bradford. But it'll be interesting to see if Bradford and Givens show the chemistry they once had in St. Louis and have shown at times during training camp.
The Eagles brought Givens to town because of his deep-threat ability. And Pederson said he's probably more aggressive during preseason games. So maybe we'll get to see a deep shot early on Thursday night.
CB Jalen Mills
Mills has been really impressive during the spring and summer, but now it's time for him to prove himself on the field when it counts.
The rookie seventh-round pick from LSU has jumped Eric Rowe on the depth chart, so this is his chance to prove he deserves that spot and also show that he deserves some playing time during his rookie season.
One thing to watch from Mills is his aggressiveness. It could end up being a blessing and a curse for him. At times, his aggressiveness will help him jump routes and maybe get some interceptions, but I've seen him get beat because of it too.
TE Trey Burton
Burton is the Eagles' third tight end, but he hasn't looked like it during training camp. If you're looking for a winner of the last couple of weeks, it's Burton. He's made plays almost every single day. He catches everything.
"He has made so many big plays out here," offensive coordinator Frank Reich said.
Burton is entering his third NFL season and has just three catches in his first two — both in 2015. But during training camp, he's really shown his ability as a pass-catcher. The Eagles should think about finding ways to get him on the field, whether that means using three-tight end sets or resting Celek to give Burton some playing time.
Burton has proven to be a solid offensive option on the practice field. It's just a little too early to put him in the Hall of Fame. Now, we need to see if he can do it in game action.
DB Jaylen Watkins
For whatever reason, Pederson didn't mention Ed Reynolds when he listed who would fill in for Malcolm Jenkins. Instead, he said Chris Maragos and Watkins. At this point, I'm pretty convinced I know what Maragos is, a less-than-average defender, but a superb special teams player.
I want to see how Watkins handles the safety position. I think he's probably a little more natural as a corner, but his best shot of making this team is clearly at safety, and he has the versatility. Watch his tackling — it might be the biggest question mark in his game.
OT Dennis Kelly
There are a lot of questions surrounding Lane Johnson and no one is exactly sure how the whole thing is going to play out. So whether Kelly gets snaps with the first or second team on Thursday, he's someone to watch.
Kelly has been working with the second team at right tackle throughout training camp, so if the Eagles want to keep this simple, he'd be the guy to fill in for Johnson. We've seen a lot of Kelly since he was drafted in 2012 — probably too much. But he might be a better option than Matt Tobin or a rookie.
DT Destiny Vaeao
Who?
This undrafted rookie defensive tackle from Washington State hasn't become a household name yet, but he's seriously pushing for a roster spot as a backup lineman. The top two tackles — Fletcher Cox and Bennie Logan — are set, and Mike Martin will make the team as the top backup. Then, Beau Allen and Taylor Hart are trying to prove they're not scheme misfits. If they can't, Vaeao might be in.
Once in the spring and once in the summer, Pederson highlighted Vaeao as a young player who stood out. With nearly 30 rookies on the roster, that's saying something.
CB Eric Rowe
During his Tuesday press conference, Pederson confirmed that rookie Jalen Mills has surpassed Rowe on the depth chart. That's a huge slide for last year's second-round pick. He went from starter to the fifth corner behind Leodis McKelvin, Nolan Carroll, Ron Brooks and Mills.
Forget starting, Rowe has to now fight for a roster spot.
He can take a big step toward that and maybe to eventually climbing his way back up the depth chart with a big game on Thursday. Sure, Mills has been impressive in practice, but Rowe's game experience might show up during games. I wouldn't count him out just yet.
K Cody Parkey
In the kicker competition, based on what we've seen this summer, Caleb Sturgis looks like he's clearly ahead of Parkey. But Parkey is returning from an injury and the games will ultimately mean a ton. Parkey needs to catch up, and a few nice kicks in game action could go a long way.