5 questions facing the Eagles in training camp

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Three seasons into the Chip Kelly era, much of the mystery that accompanied the former college mastermind has subsided. We know the Philadelphia Eagles will play fast on offense, out-scheme and exhaust their opponents, and score a lot of points. We also know they'll run the ball a lot, especially in light of their free-agent acquisitions.

What we don't know is who will line up under center, who his primary passing target will be, or how a pair of highly drafted defenders will contribute. And maybe that's just the way Kelly wants it.

Here are five questions facing the Eagles heading into training camp:

Who is the Week 1 starter at quarterback?

This question probably boils down to whether Sam Bradford is healthy enough to take reps at training camp and be effective. He's the player the Eagles want under center in Week 1.

Bradford was reportedly spotted limping at OTAs and did very little work with the offense. That probably shouldn't be a surprise, considering he's coming off consecutive seasons that ended with torn ACLs. The Eagles would love to give Bradford all the time he needs to get fully healthy, but they also want to see what they have in him before the season begins.

Look for Bradford to be eased into the mix at camp, meaning Mark Sanchez will get a head start and the chance to hold off his competitor from a position of strength. Reports on Sanchez out of OTAs have been glowing and it's not out of the question that Sanchez will play well enough (or Bradford will be shaky enough) to earn the Week 1 nod.

Is the long-term quarterback on the roster?

The Eagles don't just need to figure out who will line up under center in Week 1; they need to decide if their quarterback of the future is on the roster.

Bradford has the highest ceiling and is presumably the player the Eagles want to build their team around (they gave up Nick Foles and a second-round pick to get him, after all), but he is entering the final year of his contract and it's difficult to see the Eagles working out an extension without first feeling confident his knees are fully healthy.

Sanchez could conceivably prove he's a long-term starting candidate with a strong training camp and preseason, but the Eagles likely view him as a stopgap starter/high-end backup.

Barring a massive improvement since we last saw him, Tim Tebow will almost certainly get no consideration to start for the Eagles. He's fighting just to make the roster, not to usurp the passers ahead of him on the depth chart.

If the Eagles emerge from camp without anything resembling a long-term starter, all bets are off. The team could again look to make a big splash on the trade market (but not for Marcus Mariota – that ship has sailed), or fans could push for the team to tank and select a top quarterback in the 2016 draft.

Who is the Eagles' No. 1 receiver?

It's not often a team loses its top running back and wide receiver in an offseason and fans are unconcerned with replacing their production. Kelly has convinced the world he's created the first fully plug-and-play offense in history.

It's easy to envision the combination of DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews matching (and likely exceeding) LeSean McCoy's 1,300 yards rushing, but Jeremy Maclin's 1,300 yards receiving could be another matter.

For now, the assumption is that first-round pick Nelson Agholor will step into the role. But is that realistic? Agholor appears to be an ideal fit for the Eagles' scheme, but being a No. 1 receiving option right out of the gate is a lot to ask of a rookie.

Agholor's performance at training camp will go a long way toward informing the Eagles how much he can be trusted to carry the load when the season begins. If he struggles, second-year receiver Jordan Matthews will have to pick up the slack. The 2014 second-rounder played mostly in the slot as a rookie, but he won't have the luxury of working against nickel cornerbacks this season if Agholor can't control the perimeter.

Don't rule out tight end Zach Ertz playing a major role in this passing game, either. While it would be a surprise to see Ertz lead the team in receiving, there are whispers he's primed for a big breakout.

Will Eric Rowe start as a rookie? If so, where?

The Eagles aggressively targeted cornerbacks in free agency, signing Byron Maxwell to a big-money deal, then spending a second-round pick on defensive back Eric Rowe.

Though many analysts saw Rowe as a safety before the draft (that's where he spent most of his time in college), the Eagles have made it clear they feel the Utah product's best position is cornerback.

Rowe is set to compete with veteran Nolan Carroll to start opposite Maxwell, and some analysts are ready to hand the athletic rookie the job.

Not so fast. Kelly has a history of making rookies earn snaps, so it's likely Carroll will begin camp as the starter and Rowe will be forced to prove beyond a doubt that he's a better option than the veteran.

Whoever earns the job should expect to see plenty of passes thrown his way. The Eagles' secondary was a major weakness in 2014, and Maxwell, though not a player anyone would describe as a shutdown corner, is good enough to influence opposing passers to target the other side of the field.

Can Marcus Smith contribute?

Marcus Smith, the Eagles' first-round pick in 2014, was a huge disappointment as a rookie. Expected to bolster the team's pass rush, he was moved to inside linebacker and barely saw the field.

Smith, described by a former Eagles assistant as having a body like a high school student, has reportedly bulked up and is in a good place mentally. He'll get the chance to prove he deserves a role somewhere on the defense, but his leash will be short.

Unless Smith looks like a remade player right out of the gate in camp, the Eagles will have little incentive to give him meaningful reps. It's probably not an exaggeration to say the first two weeks of camp will be a make-or-break period for a player who's teetering at the edge of mega-bust territory.