What We've Learned About Every Positional Unit so Far in Eagles' Preseason

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Preseason is not the real thing, but it certainly can give fans a glimpse of what their team will look like in the 2012 season. Obviously, the Eagles will certainly look very different in the regular season than the preseason, as I would not expect Nick Foles to outshine Michael Vick consistently. But the performance of players such as Foles shows very much about the strength of the various positions on the roster.

While only one preseason game has passed, the Eagles have shown us much about themselves against the Steelers. Here is what we have learned about many of the key positions on the Eagles roster from the preseason opener.

Quarterback

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It wasn't all him, but Michael Vick was very ineffective in his first preseason game of the season. What was worse perhaps was the fact that he managed to suffer another injury, which luckily turned out to be minor. The game could show that Vick will continue to be injury prone going forward.

However, the game also showed tremendous play from rookie Nick Foles. What we have learned is that the Eagles have a very talented young quarterback in Foles who could potentially be groomed for the future.

While Vick and Kafka were not impressive, they both have great potential going forward. The excellent performances of Foles and Trent Edwards ultimately showed that quarterback depth will not be a concern for the Eagles in 2012.

Wide Receiver

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The Eagles first-team offense as a whole played poorly against the Steelers, so naturally the first team wide receivers were not particularly effective. But the strong performance of other players, most notably Damaris Johnson, left some room for optimism.

Johnson showed himself as a big-play threat, very similar to DeSean Jackson. And other players, such as Mardy Gilyard, also played well. The Eagles will have no shortage of weapons in the passing game in 2012.

Running Back

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While the Eagles are still searching for a truly dynamic playmaker at running back to play alongside LeSean McCoy, the team certainly has suitable backups at the position. Dion Lewis played well in this game, averaging more than five yards per carry. Bryce Brown also played well when given the opportunity.

Clearly, the Eagles do not yet have the clear answer at running back. But they do have good secondary options who can fill in until that game-changing second-string back comes along.

Offensive Line

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The offensive line clearly has one gaping hole: Left Tackle.

No matter how well the rest of the line plays, Vick will never be completely effective without confidence in his protection

The newly-acquired Demetress Bell struggled, so much so that the Eagles decided to give King Dunlap an opportunity to win the starting job. 

What seemed to be a team strength has once again become a question mark. Vick is a mobile quarterback, but he is not an elite one yet. Without a good O-Line to protect him, he will struggle to remain consistent.

Defensive Line

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While the defense struggled mightily as a whole against the Steelers, one bright spot was the defensive line. The fearsome Eagles D-Line showed it could continue to get pressure against the quarterback and has as much talent as any D-Line in the league.

The D-Line has a tremendous amount of depth too, with Philip Hunt playing very well, and seeming to adjust well to Jim Washburn's system. The D-Line is not perfect, but it certainly is still potent.

Linebacker

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Unfortunately, the linebacker position remains a huge area of concern after this game. Of course, it's still the preseason and this is in no way a sure prediction. But DeMeco Ryans was slow to get off blocks and react to plays. And Brian Rolle was completely destroyed on a block, which allowed a huge touchdown run.

Fortunately, it is still the preseason and it is to be expected that players like Ryans are still learning the playbook. However, this linebackers corps must improve fast if this Eagles defense is to improve drastically over last season.

Cornerback

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While the Eagles defense allowed a great deal of yardage, the team did not allow many big plays. Much of this can be attributed to the improved play of the cornerbacks. 

The cornerbacks were not perfect, but they did show more aggressiveness and urgency than in 2011. That trait, which was lacking greatly in the previous season, will instantly improve the passing defense of the Eagles.

More consistency is needed, however, as both Rodgers-Cromartie and Nnamdi Asomugha have the ability to be shutdown corners. The team cannot continue to allow plays through the air.

Safety

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The cornerbacks cannot be blamed for all of the Eagles' defensive woes. Much of it was also inconsistent safety play. Most notably, Jaiquawn Jarrett played very poorly. 

One of the biggest weaknesses of the team will continue to be the strong safety position and expect the position battle to continue, as there is no knockout answer to the position yet.