Who Are Philadelphia Eagles' Biggest Wild Cards Entering 2015 Season?

It’s certainly been an interesting offseason for the Philadelphia Eagles. Dissatisfied with last year’s 10-6 record, Chip Kelly has torn apart the roster in an attempt to avoid another epic December collapse.

He traded away the franchise’s all-time leading rusher, LeSean McCoy, and swapped Pro Bowl quarterback Nick Foles for Sam Bradford, who never came close to fulfilling expectations in St. Louis. Kelly let star wideout receiver Jeremy Maclin walk in free agency and then dished out top money for DeMarco Murray and Byron Maxwell, each of whom plays exactly the style of football Kelly wants.

That’s not to say Kelly’s plan is foolproof. A lot will be riding on the health of his Eagles roster this season.

Bradford, the team’s expected starting quarterback, is coming off two significant ACL injuries. Newly acquired inside linebacker Kiko Alonso is rehabbing the same injury, as are a handful of other Eagles.

For Kelly to finally get over the postseason hump and get the Eagles their first playoff win in six years, he will need the following five players to exceed expectations in 2015.

Sam Bradford

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

It’s fair to say the 2015 Philadelphia Eagles will go as Bradford goes. At this point, Mark Sanchez is what he is—a career backup who played fairly well in a limited role last year, but his propensity for turning the football over will always hinder whichever team has him under center.

Bradford hasn’t lived up to his potential as a former No. 1 overall pick, but it’s fair to say injuries, a poor supporting cast and a plethora of different offensive coordinators in St. Louis didn’t help his case.

Kelly felt strongly enough about Bradford to trade away Foles and a 2016 second-round pick to acquire Bradford and his salary of roughly $13 million.

If Bradford can stay healthy—no guarantee considering he’s coming off two consecutive ACL tears—he could operate this offense efficiently. He ran a similar offense in his Oklahoma days, and he’s a tall (6'4") pocket passer with a quick release and precise touch on the football.

A full season of starts from Bradford could have the Eagles among the NFC’s elite teams, but if Sanchez has to play a handful of games, Philadelphia could miss the postseason.

Byron Maxwell

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

Byron Maxwell is far and away the most pivotal player for the Philadelphia Eagles defense in 2015, as the organization is paying him to be a true lockdown No. 1 corner.

Maxwell’s previous NFL experience was playing second fiddle to Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor in Seattle’s Legion of Boom, and it’s logical to think a lot of cornerbacks could have success in that system.

Still, Maxwell isn’t just any corner. He’s everything Kelly strives for in a cornerback. He’s tall (6'1"), long, physical and can play the press coverage Kelly and defensive coordinator Billy Davis prefer from their defensive backs.

According to Corey Seidman of CSNPhilly.com, he’s off to a stellar start so far in OTAs.

"

Jordan Matthews says Byron Maxwell “easily” the best corner he’s faced http://t.co/H93XZUeNLM

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) June 3, 2015"

Maxwell’s $63 million contract is more than Sherman makes, and there’s a lot of pressure on him to excel in Philadelphia, where he’ll unquestionably be the No. 1 corner. In fact, CSNPhilly.com's Reuben Frank suggests Maxwell may even shadow opposing No. 1 receivers.

"

Eagles sound willing to use Byron Maxwell as a "shadow" corner this season. http://t.co/lH5SV9L5Hn

— Patrick Daugherty (@RotoPat) June 4, 2015"

Josh Huff

Michael Perez/Associated Press

Josh Huff was a third-round rookie for the Philadelphia Eagles last year, and the former Oregon Duck didn’t exactly make a strong impression.

He finished with eight catches to four drops, although he did show flashes of greatness with a 107-yard kick return touchdown against Tennessee and an impressive 44-yard catch-and-run against Dallas in December.

The Eagles let Jeremy Maclin walk in free agency, which means they’ll be counting on Huff to assume a larger role in 2015. It’s expected that Jordan Matthews and first-round rookie Nelson Agholor will compete for starting spots on the outside, and Riley Cooper may be in the mix as well—especially given his expensive contract.

If Huff struggles to make an impact in 2015, it won't bode well for his long-term future.

He should be familiar with the offense, having previously played under Kelly in Oregon, and the opportunities are certainly there for Huff to receive significant playing time.

Evan Mathis

Michael Perez/Associated Press

Evan Mathis is a tremendous guard, and anyone who watches the Philadelphia Eagles can see the difference he’s made in the running game.

Yet inexplicably, Kelly has openly shopped Mathis in the past two seasons, and CSNPhilly.com's Geoff Mosher has previously reported Mathis may not be on the Eagles roster this upcoming campaign if Kelly can’t find a willing trade partner.

It would certainly seem bizarre for Kelly to think the team can be better off without Mathis, but he’s made questionable moves in the past.

Should the Eagles release or trade Mathis, it’d represent a significant hit to the offensive line.

It’s expected that either Allen Barbre, Andrew Gardner or Matt Tobin will start at Todd Herremans’ vacant right guard spot. But if Mathis is gone too, that would force the Eagles to start two of those three players, which would cut down on the depth at the position.

They’re not bad options, but none of the three is Mathis.

Strong Safety

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

Who will play strong safety for the Philadelphia Eagles this season? Malcolm Jenkins is entrenched as the starter at free safety, but the other spot could conceivably belong to anyone from Jaylen Watkins to Earl Wolff to Ed Reynolds to Chris Maragos to Chris Prosinski to Jerome Couplin III.

According to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer, even former corner Walter Thurmond is a candidate:

"

Eagles approached Walter Thurmond about switching to safety three weeks ago. He thought it made sense. A lot of depth at CB.

— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) May 28, 2015"

Thurmond is an experienced NFL veteran, so if he can transition effectively to the safety position, it’s the best-case scenario for the team.

Nick Fierro of the Morning Call reports Wolff’s knee is still bothering him. Reynolds struggled to learn the defense in his first year, spending his entire rookie campaign on the practice squad. Watkins wasn’t much better, and now he’s learning a new position.

Whatever happens, the Eagles will need someone to step up to help a secondary that rated 31st in the NFL in passing yards allowed in 2014.

Contract information courtesy of Over the Cap.