Rounding Up Eagles' Rumors, Buzz Amid 2023 Training Camp

The Philadelphia Eagles' campaign to get back to the Super Bowl is underway, with the first practice of 2023 training camp taking place on Wednesday.

A year ago, the Eagles were a team that looked great on paper. In 2023, they are a bona fide contender facing the task of returning to the mountaintop and finishing the job.

There's bound to be plenty of buzz and rumors around as the team gets set to trim the roster to 53 players while preparing for a pivotal season.

Here's a look at the various reports and news surrounding the Eagles as they get to work.

Nick Sirianni Will Have Final Say on Defense

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 08: Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni is interviewed during the Philadelphia Eagles OTA on June 8, 2023 at the NovaCare Complex in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

One of the biggest questions for the Eagles this season is how they replace their outgoing offensive and defensive coordinators.

A side-effect of success in the NFL is losing coaches every year. It's a copycat league and struggling teams are always looking to add influence from thriving rivals.

For the Eagles, that meant losing offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon to head coaching gigs.

On offense, there isn't likely to be a lot of change. They promoted quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson, and Sirianni is an offensive coach by trade. They are likely to put a scheme together that looks a lot like the one Steichen ran.

Defensively, Philadelphia went with an external candidate in Sean Desai to take over the unit. However, he is not going to be given carte blanche on all things defense.

Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia noted that Sirianni will look to work collaboratively with his new DC, but Desai doesn't have "total autonomy" and the head coach will have the final say.

That should make Eagles fans feel good. Desai is a talented defensive mind, but Sirianni's involvement should mean there's some continuity on that side of the ball too.

Derek Barnett a Trade Candidate?

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 21: Derek Barnett #96 of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts against the Washington Football Team at Lincoln Financial Field on December 21, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

Derek Barnett has never really lived up to the expectations of a first-round draft pick. That was never clearer than last season when he missed all but one game and the Eagles had the best pass rush in the league.

The 27-year-old tore his ACL one game into the season, but the Eagles were fine without him.

Now the team brings back just about every edge defender from last season and added Nolan Smith in the draft. It doesn't leave much of a role for Barnett.

Bo Wulf of The Athletic paints a stark picture for the Tennessee product's relationship with the team moving forward:

"The contract he signed last offseason makes it difficult to release him outright. If he shows up to camp healthy, the more the merrier for the pass rush. But it feels more likely that he's played his last game for the team that drafted him."

A first-round draft pedigree tends to carry weight even when a player doesn't live up to it. As Wulf noted, releasing him would be tough as the team would have to eat a $7.2 million dead cap charge next season.

The best-case scenario might be finding a trade partner who would at least give them a pick and agree to take on some of the financial obligation of Barnett's contract.

DeAndre Houston-Carson Works Out; Team Signs WR Deon Cain

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TAMPA, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 24: DeAndre Houston-Carson #36 of the Chicago Bears looks on during the third quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on October 24, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

The dawn of training camp is generally associated with cutting the roster down, but teams can also bring in some players to round out the roster.

On that front, the Eagles made two fairly significant moves. First, they signed Deon Cain to compete at wide receiver. He was on their training camp roster last season but has since put together a successful USFL campaign with the Birmingham Stallions.

The 26-year-old figures to compete for the final wide receiver spot on the roster. If the Eagles elect to carry six, he could have a good shot at making the team.

The other interesting move was that the arrival of safety and special teamer DeAndre Houston-Carson, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

That's significant because not only is the 30-year-old a special teams veteran, but he also played some safety in Sean Desai's system in 2021. He played 419 defensive snaps and made three starts while both were with the Bears.

If the team decides to sign Houston-Carson, he could be an underrated addition with a decent case for making the roster. Even if he doesn't, it's a good idea to bring on someone familiar with Desai during camp.