What to Watch for in Philadelphia Eagles' Preseason Week 1 Matchup

Philadelphia Eagles fans get their first in-game glimpse of the 2017 squad Thursday night at Lambeau Field when they face the Green Bay Packers at 8 p.m. ET.

It's undoubtedly been a big offseason for head coach Doug Pederson's crew, which has seen a massive series of upgrades across the offense, smart replacements for departed players and an infusion of young talent at some key positions. The 2017 training camp has put a lot of those changes on display, but seeing the roster in preseason action against one of the NFC's best teams will prove to be telling.

Week 1 of the preseason won't give quite as much insight to the first-team units as, say, Week 3, but we'll still get a good look at quarterback Carson Wentz and the rest of the starters throughout a few first-quarter series. Plus, every series throughout the game will be vital for a number of key positions that aren't quite worked out on the depth chart.

Let's look into six of the biggest aspects of preseason game No. 1 for the Eagles and what to watch for in Green Bay.

Wentz's Chemistry with the New Wideouts

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Carson Wentz won't throw a lot of passes Thursday night against the Packers, but each one will be examined with a fine-tooth comb.

The Eagles improved their wide receivers room arguably as much as any NFL team improved a single positional unit over the course of the offseason. Philly signed Alshon Jeffery to a savvy one-year, show-me contract and made him the de facto No. 1 wideout as he's entering his prime. 

Jeffery missed several practices with a shoulder issue during training camp but has returned and "should start" in the preseason opener, per Jeff Kerr of 247Sports. Along with Jeffery, it'll be interesting to see whether deep-ball threat Torrey Smith, also signed over the offseason, gets any chances to stretch out the Packers' iffy secondary.

Smith and Jeffery aren't the only new faces in the fold, as rookies Mack Hollins and Shelton Gibson join them as newcomers. Also, returning wideout Nelson Agholor has impressed throughout the offseason but will need to put some of that on display in preseason outings if he's going to take some slot duties away from Jordan Matthews.

While Wentz undoubtedly had a strong rookie season, he needed more weaponry around him in order to take the next step as a second-year quarterback. The front office delivered. Now, fans will get their first glimpse of just how well they're meshing.

Wendell Smallwood (If He Plays)

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Coming into his second year, Wendell Smallwood has turned heads throughout training camp. Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Daily News called his showing in one recent practice "arguably the best performance of any offensive skill position player" on a day when he filled in for incumbent No. 1 LeGarrette Blount.

But Smallwood missed his second practice in a row Tuesday with a hamstring issue, according to Kerr. While even the most minor of hamstring tweaks requires time off to heal, it's a tad concerning given Smallwood's issues with durability as a rookie.

The former West Virginia Mountaineer had trouble making an impact last season, but opportunities appear to be opening up for him to assume more carries in a by-committee rushing approach. In this West Coast offense, his blend of shiftiness and speed would ideally mirror Blount's sheer force if he's taken the next step in terms of conditioning and confidence.

Unless Smallwood's hamstring issue is a bigger deal than we know, the Eagles should be intent on getting him in the game for a few series to see what he can do. It would further attest to the dynamism of this Eagles offense if fans can see some impressive runs from Smallwood on Thursday night.

Will Any Cornerbacks Separate Themselves?

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It's quite simple. Any of the Eagles cornerbacks trying to separate themselves in the battle for a starting spot need to prevent separation from the wide receivers in front of them Thursday.

The Packers have an impressive receiving corps, giving the Eagles a great early glimpse of just how much work they have to do at cornerback. The unit has largely struggled in training camp, with starting contender Patrick Robinson sticking out as being beat on a number of deep balls, according to Matt Lombardo of NJ Advance Media.

By the start of preseason, public talk from coaches about possibly bringing in outside talent isn't exactly a ringing endorsement of the guys in the locker room. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz did just that earlier this week, telling Andrew Kulp of CSNPhilly.com: "All those guys have shown something. I don't know that anybody is consistent enough where we don't look at anybody else."

That's basically a warning shot fired by Schwartz at his corners. If the likes of Robinson and Rasul Douglas fail to show consistent play in the preseason opener, it may force the Eagles to look elsewhere for a player to line up opposite probable starter Jalen Mills.

1st Glimpse at the Edge-Rush Rotation

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Philly hardly got any edge-rush production from the defense in 2016 outside of Brandon Graham. That means their new-found issue of having too many cooks in the kitchen at defensive end is a good problem to have, generally speaking.

With that said, Schwartz and his fellow coaches still have a lot to work out in terms of reps among their pass rush for the coming season. Vinny Curry appears to be healthy and ready for a bounce-back season, but impressive rookie first-round pick Derek Barnett and free-agent acquisition Chris Long are almost guaranteed to see a lot of snaps.

Graham seems to be the cream of the crop, but who emerges as his most frequent partner on the edge alongside Fletcher Cox and Timmy Jernigan?

Will Curry stake his claim on the unit and show the dominance he displayed during the Chip Kelly era? Is Barnett's relentless pressure simply so enticing that his youth can be overlooked? Might Long wreck a few tackles throughout the preseason opener and force the coaches to give him more reps?

These questions won't be answered until the regular season gets underway, but fans will get their first glimpses of what to expect Thursday night.

Where Will Eagles Fans See Donnel Pumphrey the Most?

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The Eagles got a dynamic all-around threat via the draft when they selected Donnel Pumphrey, but where exactly they'll see him on the field still appears to be up in the air.

A 5'9", 170-pound back resembling the ultra-versatile Darren Sproles, Pumphrey didn't figure to be a primary tailback at the NFL level like he was at San Diego State. Thus, the Eagles have given him plenty of burn at receiver in training camp, and offensive coordinator Frank Reich has liked what he's seen, per Reuben Frank and Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com.

"I think he's exceeded expectations in that area," Reich said. "I think that's something that we saw. There were flashes—[but] he wasn't used a lot like that in college. But we thought there were some things there that that could be a part where he could develop at. I think he's developed faster in that area than maybe anticipated."

Pumphrey may be able to carve out a rushing role in the future like Sproles has been able to do, but there's a bit of a logjam in the backfield. His best chance at making an impact in the offense may be as a dynamic slot receiver, and he'd bring a skill set to that unit similar to that possessed by Sproles, only with younger, fresher legs.

It will be curious to see whether Pumphrey is exclusively featured as a receiver or also gets some carries and chances in the return game.

Is the Eagles O-Line Set in Stone?

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Even though they boast one of the league's best offensive lines, Philadelphia's front five on offense won't enjoy complete continuity from 2016 to 2017.

Second-year lineman Isaac Seumalo was named the team's starting left guard entering training camp, per Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Daily News, a move solidified by the subsequent trade of Allen Barbre to the Denver Broncos. But that doesn't guarantee he'll be the Week 1 starter, especially with Stefen Wisniewski and Chance Warmack pushing him throughout camp.

Just as well, then, that center Jason Kelce is coming off a couple of poor seasons by his lofty standards. Kelce was flagged a team-high six times for holding last season after posting a career-high number of eight holding penalties in 2015, per Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News.

The Eagles are flush with depth on the offensive line, and outside of bookend tackles Jason Peters and Lane Johnson, there are plenty of opportunities for those depth linemen to enter the fold. Should one or more of the starters on the interior struggle throughout the preseason opener, it could begin a debate inside and outside the Eagles complex.