Philadelphia Eagles Offense: What To Watch For vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Take a moment ladies and gentlemen and waft in that wonderful smell, the beautiful stench of a brand new NFL season emerging and another hope of a Super Bowl victory.

The Philadelphia Eagles are hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars at home in just two days—after a lengthy and agonizing offseason which was filled with bashings from Dallas Cowboy fans from the despicable three losses in 2009.

It is all in the past now and a fresh season opens with fresh young faces looking to build a reputation in the NFL for being among the best in the business.

As we get ready for the first of four preseason games, lets take a look at what we as fans should be looking for from the offense in the matchup against the Jaguars.

Here are my top five list of what I'll be watching for on Thursday.

Continuity Along The Offensive Line

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PHILADELPHIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Kevin Kolb #4 of the Philadelphia Eagles hands the ball off to teammate LeSean McCoy #29 against the Kansas City Chiefs on September 27, 2009 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris McGrath/

The Philadelphia Eagles starting offense will see a limited amount of playing time on Thursday, however it is my belief that head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg will want to see what they are capable of in a game situation—and to see how for they've progressed since the start of training camp.

With that in mind, it is possible for the first string team to play the full first quarter to open the preseason however if the offensive line is getting worked and QB Kevin Kolb is taking hits, that could change real quick.

What I want to see from the starting offensive line is everyone working with each other, using their own skills to comlement the man standing to their left and right.

I'm especially eager to see how center Nick Cole will compose himself as a starter—even if it is just temporary.

Charles Scott at Fullback?

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TUSCALOOSA, AL - NOVEMBER 07: Charles Scott #32 and quarterback Jordan Jefferson #9 of the Louisiana State University Tigers against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium on November 7, 2009 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Gett

Sadly, Charles Scott has been moved from the halfback position to the fullback spot behind Leonard Weaver.

Why is that sad you ask, well, it means he has really no shot of making the team now unless the Eagles are planning on trading Weaver, which isn't happening.

The reason for the position shift was to make room for J.J. Arrington on the depth chart as the fourth RB.

The chances of the Birds keeping two fullbacks is virtually zero. It is a position of a dying breed and an area the Eagles front office was unwilling to pay a true FB to come in until just last year, when they brought Weaver in.

However Scott could still play at a very high level and increase his chances of making the team, just on the practice squad or to become a player on a different team.

The other thing that could happen, that I'm hoping for, is either Eldra Buckley or J.J. Arrington get trimmed from the roster to make room for Scott because a solid showing through the preseason. Also the current depth chart isn't the official one so there's still a chance.

Either way, it will be interesting to see how this once bruising back can handle the fullback position.

Tight End Battle: Cornelius Ingram Vs Clay Harbor

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Again referring to the unofficial depth chart, it appears as if the Eagles are looking to TE Cornelius Ingram to backup starter Brent Celek.

I'm ok with that based off of what I saw in preseason in 2009 before he got injured, and if he can return to that level of play then perfect, but I question what the front office saw during training camp that nobody else saw.

What I saw while I was at training camp was Harbor making great strides in his game, while Ingram struggled at times. Ingram admitted after a couple of practices that his knee felt a little tight but it was nothing serious.

Maybe it was what the front office saw for themselves last year and hope that Ingram is capable of returning to the type of player that was pushing Celek for his starting job last year, maybe he did show signs of improvement as camp winded down, or maybe it is simply the fact that he is a young veteran and not a rookie.

Whatever the reason, Ingram is the second tight end on the depth chart and watching which player shows better blocking and receiving skills will be the man who ends up winning the job.

Keep a close eye on that "battle" in the first preseason game.

Wide Receiver Second String Battle: Riley Cooper vs. Hank Baskett

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I recently did an article about the battle for the fourth WR position between veteran Hank Baskett and rookie Riley Cooper. Well, it appears as if that battle is now for a second string position to backup Jeremy Maclin if he should get injured.

Still a very intriguing battle to watch in the Jaquars game to see which player makes the more impressive plays catching the ball.

That isn't the only thing you should be watching for though, who catches more footballs, we should also be focusing on which of the two is better at blocking, run more crisp routes, and which one has a greater burst coming off the line.

The position is there for the taking and both Baskett and Cooper are the front runners—I actually feel Cooper has greater upside as a rookie than Hank does as a veteran but he (Hank) does know the Eagles offensive system really well so that will play a role also.

Michael Vick in His Second Year with the Eagles

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Once an established and the highest paid quarterback in the National Football League, QB Michael Vick has moved on from his past and is now working towards a brighter future hoping that one day he can return to the elite status as a NFL QB.

In 2009 Michael Vick was used primarily in the wildcat formation, which for the most part didn't work out as expected.

Vick's performance is going to have a high impact on just how good the Eagles do in 2010, both in the wildcat plays and as a standard QB.

We all saw last year in the playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys, that Vick still has what it takes to be a very good QB for any team, hitting WR Jeremy Maclin for a 76 yard TD—the only one of the game.

If he can improve on that and still contribute for positive yards during wildcat formations, the Eagles offense could be down right lethal.

He needs to use the preseason to rebuild his NFL resume by showcasing his abilities as a leader on and off the field in order to regain a starting status, and will one day be a starter in my opinion—just not for the Philadelphia Eagles.

In the meantime, I couldn't think of a better "backup" to have on the roster, backup is in quotations because I'm assuming he'll get 10 touches per game at minimum, while not being labeled as the starter.

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