PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles concluded their offseason program this week, starting six-plus weeks of summer break before training camp begins, a stretch of football the organization hopes extends into February. A busy spring included eight practices and 16 times on the field, an installation of a new offense, a blockbuster trade of A.J. Brown to New England and the draft weekend deal to acquire Jonathan Greenard that headlined the Eagles’ acquisitions.So, what were our major takeaways from the Eagles’ spring? The Athletic’s Zach Berman and Brooks Kubena answered the questions here:What I learned about Sean Mannion’s offense…Kubena: Perhaps more important than the new concepts themselves, which are only just emerging, is a strong sense coming from key players that Mannion’s plans are comprehensive, organized and pragmatic. The same could not be said in 2023 or 2025. Nick Sirianni’s stories about Mannion’s work ethic are appealing.But it’s more revealing to hear Jalen Hurts say he can see Mannion’s vision, to hear Lane Johnson say they’ll be able to evolve and be more efficient. The Eagles failed to establish an identity in 2025, and it seems one is already surfacing — one that blends both the past and present, as Sirianni insists annually. Johnson said they can leverage their new concepts, which include more wide-zone runs, to wear defenders out by making them cover significant ground, then “really tee off on them” by possibly pivoting to a more power style later in games.The Eagles indeed have the talent and intelligence to fulfill multiple schemes, as Kevin Patullo attempted last year. A more intentional approach — as Cam Jurgens described, “you want to be the one with the foot on the gas” — will serve them well.Berman: The first impression is that it looks different in the spring. If you wanted change, the Eagles have already displayed concepts that have not been heavily featured in past years. They’re under center more than they’ve ever been. The wide-zone running scheme is on display. You’re seeing more motion and movement.The Eagles are in the basic installation stages at this point, so the offense will be more refined and customized by the time they play in Week 1. But the scheme change is real. Johnson used the term “evolve.” Further, you made the most important point about how players feel about this. My sense of excitement and intrigue is genuine. You’ll never hear players tell you an offense isn’t going to work in June — this is the time of year for optimism — so it’s important to distinguish banal platitudes from substance.When Johnson and Jurgens show how this can meaningfully maximize the group, and Saquon Barkley points out how this can enhance the run game, you realize the vision. “Not saying we’re going to be better, there’s a lot to learn,” Johnson said. “But I think we have the ability to be more than we were last year.”What I learned about Vic Fangio’s defense…Kubena: This looks more like the sort of drive-killer defense Fangio fielded in 2024. Super Bowl LIX embodied a top-ranked unit in both three-and-out percentage (39.0) and yards per drive (26.7). The 2025 defense’s three-and-out percentage ranking dropped to 23rd (27.8) and dropped to 11th in yards per drive (29.4), which is somewhat owed to an uptick in reliance (the offense’s three-and-out percentage was its highest since 2008).But last year’s defense was also younger, more prone to mistakes and had significantly less depth — especially at edge rusher. This year’s defense made the offense fight for every yard in OTAs and minicamp, and it’s not hard to imagine that continuing throughout the season. They look physical in the secondary. Riq Woolen’s size and strength offer more press coverage opportunities for Fangio, who spent last season masking his shortfall at CB2.Philly’s front owns a tough reputation, but Jalen Carter, Jihaad Campbell and Jonathan Greenard did not participate in team drills this offseason while managing shoulder injuries. Those red flags won’t go down fully until seeing them in action.Berman: The defense is the biggest reason for optimism about the Eagles and raises their floor on the season. It was so far ahead of the offense this spring, which you would expect: It’s Year 3 in Fangio’s scheme and they return seven starters from last year. Woolen is a major upgrade at cornerback, giving the Eagles the best cornerback trio in the NFL.The defensive front is loaded and in the primes of their career. We didn’t see Carter or Greenard in team drills this spring, so the Eagles will add two blue-chippers to a front that includes Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith.It’s hard to say this will be Fangio’s best defense because the defense finished No. 1 in 2024, but the personnel might be better and they have experience in the system. Zack Baun said Fangio is ready to take the defense to a “different level” because of the familiarity with the players. That should be a scary thought for opposing offenses.What I learned about Jalen Hurts…Kubena: Much has been made of Hurts’ resistance to some of the 2025 offense’s direction under Kevin Patullo. The more removed the Eagles are from that inefficient season, the more players (including Hurts) endorse the new direction under Mannion, and the more it seems Hurts’ resistance was justifiable. My conversations with coaches at the scouting combine contributed to a conclusion that systems must meet a distinctly high bar of trust for Hurts to buy into them.Seven play-callers in seven seasons amplify this. So, it was quite notable to hear Hurts open OTAs by saying of Mannion, “He’s come in and he’s very clear, giving good direction. You can definitely see the vision, being able to answer all of my questions, very instructive, very helpful.”The system changes can play to Hurts’ strengths. He owns a high EPA per attempt on under-center throws in his career (0.29), per TruMedia, and his technique looked sharp throughout OTAs and minicamp. The new play-action concepts should assist his vision of throwing lanes and create additional space on over-the-middle throws. Still, a familiar question remains: How much will Hurts run?Berman: You nailed it with how receptive Hurts has been to changes to the offense. My sense is Hurts wants to know the “why” behind changes, and from all indications, he likes the answers Mannion is offering. On the field, it’s been hard to read too much into Hurts’ performance given the limited sample of practices and the reality that they’re still in the installation stage, so I’m not ready to say how he’ll fit in the scheme.He doesn’t appear out of his element, though, and there could be some benefit to a blend between under center and shotgun. The Eagles need him to spread the ball around to different pass catchers, although the connection with DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert and Barkley is a meaningful carryover even with the new offense. I expect a motivated Hurts entering the season after how last season finished and the Brown trade.The most impressive player…Kubena: I think it’s indisputably Woolen. His 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame is physically imposing. He’s fast enough to have kept pace and blanketed DeVonta Smith and Hollywood Brown on deep throws. Woolen also showed burst by hitting the gas on an overthrown deep ball that he nearly tracked down. He’s physical enough to offer Fangio more press coverage opportunities. He neutralized Smith on a fourth-and-goal situation, and only lost a similar rep against Dontayvion Wicks because Wicks battled back hard enough for Woolen to look to the official for a flag that never came. Fangio said he was surprised after watching Woolen’s tape that he didn’t get any long-term offers in free agency. You can’t really call a one-year, $12 million deal a bargain. But it seems like the Eagles will get their money’s worth.