The mailbag is always fun to open. It shows what’s on readers’ minds and confirms that consensus is hard to find. Consider this: One question suggests the Eagles have declined since last year; another wonders why the Eagles don’t get enough respect. There were questions about the roster, the rookies and the future. Let’s get right to them…Note: The questions were lightly edited for clarity. I cannot get over how much less talented this roster seems than it was at the same time last year. What’s more, they’ve clearly sacrificed the development of young players for fringe-vested veterans at the edge of the roster.Three-part question: At what positions are they more talented this year than last year? Who are the truly ascendant players on this roster who can “add talent” simply through their improvement over their performance last year? Can you point to a time in your years on the beat where they have returned a team that has improved so little (at least on paper) from the previous year’s team? — Lex S.I disagree that this roster is less talented than it was at the start of last season. They’ve downgraded at wide receiver, but I think they’re more talented (and one year more experienced) on defense, and they’re healthier across the board. But let’s tackle your questions one by one.1. Among the outside additions, I’d point to cornerback and edge rusher as two positions that stand out. Riq Woolen was a major upgrade. Jonathan Greenard was one of the biggest acquisitions by any team this offseason. If you’re comparing it to this time last year before Jaelan Phillips was in the building, it’s a definite upgrade. And then there are internal upgrades, which get to your next question…2. Most of the defense would fit this category: Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, Jalyx Hunt, Nolan Smith, Jihaad Campbell, Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Drew Mukuba are all players who are still ascending. Many of them played at a high level last year, but there’s another gear. And a good chunk of the offense underperformed last year relative to expectations. DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks could improve based on bigger roles. The offensive line could improve based on better health. Jalen Hurts could improve based on a different scheme. It’s reasonable to expect internal improvements — that’s not even an optimistic view; it seems realistic.3. The years that stand out to me are 2021, 2018, 2023, and 2025. In 2021, the Eagles were clearly resetting the roster. They were not actively seeking major veteran additions. The draft was helpful, though. In 2023, the Eagles experienced a clear exodus of talent following the Super Bowl appearance. They had a solid offseason between the draft and trades, but they weren’t aggressive in the veteran market. Most of the money went to re-signing players. And they lost talent after Super Bowl victories in 2018 and 2025.I think you’re discounting the significance of acquiring Greenard and Woolen. I’m with you on the lack of personnel upgrades on offense, but I have a harder time suggesting they didn’t improve. They just made a strength (the defense) even stronger.Hey ZB, please help me make sense of why there’s a general consensus among analysts that the Eagles have the potential to not be good this year. We had an awful offense last year and still won the division on the back of our defense. Our defense may be even better this year, and I find it hard to believe our offense will be worse despite the time needed to adapt to the scheme changes. Why the Eagles hate out there?? — Josh C.This is the other side of the coin. If Lex seems pessimistic about the Eagles, Josh is pushing back against any skepticism. I don’t think there’s that general consensus. The odds back up the favorable view of the team. And most projections have the Eagles winning the NFC East. I don’t think Eagles fans can play the “nobody believes in us” card, so I’ll push back on the premise.I picked the Eagles to go 11-6. But I’d be lying if I said there’s no reason for concern. You said it’s hard to believe the Eagles will be worse on offense. I’m not certain about that. They’re undergoing a major scheme adjustment, and they traded one of the NFL’s best receivers. You can call it addition by subtraction; I don’t see it that way. It’s subtraction when you lose that type of talent. I’m bullish on DeVonta Smith this season, but a lot is riding on Makai Lemon’s development and Dontayvion Wicks emerging into a starting-caliber receiver. Jalen Hurts has experience in new schemes, but he needs to improve a passing offense that lost a star. It’s a big year for him, as has been discussed.Ultimately, the offense’s success will come down to the running game. The offensive line must stay healthy-ish, and a few key players have recent injury histories. If the line stays healthy and the running game is back — something I think is a reasonable expectation — then the passing game will improve because the run and pass work off each other. It could look closer to 2024. But I think the skepticism about the team is that an offense that ranked in the bottom half of the league last season enters the season with questions, and that skepticism is fair.Other than Markel Bell being a nice story, how does the depth look on our offensive line after cutting Myles Hinton and Cameron Williams? We feel receiver-heavy and QB-heavy, and feel like we lost depth because we decided to keep an extra QB, maybe even two extras and Elijah Moore feels like a stretch for playing time. — Blake K.Williams and Hinton were not players who would have been expected to contribute this year. Instead, they prioritized an extra receiver who can contribute this year and the potential trade value of carrying another quarterback.On the offensive line, I feel better about the depth than I did entering training camp. So does Howie Roseman. The interior offensive line depth was a major question. Drew Kendall and Willie Lampkin both had strong summers. Neither carries much experience, but if there’s an injury on the interior, you feel more confident about them after seeing them in camp and the preseason.At tackle, the Eagles have Bell and Fred Johnson. Bell showed promise during training camp and could be the swing tackle. Johnson was less consistent, but he has starting experience.The reality is there’s always a dropoff when you lose high-end talent. The Eagles have high-end talent on the line. If they miss a starter or two for a week or two, they can manage. If they sustain multiple long-term injuries, I’d be more concerned. Then again, not many teams can survive multiple long-term injuries on the offensive line.With many positions like tight end and offensive line, the Eagles always drafted their next generation as top picks to learn while playing with the starters they would replace. Are you surprised with how they are gambling on mid-round picks for O-line and have left TE empty for next year? — Jonathan S.It’s a fair question at offensive line. We’ll see how Markel Bell develops this year. The Eagles went four drafts without taking an offensive lineman in the first or second round. That has never happened before under Roseman. I can write that I expect them to hit offensive line hard in the next year or two, but I’ve said that during the past few years. They can’t control the board.At tight end, it’s a different story. They drafted Eli Stowers for the exact reason you mentioned. They won’t be empty next year if Stowers develops as they hope. That’s the nuance to the Stowers questions this summer. The pick was made with 2027 and beyond in mind.Who is the most likely player that the Eagles could acquire by trade, and what would it cost in terms of draft capital or a player-for-player deal? — Ben H.The profile of player I think Howie Roseman would most want is similar to the Tank Bigsby deal after Week 1 last year, when it was a young player who had fallen out of favor (often with a new staff) that the Eagles liked coming out of college. It’s hard to pinpoint who would hit the market. Maybe Arizona cornerback Max Melton, a 2024 second-round pick who doesn’t appear to be starting for the Cardinals? Week 1 playing time often tells more. Those deals would presumably require picks.As for the Eagles trading a player, you’re probably looking at the Eagles dealing a quarterback. That would come if a quarterback elsewhere gets hurt. Joe Flacco was more valuable last season after Joe Burrow’s injury. If a quarterback goes down elsewhere, Andy Dalton could be of interest.What is your prediction for catches and yards for both Makai Lemon and Eli Stowers this year? — Fletch F.For Lemon, how would you feel about Matthew Golden’s rookie year in Green Bay last season: 29 catches for 361 in 14 games? I’d be underwhelmed by that, honestly. But that’s a first-round pick in this system with players ahead of him. A more optimistic comp could be Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s rookie season in 2023: 17 games, 63 catches for 628 yards. If you split the difference, that’s 46 catches for 494.5 yards. I’m going around there.For Stowers, the track record of rookie tight ends is not promising. His most realistic chance to even reach the field on offense is if something were to happen to Dallas Goedert. I’ll give you Elijah Arroyo’s rookie season: 15 catches, 171 yards. Maybe it’s closer to Terrence Ferguson last season: 11 catches for 231 yards with some big gains mixed in there. Unless Goedert misses significant time or Stowers demonstrates significant improvement, expectations should be modest for Stowers.Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Makai Lemon (9) spent most of training camp this summer dealing with a hamstring injury. (Bill Streicher / Imagn Images)Going into the season, if you had to give us a yes or no answer, will Sean Mannion be the offensive coordinator of the Eagles in 2027? Whether he is a flop and gets fired or a success and gets hired by another team, it’s been a revolving door with Hurts. He and the offense need some continuity regardless of how this year goes IMO. — Cade B.I’m going with yes. If the Eagles show improvement on offense, he’ll be a head coaching candidate. It doesn’t mean they’ll lose him. The last three times the Eagles lost their offensive coordinator to head coaching jobs, they went to the Super Bowl, and the coordinator had multiple years of offensive coordinator experience. There’s a chance the Eagles show improvement this season, but they lose in the playoffs. Mannion could be a hot name who’s still 34 with three years of coaching experience. He might be viewed as one year away at that point.Sometimes, it’s better to act a year too early than a year too late. But I think there’s a better chance he’s back as OC than he’s a head coach next season. Of course, there’s always the possibility this goes south. In that case, the Eagles will have bigger questions than a lack of continuity at offensive coordinator.Zach, first time, long time.I keep hearing a hypothetical chain of events that goes something like this: Jalen is asked to master this “new” offense. If he does, great, he likely gets a new deal. If he doesn’t, the Eagles move on from him and have a new starter in 2027.I struggle to understand the feasibility of the latter scenario. Presumably the team will have a talented roster and be primed to contend again next year, with Vic still here and Coop and Q on rookie deals. Who are they replacing Jalen with? A rookie or a middling free agent? Barring some kind of crazy, far-fetched swing (e.g., trading for Joe Burrow), I don’t see how they will be able to improve at QB in the short term. Would love your thoughts! — Zachary K.My first answer to the question is, let’s enjoy 2026! I mean that with much earnestness. There are so many questions about what comes beyond this season — and I won’t be hypocritical; I’ve entertained the discussions — but everything depends on what happens this season. Let’s see how this season plays out.In Hurts’ case, there’s a clear complicating factor: his contract. The guaranteed money wanes after this season, and the Eagles will likely need to decide on a contract extension. I’m curious if there could be a middle ground between making him the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL and moving on. Let’s say the Eagles are good this year, but don’t win the Super Bowl — 11-6, make the playoffs, perhaps win a game, but not playing on the final weekend. I don’t see the Eagles moving on, but they could guarantee the next two years and see how this goes rather than saying, I’m paying you like Patrick Mahomes.You asked about the Eagles improving. If Hurts is not here next season, I think it’s far more likely that it’s part of a reset and drafting a quarterback than adding a big-name veteran.With all that said, my best recommendation is to sit back and enjoy the show. These are real conversations for after the season, but let’s see how this goes during the next four months (and maybe five into six…).