The Philadelphia Eagles loaded up on offensive playmakers in the offseason to pair with quarterback Sam Bradford. Much of the attention has been on DeMarco Murray leading the rushing attack while Jordan Matthews replaces Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson. However, the tight end spot is one to watch as Brent Celek returns with Zach Ertz coming off groin surgery in the preseason. Ertz stressed he is healthy and ready to play.
The tight end position has been a forgotten one in Philadelphia, but it could be an area of strength this year. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Celek is expected to get the start in Week 1, but Ertz has every intention of battling and seeing playing time. The tight end underwent surgery during training camp and missed all of the preseason, but made his return this week with the hope of playing against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night.
"I don't want to miss any games," Ertz said, via ESPN.com. "I worked so hard all offseason to be ready for the games and make an impact for this team. So when the games come around, I know that if I have an opportunity to play, I'm going to play. We have to be smart, because it is the first game of a long season."
In his second season in the league, Ertz made it clear he is a star in the making. He caught 58 passes for 702 yards and three touchdowns in 2014 despite the quarterback inconsistencies for the Eagles. He then followed that up by spending time with future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez who could be considered one of the best tight ends to ever play the position. Ertz is expected to be a huge threat for Bradford on the field once he is healthy, but for the time being Celek will move on as the starter.
The Eagles do not plan on relying on just one player to carry the offense. Head coach Chip Kelly has said that while Murray might have led the NFL in rushing last season, he plans on utilizing Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles a lot on the field as well which could frustrate some fantasy owners. The same can be said about the receiving attack. While Matthews might be considered the No.1 guy, both Nelson Agholor and Josh Huff are expected to be seeing a lot of playing time while Riley Cooper works in. The Eagles are hopeful the depth and versatility on the roster makes Bradford into the star he was expected to be.