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Santoliquito: Expect A Long Year Of Learning From Eagles

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The Eagles began training camp on Monday for what appears to be, looking from a distance, one of the most nebulous seasons the team will have since Jeff Lurie bought the team on May 6, 1994, from Norman Braman.

As the 2016 Eagles take shape, here are some facts: We don't anything about Doug Pederson as a head coach in the National Football League; we don't know anything about Carson Wentz as a starting quarterback in the NFL, but we do know Sam Bradford is a mediocre NFL quarterback at best, and we do know that the Eagles have no offensive weapons to support Bradford, the times he's half decent.

Related: Carson Wentz, The Most In-Demand NFL Third-String QB

We also know something else. The Eagles won't be very good this year.

Like it or not, this is a team that, though it may not like the tag rebuilding, it's what the Eagles are doing around Wentz, the heralded No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft.

As a starter, Bradford has a career record of 25-37-1. Last season, he was tied for 22nd in the NFL with 19 touchdown passes, against 14 interceptions, which was the seventh highest in the NFL last year. Take away any down-field threats and don't expect those figures to grow this year.

Add in unreliable Ryan Mathews, the Eagles' only real danger on offense, and it doesn't bode well for the Eagles moving the ball. Mathews rushed 539 yards last year averaging 5.1 yards a carry, and he scored six touchdowns. That's when he was healthy. The problem is, Mathews is rarely healthy. Going into his seventh NFL season, Mathews has played in all 16 games just once, in 2013.

The Eagles are still waiting for Zach Ertz to be a consistent down-field target. He's entering his fourth season and that's still hasn't shown signs he can be among the NFL's elite.

Related: 3 Important Eagles' Questions Most Are Not Thinking About

Mathews can't catch the ball swinging out of the backfield and the receiving corps of Jordan Matthews, Nelson Agholor and Josh Huff simply can't catch the ball.

Targeted 620 times, Eagles receivers dropped 37 passes, the highest in the NFL in 2015.

One glowing positive appears to be on defense. The Eagles are finally going back to a configuration that fits their talent.

Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox and safety Malcolm Jenkins are among the best in the NFL. Former Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz will bring an aggressive, attacking style. He'll also bring a slew of unsportsmanlike penalties—expect the Eagles to be either first or second in the NFL in late hits this year.

Related: Eagles Rookie Jalen Mills Is The 'Green Goblin'

Eagles' fans will love it. Opposing teams will dread it.

Maybe Lincoln Financial Field will grow to carry the ambience of the nasty concrete surface of Veterans Stadium.

Defense will carry the Eagles for whatever success they have in 2016.

Don't expect much. With Pederson, who by all accounts is light years ahead of Chip Kelly as far as personality though light years behind when it comes to coaching ability, learning on the job his first year, the Eagles will be playing catch-up to the rest of the NFC East.

It looks like a 5-11 or 6-10 season for the Eagles—just like Pederson's mentor, Andy Reid., in his first year as a head coach.

Let's hope Pederson can learn and improve like Reid did.

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