PHILADELPHIA − For an Eagles team with Super Bowl aspirations, it would seem strange to see nine new starters among the 22 total on offense and defense.
That’s 41% of the starting lineup that will be new when the Eagles take the field against the Green Bay Packers at Corinthians Stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Sept. 6.
That’s a product of the Eagles’ determination to bury any remnants from their 1-6 collapse from last season. But that’s also a result of many of the new starters are either high-priced free agents with high expectations, or early-round draft pick from years past who have waited their turn.
And then there’s rookie first-round pick Quinyon Mitchell. While he hasn’t officially been named a starter at outside cornerback, he has merited being on the field a vast majority of the time, whether it’s on the outside or inside at nickel. In other words, he’ll play a starter’s workload, and most likely right away.
Baun’s hold on a starting job is likely most tenuous with Nakobe Dean having a strong second half of training camp. Baun was an accidental starter at off-ball linebacker anyway, having spent much of his career as an edge rusher. Even if Baun remains a starter, it’s likely that Dean will find his way onto the field, and possibly rookie Jeremiah Trotter, too.
