Eagles beat writer Geoff Mosher on expectations for Jordan Matthews and potential playing time for Zach Ertz...

Comparisons between Eagles WR Jordan Matthews and Terrell Owens -- or any top-flight wideout -- are a wee bit overboard. Matthews is doing a nice job catching passes and seems like a hardworking, determined guy, but I’d be real careful about sky-high expectations for the kid in Year 1. Two AFC scouts told me Matthews struggled at the Senior Bowl against press coverage, which isn’t a big deal since he wasn’t among the first seven receivers drafted and wasn’t a first-round pick. But it should reinforce the adage that judgments begin when the pads come out, not in shorts.

Given that Matthews and Josh Huff are both rookies, it wouldn’t surprise me if Chip Kelly showcased more 12 personnel -- two tight ends, two receivers -- early in the season to lean more heavily on experienced veterans than rookies. I think Kelly would feel more comfortable playing an early regular-season game with an offense that featured Riley Cooper, Jeremy Maclin, Brent Celek and Zach Ertz than one that put Matthews and/or Huff on the field ahead of Celek.

A closer look at the 2013 numbers shows that Eagles TE Zach Ertz played 45 percent of the snaps during the second half of the regular season, compared to 36 percent over the first eight games. Twenty-two of his 36 catches came in the second half of the year, as did all four of his touchdowns.

Asked how he sees his role expanding this year, Ertz replied, "I think you kind of saw it the second half of the season what went on, I was used all over the field, so hopefully it's more of that."

HC Chip Kelly explained that Ertz [as well as James Casey] is being used as a "move" tight end in this offense. That is similar to the way Aaron Hernandez was deployed in New England -- as more of a "Joker" that lines up in various spots and is used primarily as a pass-catcher. Brent Celek is more of the traditional "in-line" tight end where blocking is a bigger priority.

It's not really about taking snaps away from the vet at this point -- Ertz and Celek are playing two different positions in a way -- it's more about using packages where they are on the field together. Chances are we'll see a good deal more of Ertz, who averaged 13 yards per reception in '13.

It's going to come down to whether Kelly wants to play Ertz ahead of one of his receivers (Jeremy Maclin, Riley Cooper or Jordan Matthews) or ahead of Celek. Only four of those five players can be on the field with LeSean McCoy. A rotation could lead to plenty of passing downs for Ertz, but his upside will depend on his playing time.

The Eagles used two- or three-tight end sets 27.3 percent of the time last season. That percent likely will increase this year as Chip Kelly and Pat Shurmur try to maximize Zach Ertz' pass-catching skills, and still take advantage of Brent Celek's blocking prowess in the run game and production in the red zone.

They also want to play Jordan Matthews in the slot, so snaps may be at a premium for both Ertz and Matthews if all the other receivers and tight ends stay healthy.

Eagles beat writer Jeff McLane's practice observations: "Nick Foles continued to look sharp. He wasn’t nearly as consistent as he was during the first two open practices – he tossed two interceptions during 11 on 11 drills – but he just seems much more confident running the offense than he did a year ago this time. Again a disclaimer: It’s only the spring and the players are running around in shorts without making much contact. But it’s a better scenario than, say, Foles looking as unremarkable as Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley have. Most of his passes have been on target. And when he’s had to go through his reads you can visually see him checking from one receiver to another before finding the open guy and (usually) hitting him downfield."

Nick Foles posted the #3 PPG in 2013 and in 11 starts (including the playoffs) he averaged 23.1 FP, which was second only to Peyton Manning. DeSean Jackson is gone, but the return of Jeremy Maclin, the arrival of Darren Sproles and Jordan Matthews and the likely emergence of Zach Ertz should offset that loss. The only other question mark is his limited body of work. Sometimes quarterbacks take a step back in their second year as a starter — it’s also Chip Kelly’s second year as head coach — though Foles played at such a high level that even with a step back, he should still be a solid QB1.

Eagles TE Zach Ertz played a total of 450 offensive snaps, 41 percent of the team's total, in 2013. As for his role in 2014, Ertz thinks the latter half of his rookie year offered a preview. "I think you saw it in the second half of the season, what kind of went on as I was used all over the field," Ertz said. "Hopefully some more of that."

Ertz averaged 2.8-32-.56 over the final nine games of the season (including the Eagles' sole playoff game) and that included two goose eggs in Week 10 and Week 14. That equates to 6.6 fantasy points per game, which is what Martellus Bennett averaged as the #10 TE in fantasy football. With Jason Avant and DeSean Jackson gone, Ertz could play a lot in the slot, though the arrival of WR Jordan Matthews may limit Ertz’s snaps there. If he can take a step forward in the blocking department, it will help his overall fantasy outlook.

"The game truly started to slow down towards the second half of the year. It was such a whirlwind at the beginning that I didn't really know what was going on. The playbook wasn't too hard to grasp, but just the play speed was the biggest thing to get used to," Eagles TE Zach Ertz said. "Last year, I didn't know what to expect from the offense and just being out here in Philadelphia as a whole. Obviously, this year it's going to be a lot better."

After notching 22 catches and all four of his touchdowns in the final eight regular season games, Ertz wanted to continue the momentum through the offseason. He returned to California and has returned to Philadelphia feeling "a lot stronger, faster" than last year. He's put a huge emphasis on getting better as a run blocker. Ertz recognizes that he's more of a move tight end while Brent Celek is the traditional, in-line variety, but in Chip Kelly's offense you have to be able to do it all.

"If you want to play fast, you can't be subbing guys in and out," Ertz said. "With the tight ends we have, we're able to do that whether it's in-line or out wide as a receiver. That's the biggest thing with the tight end group that we have."

Ertz averaged 2.8-32-.56 over the final nine games of the season (including the Eagles' sole playoff game) and that included two goose eggs in Week 10 and Week 14. That equates to 6.6 fantasy points per game, which is what Martellus Bennett averaged as the #10 TE in fantasy football. With Jason Avant and DeSean Jackson gone, Ertz could play a lot in the slot, though the arrival of WR Jordan Matthews may limit Ertz’s snaps there. If he can take a step forward in the blocking department, it will help his overall fantasy outlook.

There is a lot of optimism regarding Eagles TE Zach Ertz as the tight end enters his second NFL season, but don't forget about Brent Celek. The versatile veteran lines up as both an in-line and flexed-out tight end. During the final 11-on-11 drill, Celek got the offense into the red zone after hauling in a laser over the middle from Foles. Earlier during 7-on-7 drills, the two also connected on a beautiful post-corner route.

Ertz is going to have to block well to surpass Celek, who is a capable receiver, on the depth chart. Ertz's outlook took a hit when the Eagles drafted Jordan Matthews to man the slot -- that was a spot where Ertz could get on the field with Celek.

When asked what type of season Eagles TE Zach Ertz would have, beat writer Zach Berman said, "Pro Bowl would be tough, but I do think Ertz emerges into one of the better tight ends in the NFL this season. He has the skill set and the opportunity."

Ertz averaged 2.8-32-.56 over the final nine games of the season (including the Eagles' sole playoff game) and that included two goose eggs in Week 10 and Week 14. That equates to 6.6 fantasy points per game, which is what Martellus Bennett averaged as the #10 TE in fantasy football. With Jason Avant and DeSean Jackson gone, Ertz could play a lot in the slot. If he can take a step forward in the blocking department, it will help his overall fantasy outlook.

Chip Kelly wants WR Jordan Matthews to start off in the slot and use his 6-foot-3 frame against smaller nickelbacks. If the Eagles come out in “11 personnel” (three wide receivers, one tight end) on their first possession, Matthews will likely man the slot and, technically, he’d be among the starting 11. But look for Kelly to lean a little heavier on “12 personnel” (two receivers, two tight ends) early on for experience reasons. In that case, the outside receivers would be Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper, with Zach Ertz and Brent Celek manning the tight end spots.

The fact that Matthews can play inside and outside -- he was mostly an outside receiver at Vanderbilt -- gives him the best chance to see the most significant playing time early. Kelly can move him around and figure out mismatches. Also, any injuries at wideout would automatically increase Matthews’ workload. if Cooper or Maclin were to suffer an injury, Matthews would likely be elevated into a starting role. Maclin is coming off his second ACL tear since college, so he’ll be handled carefully in the spring and summer camps. Matthews should get plenty of grooming.

Matthews should see the third-most snaps and targets among the Eagles' wideouts assuming everyone stays healthy. He will have to contend with Ertz and RB Darren Sproles for snaps in the slot.

Eagles GM Howie Roseman was asked recently about WR Jeremy Maclin, and how long it takes a player to return to form following a torn ACL.

“I think it depends on the player," he said. "We saw Adrian Peterson come back after six months, and did he win the MVP award after that? So I think it depends on the genetics. And all I know is what our doctors are telling us, and he’s doing a great job in his rehab. We fully expect him to be ready to go once the season starts.”

As we all know, Peterson is a freak. Few bounce back like he did. He tore his ACL in December of 2011, and ran for two touchdowns in the Vikings' opener the following September to kick off an MVP campaign. Ridiculous.

Maclin sustained his injury in late July and will have had well over a year to recover by the time meaningful games roll around. As Roseman referenced, all of the reports have been really positive on the receiver to date. Still, it's yet to be seen how the knee (now twice surgically repaired) responds and holds up over the course of a season.

Assuming there are no issues, yes, I believe Maclin can have a big year in what has proven to be a skill position-friendly offensive system.

Maclin's availability will impact the snaps/targets for Riley Cooper, Jordan Matthews and Zach Ertz, among others. Since he tore his ACL in the summer, we're expecting him to be a full go for Week 1, though he may not look like himself until the 2015 season.