PHILADELPHIA -- Football is back in South Philly. On Thursday night, Lincoln Financial Field will stage the preseason opener for a reigning-champion Eagles team that is intentionally rejecting the word "repeat." A reshuffled offensive coaching staff will begin in-game operations with a potent lineup that is almost entirely unchanged. A stable defensive staff will further understand which players within their youth movement will rejuvenate the unit or risk regression.

In the words of Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, "Days are disappearing." So, without further delay, here's a position-by-position guide to identify the position battles and the key points of interest for the Eagles against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The cornerback position contains the most concerning questions. The Eagles, who allocated larger portions of their roster budget to other positions in a maintenance-oriented offseason, entered training camp counting on affordable options to replace Darius Slay. Neither Kelee Ringo nor Adoree' Jackson has distinguished themselves. General manager Howie Roseman moved proactively to stimulate the position battle's stagnation, trading defensive tackle Thomas Booker to the Raiders in a Monday-night deal to acquire Jakorian Bennett, a 24-year-old cornerback who played through multiple shoulder dislocations in a 2024 season that ended with a torn labrum. Bennett, who was scheduled to be a $1.2 million cap hit in 2025, according to Over the Cap, is another affordable option whose injury history embodies the risk the Eagles are still taking. But the Eagles know how small the margin of error is on the defensive perimeter and dipped into their surplus at defensive tackle in an attempt to prevent a significant regression in the secondary.

Bennett won't play against the Bengals. He observed Tuesday's practice in sweats. His presence, at the very least, creates urgency for Ringo and Jackson to perform well in their one preseason game without him. The infusion of competition is particularly telling for Ringo. It's worth noting the Raiders drafted Bennett No. 104 overall in 2023 -- one spot before the Eagles picked Ringo. Sirianni said Tuesday they liked Bennett's tape coming out of Maryland. The Eagles have long voiced their confidence in the development of Ringo, who, at 23, still possesses the size and speed that can equip him to be a reliable starting cornerback. Christian Parker, the team's defensive passing game coordinator, described Ringo on Monday as someone with an "element of athletic arrogance." Ringo is generally step-for-step with his matchups, but, in both past seasons and in training camp, he's lacked the ball skills to prevent explosive completions despite tight coverage and is flagged with regularity. With Joe Burrow expected to start Thursday night, the Bengals provide Ringo a prime opportunity to prove he's progressing.

The safety battle is essentially Sydney Brown's to lose. He absorbed first-team snaps in the seven practices since second-round rookie Drew Mukuba injured his shoulder while diving for a deep pass during a practice without shoulder pads. Fangio said it is unlikely Mukuba plays against the Bengals. Mukuba was officially designated as a limited participant during a shorts-and-no-shoulder-pads practice on Tuesday, but he returned to team drills with the second-team unit. Brown, fully healthy from a 2023 ACL tear, aims to prove he can be a reliable cover safety in the post. He only played a third of his snaps at free safety as a rookie; former defensive coordinator Sean Desai often deployed him in run situations. C.J. Gardner-Johnson led the Eagles with six interceptions while playing opposite Reed Blankenship in 2024. That's a volatility the Eagles would prefer to preserve.

If Brown holds onto his lead in the preseason, the Eagles' secondary could begin the 2025 season with a configuration they've already fielded in training camp. Cooper DeJean, their safety in base packages. Brown, their safety in nickel. Mukuba, a dime defender who'd play opposite DeJean in the slot with Brown in the post. Keep an eye on Brown's performance in coverage. (This is considered Mukuba's strength.) When Mukuba plays, keep an eye on his performance against the run. (This is considered Brown's strength.) As for the remaining safeties, Tristin McCollum has been a consistent presence with the second-team unit. That places Sam, Cine, Hook and Johnson on the cusp of making the 53-man roster.

If I were writing this last week, I would've expected to see DeJean play a sizable amount of snaps against the Bengals at safety in base packages. But Fangio now knows DeJean can play the position. On Monday, I asked Fangio if he'd seen DeJean play enough snaps at safety to evaluate him, and Fangio, in the affirmative, said DeJean picked up a route that they'd struggled against last year "like he'd been a safety his whole life." Fangio added, "So yeah, he'll be a good safety if we need him there." Now that DeJean has his safety legs under him, perhaps the Eagles will start deploying him at cornerback in base packages, as they did in OTAs. If the Bennett trade doesn't provide a spark to the cornerback battle, the Eagles may need DeJean to play there. Such a scenario would require a replacement at nickel. Fifth-round rookie Mac McWilliams has been the second-team nickel and was getting first-team reps at outside cornerback before he injured his quad last week. McWilliams returned Monday as a limited participant. If the rookie plays against the Bengals, it's worth keeping an eye on how much confidence he commands in the slot.

Jihaad Campbell is scheduled for his highly anticipated preseason debut. The No. 31 pick has showcased destruction with a high motor in training camp, albeit injuring his teammates in the process. Tight end Dallas Goedert complimented Campbell's intensity. Against the Bengals, it will be inflicted upon the proper opponent. Campbell was ahead of schedule in his return from an offseason shoulder operation. He has plenty of runway to challenge Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and start in Week 1. The two will likely start side by side against the Bengals. (Zack Baun has missed six straight practices with a back contusion.) Campbell must prove reliable in coverage. Will Shipley has bested the rookie in both individual and 11-on-11 drills. Last Thursday, Shipley reeled in a touchdown with Campbell trailing. Fangio has been measured in his assessment of Campbell's progress. "He's making good strides," Fangio said last week," and if he can keep making those strides, I think he'll be what we had hoped he would be." The progress of fifth-round rookie Smael Mondon Jr. could flip the narrative of the linebacker corps from a group of uncertainty to one of strength. A proficient run-stopper at Georgia, Mondon also kept up with Saquon Barkley last Thursday on a deep pass that Mondon dislodged with a swipe timed at the right moment. If the young group continues to show progress against the Bengals, it will offer the Eagles much-needed confidence, with Nakobe Dean likely bound for the injured reserve for at least the start of the season.

Clear starters: Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt

Rotation battle: Azeez Ojulari, Joshua Uche, Patrick Johnson, Ogbo Okoronkwo, Ochaun Mathis, Antwaun Powell-Ryland

Consider this position group the team's version of Survivor. Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt are expectedly ascending to starting roles. Behind them, in the wake of the Bryce Huff trade, is a surplus of veterans -- none under contract beyond the upcoming season. This is a decidedly more svelte group of edge rushers after the offseason departures of Josh Sweat (6-5, 265) and Brandon Graham (6-2, 265): Azeez Ojulari (6-3, 240), Joshua Uche (6-1, 240), Patrick Johnson (6-2, 248), Ogbo Okoronkwo (6-2, 250), Ochaun Mathis (6-5, 260) and Antwaun Powell-Ryland (6-3, 246). The shift places a focus on the group's performance in pass coverage and as platoon pass rushers. The Eagles opened the 2024 season with six edge rushers on their 53-man roster. They had five on their Super Bowl roster (and Huff was inactive). Ojulari, Uche and Johnson have cycled with the first-team unit so far in training camp. Does that rotation hold?

By trading away Thomas Booker, the Eagles signaled their belief in the depth they have along the defensive interior. Gabe Hall has been a second-team mainstay throughout training camp, and Byron Young, who hasn't played since 2023, has played well in spurts against the run. But Ty Robinson is the source of most of the unit's intrigue in the preseason opener. The fourth-round pick has taken snaps with every level of the defense, and he's played both along the interior and along the edge. This will be the 6-6, 310-pound rookie's time to showcase his summer development. How prepared is he to provide the Eagles with meaningful snaps in 2025?

Clear starters: LT Jordan Mailata, LG Landon Dickerson, C Cam Jurgens, RG Tyler Steen, RT Lane Johnson

Interior depth battle (guard and/or center): Brett Toth, Kenyon Green, Drew Kendall, Trevor Keegan

Exterior depth battle (tackle and/or guard): Darian Kinnard, Matt Pryor, Kendall Lamm, Laekin Vakalahi, Hollin Pierce

Tackle-only projects: Myles Hinton, Cameron Williams

Sirianni was reluctant to name Tyler Steen the team's starting right guard on Tuesday. Such a statement would've formalized what's already been seen. Steen has played with the first team throughout training camp. The 2023 third-round pick has a stranglehold on what was his most favorable position battle yet. The unit's preseason interest is therefore within its depth. Offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland appears determined to identify a true backup center, which would prevent the Eagles from having to again shift Landon Dickerson away from left guard. Fifth-round rookie Drew Kendall has taken the lion's share of snaps with the second-team unit, and, at times, the third-team unit, too. Trevor Keegan, a 2024 fifth-round pick who focused at guard as a rookie, has also been training for center, mostly with the third-team unit. Keegan snapped the ball too low too frequently in last Thursday's practice, then missed two practices with a back injury. His performance against the Bengals is worth monitoring. The guard spot is crowded. Potential swing tackles Darian Kinnard and Matt Pryor have also been alternating at guard. Kenyon Green, the player compensation within the Gardner-Johnson trade, must also signal progress after initially struggling with the Houston Texans. The Eagles mostly carried 10 offensive linemen on their 53-man roster in 2024. It's hard to think Stoutland will want to part with either of his rookie tackle projects, Myles Hinton and Cameron Williams -- both sixth-round picks.

Clear starters: Dallas Goedert, Grant Calcaterra

Depth battle: Kylen Granson, Harrison Bryant, E.J. Jenkins, Cameron Latu, Nick Muse

It would be needless for the Eagles to play Dallas Goedert or Grant Calcaterra in the preseason. In the oft-injured Goedert's case, it would be reckless. The preseason instead will stage a battle for the last of what was three tight end spots for the majority of the 2024 season. The Eagles signed Kylen Granson and Harrison Bryant to one-year deals during free agency, back when Roseman was still exploring trade partners for Goedert. Granson, who spent the last four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, drew a holding penalty from Mukuba on Tuesday and hauled in a long completion along the right sideline from Tanner McKee last week. Bryant notably caught a slant against Campbell during red-zone drills last week. They'll need to be capable pass-catchers. But Philadelphia's rare usage of 13 personnel requires them to be reliable blockers.

Clear starters: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Jahan Dotson

Rotation battle: Johnny Wilson, Ainias Smith, Terrace Marshall, Darius Cooper, Elijah Cooks, Giles Jackson, Taylor Morin, Avery Williams, Ife Adeyi

Darius Cooper and Elijah Cooks are making this a much more difficult position group to predict. Cooper has been a frequent downfield target throughout camp, and Cooks attracted attention again on Tuesday by hauling in a touchdown and two-point conversion on back-to-back plays. Johnny Wilson's size (6-6, 228) sets his skillset apart from the rest of the receiving corps. Ainias Smith, who began his rookie season on injured reserve with an ankle injury, is notably in sync with Jalen Hurts, who had an extended red-zone throwing session with Smith after a practice last week. Smith's potential as a punt returner also affords him staying power. The Eagles generally carried five or six wide receivers in 2024. Terrace Marshall, a 2021 second-round pick still searching for a foothold in the league, impressed in training camp early before missing four practices with a knee injury. Marshall returned to practice Tuesday. The upcoming three preseason games should field an interesting battle for what appears to be the final roster spot.

The Eagles are entering the 2025 season with an interesting trio in their running back room. They have Saquon Barkley, transcendent. Will Shipley, a heady pass-catching threat. And A.J. Dillon, who, at 6-foot, 247 pounds, affords the Eagles another downhill power back. Dillon, who missed the 2024 season with the Green Bay Packers after suffering a stinger during training camp, ought to get some preseason reps. It'd be surprising to see the Eagles carry anyone else. Still, ShunDerrick Powell and Keilan Robinson should have plenty of opportunities to showcase themselves. Powell has been especially noticeable in training camp. He burst into the open field on a long run last week. There should be plenty of Powell against the Bengals. Montrell Johnson has missed three straight practices with a hamstring injury.

Starter: Ben VanSumeren

The fullback package was a useful feature within former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore's system. The Eagles averaged 6.1 yards per carry on their 20 rushes with VanSumeren in the game in 2024, according to TruMedia. They picked up nine first downs. They used the package considerably less after VanSumeren's season-ending ACL tear during practice leading into their Week 13 game against the Baltimore Ravens. Their seven plays with Khari Blasingame at fullback were also considerably less effective. They averaged 2.6 yards per carry on five rushes. Hurts was 2-for-2 passing for 14 yards. The fullback position appears to still be a priority for the Eagles under first-time offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. Will VanSumeren get any preseason action?

There's a pretty simple end to the training camp battle for QB3. The Eagles protect McCord, their sixth-round pick, by keeping him on the 53-man roster, and release veteran Dorian Thompson-Robinson with the intention of signing him to the practice squad. Thompson-Robinson is more game-ready and offered promise by unfurling a bomb of a touchdown to Giles Jackson in Monday's practice. But it'd be somewhat surprising for the Eagles not to see their sixth-round investment in McCord through. The third-string quarterback spot evokes less confidence than a year ago, when the Eagles had both Tanner McKee and Kenny Pickett under contract. That they needed both players late in the regular season underscores why the Eagles value such depth.

Jake Elliott and Braden Mann spent the offseason adapting to their new longsnapper, Charley Hughlett. But the 35-year-old successor to Rick Lovato popped up on Sunday's practice report with a neck injury. The Eagles subsequently signed Christian Johnstone, an undrafted long-snapper out of Appalachian State. Hughlett snapped in a limited capacity on Tuesday.