(EDITOR’S NOTE — During the next few weeks, Times News reporters will be talking to area sports fans to get their thoughts and predictions about various topics that are currently in the news.)

What is the ceiling of the Philadelphia Eagles this season? Let’s ask around.Carson Wentz is coming off a rookie season during which he completed 62 percent of his passes and threw for 16 touchdowns. The Birds did everything they could during the offseason to help him out by bringing in former Chicago receiver Alshon Jeffrey and former 49ers’ speedster Torrey Smith.We caught up with a few Times News area football fans to get their opinions on the state of the Philadelphia Eagles. How quickly Wentz will mesh with his new toys seems to be the public opinion’s common denominator on how successful the Eagles could be this season.“The Eagles are going to finish 10-6 this year because of the ‘New Wentz Order’,” said Cole Rex of Lehighton. “Wentz is going to dominate the NFC and probably pick up a Wild Card spot.Woah, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. “Dominate the NFC” is some strong language. I’ll admit, Wentz has all of the tools to possibly be an elite quarterback one day soon. He has a photographic memory for starters, and has earned the respect of everyone around the league with how long he is willing to stick in the pocket and take a hit.But the run game with newly-acquired LeGarrette Blount will certainly have to take some pressure off of the youngster. Wentz averaged 37.9 pass attempts per game, which included throwing a whopping 60 times against the Bengals during a loss last season.“I think they’ll probably have an 8-8 season,” said Salvatore Caruso of Lehighton. “I don’t feel like they’re as strong as some of the other teams in the NFC East, specifically the Giants and Cowboys. They might have the receiving core with Alshon (Jeffrey), but I think it’ll take a while for him to learn the playbook and be a productive part of that offense.”Jeffrey has all the talent in the world, but can he stay on the field? Over his five-year career, he’s played 16 games just twice, and hasn’t played more than 12 in a single season since 2014. However, when he played full seasons (2013, 2014), Jeffrey put up massive numbers, posting 1,421 and 1,133 receiving yards, respectively, in those years — and that was with subpar quarterback play. Jeffrey (6-3, 218) provides a big target that could make things much easier in the red zone for the offense.Smith is basically a one-trick pony whose biggest asset is running straight down the field. But that’s not a bad thing. He’s having a huge camp and can still take the top off a secondary from time to time. With Smith surely taking a hefty amount of snaps on the outside, it’s unclear what roles Nelson Agholor and Jordan Matthews — the Eagles’ top receivers a year ago — will have come September. Over his first three seasons, Matthews has posted 225 receptions for 2,673 yards and 19 touchdowns. It’s much too early to give up on someone with that track record so early in his career.“We have the best young quarterback in the NFC East,” said Lehighton’s JT Keer. “(The Cowboys’) Dak Prescott has that offensive line and run game, he just kind of game manages. Wentz has done it all … Basically, it’s going to come down to, can our offense get going with the new receivers early enough in the season that we can stay afloat (until) the second half of the season when our schedule dies down a bit.“Someone is going to have to step up at corner if we’re going to be a real contender. We brought a lot of guys back, so it’s going to be interesting ... and they should be in the playoffs at least.”Yes, the secondary is frightening, especially with the likes of Dez Bryant, Odell Beckham Jr., and now Brandon Marshall in the division. But the best recipe to cure a bad secondary is a good pass rush. And that’s what the Eagles have.“Probably looking at 9-7 this year,” said Johnny Berger of Coaldale. “A couple more wins than last year. Carson Wentz has another year under his belt with a full offseason of preparation. The secondary is still very weak from what I can tell. They need to get off the field. They can’t extend drives for the other teams on third down.“But they have to catch the ball, plain and simple. If they can clean that up, the offense will be more effective. If they can get off the field on third downs (defensively), it’ll give the offense more opportunities to score more points.”This Philadelphia team could realistically finish anywhere between 6-10 and 10-6. One aspect that the Eagles definitely have working for them is their offensive line, which graded out as best in the NFL according to ProFootbalFocus.com. Imagine what Demarco Murray could have done in this traditional system?The Birds will have to make due with Blount, Ryan Matthews, and Darren Sproles. I don’t know if it’s enough of a punch to help maintain leads in close games on the road. The Eagles were 1-7 on the road last season. Teams don’t traditionally fare well traveling across the country through multiple time zones, and the Birds will have games at Seattle, San Diego, Los Angeles, which will be big tests.If Philly can close out those games, we could talk playoffs. Wentz will take another step forward this season, but I’ve penciled Philadelphia in at 7-9.