PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Eagles' coaching staff is unanimous -- everyone believes Nolan Carroll has had a strong offseason and has a real chance to be one of the team's starting cornerbacks.

But those beliefs have to be taken with several grains of salt.

First, coach Chip Kelly has a history of making his rookies earn their way up the depth chart. So while some coaches would have placed second-round draft choice Eric Rowe in the starting lineup right away, Kelly doesn't often choose to do things that way. So it may well be that Rowe will have the starting job when the season begins and Carroll is merely a place-holder.

Second, while it may be true Carroll has had a great offseason, he didn't have all that terrific a regular season. That should count for something. The Eagles had one of the worst defenses in the NFL against the pass in 2013, so there was an opportunity for Carroll to win a starting job in last year's training camp. He couldn't beat out Cary Williams or Bradley Fletcher, so was shifted to an improvised role as a linebacker in the team's dime defensive package.

Bottom line: If Carroll wasn't able to crack the lineup during the 2014 season, it's fair to wonder how he represents an upgrade for the 2015 season.

So, allowing for the possibility that Carroll really has made substantial progress during this offseason, there will be a competition between him and Rowe for this job. A few other players -- nickel cornerback Brandon Boykin and rookies JaCorey Shepherd and Randall Evans -- will also be in the mix.

But the likely scenario is this: Carroll will be the starting cornerback opposite Byron Maxwell when the preseason games begin. By the third game, the coaches will decide to give Rowe a chance to start. That would mean a pretty good test against the Green Bay Packers' offense.

If Rowe isn't ready to start by the season opener in Atlanta, Carroll would likely continue to line up as the starter. One thing is clear about Kelly. He doesn't have a lot of patience. He isn't going to let his team suffer just to give a rookie cornerback playing time. And his position with his quarterbacks won't change here. The best player will play.

But Kelly traded up in the second round to get Rowe because he believes the Utah product will become the best player for the Eagles' starting cornerback job. So it's likely Rowe will wind up moving ahead of Carroll as soon as he's ready.