Eagles Better or Worse 2015: Wide Receiver

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The 700 Level’s annual Philadelphia Eagles training camp preview returns. We’re taking an in-depth look at Birds position by position and asking whether the club got better or worse. Check out the introduction for more details on the series.

 

BETTER

Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff

While we’ve seen rookies increasingly break the mold in recent years, traditionally Year 2 is when many wide receivers elevate their game. The Eagles just happen to have a pair of them, both poised to take a big leap forward in 2015.

Obviously, expectations are relatively high for Matthews. As the club’s leading returning receiver, the Vanderbilt product is currently penciled in for more of a feature role, and based on last season, why not? Matthews joined a list of just eight active players who recorded at least 60 receptions, 800 yards and eight touchdowns through the air as rookies—an achievement that tends to go overshadowed because he’s one of four members of the class of ’15 who pulled it off.

There’s still some question as to whether Matthews is ready for a larger role, as he lined up almost exclusively in the slot last year. That being said, the 23-year-old has the size (6’3”, 212 lbs.) and athleticism (4.46 40) to play on the outside, plus can be moved around the formation if necessary. Given his production so far, there’s little reason not to project improvement.

Huff’s story, on the other hand, is vastly different. The Oregon product was responsible for almost as many miscues as he had receptions his rookie year—eight. There were some glimpses of explosive potential, such as the franchise-record 106-yard kick return, and a 44-yard catch-and-run in Week 15 against the Dallas Cowboys where he ran over and by several defenders. Of course, there were dropped passes, fumbles and other negative plays, too, and those tended to stick out.

To be fair, Huff suffered an injury in training camp and saw very limited action once he joined the regular season already in progress. His body of work is difficult to judge, because every incident is magnified. As 23-year-old’s opportunities increase, as one would assume they will, so should his numbers as well.

 

WORSE

Lack of Established No. 1 Receiver

As nice as it is having two ascending players in the receiving corps, exiling Jeremy Maclin is still a blow. Don’t get me wrong, the Eagles were wise not to match the Kansas City Chiefs’ offer of $22.5 million guaranteed in free agency—an overpay for a good-not-great receiver. Regardless, for the second consecutive offseason, Philadelphia’s offense lost a Pro Bowl wideout with no clear-cut replacement.

Maclin joined DeSean Jackson as feature receivers to post seasons in excess of 80 receptions, 1,300 yards and nine touchdowns through the air in head coach Chip Kelly’s offense last season. And while Maclin had never produced a season like that before in his career, it wasn’t hard to see coming. Can we say the same about a player in this group?

Matthews is the obvious choice, but again, it depends on how well he makes the transition from slot receiver to starter. The Eagles used the 20th-overall pick this year on Nelson Agholor out of USC, but rookies are always an unknown. Free-agent addition Miles Austin is the only player on the roster who’s actually served as a No. 1 receiver in the NFL, but he’s 31 and five years removed from his last trip to the Pro Bowl.

None of this is to say some combination of Matthews, Huff, Agholor and Austin can’t make up for the production lost from Maclin’s departure. That being said, clearly the group would’ve been better off in the short-term if Maclin were still around, even if financially it didn’t make sense.

 

THE SAME

Riley Cooper

The same doesn’t necessarily carry a positive connotation, as is the case for Riley Cooper. In his situation, the same means a player who isn’t quick or fast enough to create separation in the passing game. The same means a receiver that defenses can single-cover and forget about.

I don’t want this town or the Eagles were thinking when they fell in love with the guy in 2013. His numbers that year were basically built up in three good games in a five-week span—two of those coming against bad Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders secondaries. That’s no exaggeration, either. 361 or 43.3 percent of his 835 receiving yards came in those three contests, as did five of his eight touchdown catches.

Not surprisingly, Cooper’s follow-up campaign was a massive disappointment. Despite starting all 16 games, the sixth-year veteran managed just 577 yards and three touchdowns. Worse still, he was dropping passes and coming up small in the clutch.

And worst of all, the Eagles are essentially stuck with his awful contract for another season. At least one thing that doesn’t have to be the same about Cooper is the amount of playing time he sees in 2015. Expect a diminishing role moving forward.

 

THE UNKNOWN

Nelson Agholor

Agholor is in the unenviable position of drawing comparisons to Maclin, to the point where expectations for his debut season mean replacing a Pro Bowl receiver. Some, such as ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay, have gone so far as to predict the Eagles’ first-round pick will win Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The comparisons to Maclin aren’t unwarranted, and there’s little doubt Agholor will make an immediate impact in the NFL. However, we have to temper that enthusiasm a bit and remind everybody this is a first-year player we’re talking about.

On paper, Agholor certainly looks similar to Maclin. Their combine measurements are so close, it’s uncanny. Both 6’0”, 198 pounds. Agholor ran a 4.42 in the 40-yard dash, Maclin a 4.48. Plus, Agholor was one of the most productive receivers in all of college football last season, finishing top 10 in the nation in receptions (7th), yards (9th) and touchdowns (t-7th).

But even Maclin, like most athletes, had to find his way his first year in the NFL. He had a nice line of 56 catches, 773 yards and four scores back in 2009, but it’s not like he was a star from Day 1.

As mentioned while discussing Matthews up top, there have been an increasing number of receivers making a huge impact as rookies. Agholor has the potential to fall into that boat as well, if for no other reason than he’s playing in a prolific offense. Then again, it didn’t work out that way for Huff, did it?

Agholor should play a big role in Philly’s offense, but what the result of that will be is the question.

 

BETTER OR WORSE?

This is a tough one because there’s so much potential from this group. Do I think an improving Matthews and Huff and the additions of Agholor and Austin can replace Maclin? Yes. Can I say with any certainty that they will replicate a) his production or b) the presence of a No. 1 receiver in Philly’s offense? No, that’s not definitive. Agholor is the X-factor—if he has a great season, this group on the whole should be better. Yet in what will no doubt be an unpopular decision, on paper there are just too many concerns.

Worse

 

Previously:  Defensive Line, Outside Linebacker, Interior Linebacker, Cornerback, Safety, Special Teams

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