Since losing Jeremy Maclin to free agency, the Eagles were left woefully thin at wide receiver. The Eagles added Miles Austin and Nelson Agholor to a group that includes Riley Cooper, Jordan Matthews, and Josh Huff, as well as multi-faceted threats Zach Ertz and Darren Sproles. Is it enough? Here is everything you need to know about the Eagles receivers for 2015.
In the last two offseasons, the Eagles lost the following production with the exits of DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin: 167 catches, 2,650 yards, 19 touchdowns, 15.9 ypc.
Their departure left the Eagles with Riley Cooper, Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff as the mainstays at wide receiver. The picture was bleak. And the Eagles brass knew it.
However, the only free agent the Eagles signed during the offseason was the corpse formally known as Miles Austin. Austin, 30, has been beset by soft tissue injuries, which has prevented him from completing an entire season since 2010.
Chip Kelly openly admitted that the Eagles planned to address the receiving position in the draft, saying it was as talented as it was deep.
The Eagles followed through on that promise by drafting wide receiver Nelson Agholor out of USC in the first round of the draft.
Was it enough? Or did the Eagles just put a bandaid on a flesh wound?
It says here that when the Eagles couple Agholor with Matthews, Huff, and Zac Ertz, the receiving corps no longer is a weakness for this Eagles team. Far from it, it has the potential to be a strength, if not this year, then certainly the following.
Let's break this down further.
Jordan Matthews
Let's start with the low hanging fruit. Jordan Matthews quickly endeared himself to Eagles fans when it emerged that he requested tape of cornerbacks leading up to the Senior Bowl:
Talk about work ethic and pro approach, @VandyFootball WR J Matthews asked for list of @seniorbowl corners and tapes this week to get ready.
— Phil Savage (@SeniorBowlPhil) January 11, 2014
His legend grew in training camp with his outstanding play and untiring work ethic. Heck, when Michael Irvin was signing Matthews praises, you knew they were onto something special.
However, his rookie campaign was a tale of two seasons. Prior to Foles being injured, Matthews averaged a pedestrian 4 catches, 39 yards, and .28 touchdowns per game. People wondered allowed whether the preseason hype was just that — hype — and Matthews was another in a long list of rookie wide receivers who needed time to adjust to the speed of the NFL.
Following Foles injury, however, Matthews numbers increased precipitously, averaging 6.6 catches, 69.87 yards, and .625 touchdowns per game.
In most seasons, Matthews numbers would have been at or near the top for rookie receivers. By sheer happenstance, however, Matthews happened to be a rookie in arguably the deepest and most productive receiving class in NFL history. Per ProFootballFocus.com, Matthews finished 5th amongst rookies in catches (67), 5th in yards (876), and 4th in touchdowns (8).
Matthews operated almost exclusively out of the slot last season. But given the departure of Maclin, he will likely be asked to move outside. Matthews indicated as much this offseason. And the transition should not be an issue. Matthews has the size, strength, and route running skills to excel outside. Expect him to build off his very good rookie season by eclipsing 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Josh Huff
Up until this point, Josh Huff has been an enigma. He has shown flashes, but he has not put it all together on the field.
Many expected Huff, a former Oregon player coached by Chip Kelly, to have a smooth transition to the NFL given his familiarity with the Eagles offense. However, Huff was injured early in spring training, and it robbed him of valuable time to learn his playbook and get acclimated to the speed at which the NFL operates.
By all accounts, his season was a major disappointment. Huff finished with only 8 catches for 98 yards the entire season. Per Birds 24/7, Huff let the disappointment get to him:
"There were actually times in practice when I would cry because I know the type of plays I can make, I know the type of teammate I can be but it just wasn't there…I would go to [Jeremy Maclin, who served as a mentor] and cry and he would simply tell me, 'Just be patient. Wait your turn. I know what type of talent you have, the coaches know what type of talent you have, just be patient and continue to work.'"
However, Huff showed flashes at times last year. There was his 107 yard touchdown return against Tennessee:
He also had this impressive 44 yard catch against Dallas where it seemed like he was in fast forward:
After taking some time off to clear his mind, Huff rededicated himself this offseason to honing his craft. He returned home to Houston to work with his cousin,Rischad Whitfield, known as the "Footwork King" who works with a number of NFL players including Antonio Brown, Le'Veon Bell and Emmanuel Sanders.
Whitfield and Huff spent considerable time working on getting off press releases, which threw off Huff's timing and production his rookie year.
According to Whitfield, Huff has also got himself in even better shape. When asked if Huff's body looks any different from last year, Whitfield stated: "Oh, God. He's shredded. Shredded. Weight-wise he is still around the same weight [between 200 and 207] but he is a lot more explosive."
The Eagles have are said to expect big things from Josh Huff this season. Per Jimmy Kempski:
I've heard that the Eagles think Josh Huff has more upside than Jordan Matthews.
— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) March 9, 2015
Assuming Huff can stay healthy, he should benefit from a full offseason to learn the playbook. Like other players Kelly has brought in, Huff is extremely versatile and explosive. He will be able to make plays in the return game, on the outside, and in the slot. I fully expect for Huff to have a breakout campaign this year.
Nelson Agholor
Agholor was one of the most productive wide receivers in the country in his final year at USC, catching 104 passes for 1313 yards and 12 touchdowns.
And if NFL draft experts are to be believed, he is one of the most NFL ready receivers in this draft. Bryan Fischer of NFL.com said that: "Agholor will…be a great fit for Chip Kelly’s offensive system. His return game is not to be underestimated either, and he’s a picture-perfect replacement for Jeremy Maclin. Don’t be surprised if he has the most catches of any rookie wideout next season."
Mel Kiper, Jr., of ESPN.com, was equally profusive: "Nelson Agholor to me just screams “high floor.” He’s a great route runner, plucks the ball out away from his body, has the proven toughness of a return man — you should hear Polian talk about that — and is sneaky explosive. He can get behind defenses."
Agholor's game is not without limitation. He struggled against press man coverage in college, and his sPARQ score – a metric based on the Nike "Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction, and Quickness" training — puts Agholor in the 50th percentile of NFL receivers.
However, he has drawn comparisons to Jeremy Maclin because of similar height, weight and speed measurables (both are approximately 6'0, 196 lbs and ran 4.4 40s coming out of college). He has also drawn comparisons to Reggie Wayne, the future hall of fame wide receiver who was equally known for his precise route running and great hands. His spider chart from Mockdraftable.com confirms this, as Reggie Wayne was his highest comp:
Agholor also brings the versatility, football intelligence, and high character that Chip Kelly covets. After drafting him in the first round of the NFL draft, Chip Kelly compared Agholor's work ethic to Jordan Matthews: “When he came here and had a visit here, we were in the room with him for a long time because of the questions he had for us about, ‘How do we attack this coverage? What do we do here?'” said Kelly. “He’s one of those guys that’s really just a student of the game. You get excited when you are around guys like that. He’s just trying to soak up everything that you can spit out in terms of being able to give him coaching points and he’s always trying to get better…Really exactly what we’re looking for in a football player.”
In short, Agholor is a polished, mature student of the game whose great hands are matched only by his versatility. He might compete with Josh Huff for playing time early in the season, but do not be surprised if Agholor impacts the game in the return game and eventually forces his way onto the field.
Zach Ertz
With all due respect to the aforementioned receivers, I am saving the best for last. I have been a big Zach Ertz believer since he was drafted in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft. At the time, it was considered a luxury pick: the Eagles reinforced the unit led by long time fan favorite, Brent Celek, by signing the versatile James Casey to a free agent contract.
But his selection is a testament to why you draft best player available over need. Celeb is slowing down. Casey is gone. And the Eagles desperately need Ertz to pick up the slack.
Ertz is a physical freak: he combines a powerful 6'5, 250 pound frame with good speed for an NFL tight end (he ran a 4.68 40 before the draft). From those numbers, he matches up well with All-World tight end Rob Gronkowski, who is 6'6, 265 and also ran a 4.68 40 coming out of Arizona.
While Ertz might not have the physical presence of the Gronk, he is arguably a more precise route runner. Per his former tight ends coach, Ted Williams, "You knew when you watched him in college that he had the chance to be something special…He's one of the best route-runners I've ever seen. He takes a lot of pride in that."
Many, including yours truly, pegged Ertz to be a breakout star last year. The struggles of my fantasy football teams at tight end can attest to that.
While Ertz flashed potential, he was limited by playing only 50% of the snaps. This was largely the result of Ertz's subpar blocking ability, which supposedly was a prerequisite if Ertz was to see the field with more regularity.
I respect Kelly for a lot of what he has accomplished as a head coach. But limiting Ertz's playing time because of his lack of blocking ability was close to coaching malpractice. It's the equivalent of leaving a Porsche in your garage because it does not excel driving over a rocky terrain.
However, to Ertz's credit, he dedicated himself towards improving his blocking this offseason. He enlisted the help of Ronnie Lott, Tony Gonzalez, and Hudson Houck, considered by many to be one of the best offensive line coaches in NFL history. Gonzalez taught him his "Routine of Greatness," a method for preparing for everything from studying film to playing on Sundays. While Houck helped Ertz improve his much maligned blocking skills.
Chip Kelly seems to have taken notice. When asked how he planned on replacing the production from Jeremy Maclin, he was quick to mention Ertz.
"I think he's still growing, and I think Zach will be the first one to tell you that," Kelly said. "I think he's working extremely hard in the offseason at continuing to get better. I still think there's a big jump that can occur with him from Year 2 to Year 3."
If Ertz can see the field with more regularity, he should be an impact player for the Eagles. In the two games in which he played more than 75% of the snaps, against the Colts and Redskins, he averaged 9.5 catches for 100 yards. While it is unrealistic to expect him to match those numbers on a weekly basis, it offers a glimpse of what he is capable of.
Conclusion
The Eagles will largely be relying on a group of young and inexperienced receivers for 2015. What they lack for in experience, however, they make up for in explosive playmaking ability and versatility. While losing Maclin hurts, I fully expect these dynamic receiving threats to be a bright spot for the Eagles next season.
Patrick Causey is a writer at Eagledelphia and can be followed on Twitter @PhillySportsJD
