After the smoke cleared from the Chip Kelly era in Philadelphia, uncertainties arose in regards to the Wide Receiver position, and new coach Doug Pederson hopes to have eliminated some of those uncertainties. The additions of Rueben Randle and Chris Givens are sure to create more intrigue on the starters and the backups.
Projected Eagles Receiver Depth Chart
1: Jordan Matthews: Matthews is the clear-cut starter, and he’ll be expected to produce greater numbers than he did last year. He was the lone spark in the wide receiver group, nearly breaking the 1,000 yard mark in his second season. He’ll need to be more consistent this year, as he had huge issues with drops last year, and he will need to kick that habit in order to hold this spot; guys like Randle and Nelson Agholor are closing on him. However, arguments have been made that Matthews is better suited at the slot position. It’ll be interesting to see how he is utilized by offensive coordinator Frank Reich.
2. Rueben Randle: Randle is one of the more under appreciated receivers in the NFL. The emergence of Odell Beckham Jr. stunted his growth a bit in New York, as he saw a decline in targets upon Beckham becoming the superstar he is now. While Beckham Jr. was hurt in 2014, Randle had very respectable games, nothing flashy, but reliable, which is a trait the Eagles Desperately need.
3. Nelson Agholor: Agholor’s rookie season was a disappointment to say the least. He was one of the least productive starting receivers not only on the Eagles’ roster, but in the entire NFL. As a first round pick, he failed miserably to meet expectations, yet there is still a glimmer of hope. He’s one of that fastest guys on the entire roster, (4.42 40 dash) behind only fellow receiver Chris Givens (4.41) and running back Kenjon Barner (4.39). He also flashed some of the explosiveness he was supposed to provide, that is, when he caught the ball. He would need to improve big time to be the move up to number two on the depth chart.
4. Josh Huff: Poor Huff, after his sophomore season where he vastly improved, it seems he may be the odd man out. Huff got better at not dropping the ball, dropping it three times on 18 targets, for a drop percentage of 16.7 percent. He dropped the same amount of passes this year, but on more than double the targets (40), with a drop percentage of only 7.6 percent. He also obviously seemed better to coach Kelly, as he saw a significant boost for playing time, starting four games this season, as opposed to zero last season. Huff is the sleeper candidate to get the number three role.
5. Chris Givens: Givens is a pure deep threat, nothing more. He’ll be substituted in every now and again as the fly route guy on the roster. Other than that, expect to see very little of him.
Main Photo:
PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 20: Jordan Matthews #81 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates a first-down in the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at Lincoln Financial Field on December 20, 2015 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
