The Eagles issues at receiver are serious. The solution on how to fix them are not obvious — and the options are shrinking by the day.
Free agency is now a week old and the Eagles have tried, but failed, to addd premier talent at the position. They missed out on Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk and Allen Robinson. The front office wouldn’t be going after those players if they were actually confident in the players currently on the roster. They have tried and failed to upgrade the position.
The reality is that the remaining options in free agency are not difference makers. Unless a player they sign now exceeds expectations the Eagles have missed out on a chance to help the position in free agency. That doesn’t, however, mean they won’t try.
Here are three remaining free agent receivers that could interest the team, besides the obvious Zach Pascal connection:
Jarvis Landry: Landry is not the player he once was. His stats have regressed for three-straight seasons and his games played have as well. Throw in the fact that he is 29 and he doesn’t check the youth box that most of the free agents the Eagles have tried to sign do. Still, he does check two other boxes. The Eagles have been looking for slot receivers and Landry has been at his best lining up on the inside. Although his age, as mentioned above, isn’t ideal he would bring much-needed veteran presence to locker room. Despite his issues he would make the receiving core better, which at this point, is really all that matters. Landry is likely looking to play for a legitimate championship team, however, which the Eagles are not.
Jamison Crowder: Crowder is a year younger than Landry, and like Landry, has been at his best in the slot. He has been able to put up good numbers in his career, catching over 65% of his passes in five of his seven seasons, which is an accomplishment considering who his quarterbacks have been. Crowder has missed at least four games each of the last two seasons, which isn’t ideal, but he has been relatively healthy throughout his career. Crowder is a good route runner and dependable, which is definitely something the Eagles need, even if he isn’t a game-changing player.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling: Valdes-Scantling doesn’t line up in the slot often, but he does check two other boxes— he has great size and he stretches the field. Valdes-Scantling stands 6-foot-4, giving him the size the Eagles need opposite the undersized DeVonta Smith. He has speed to go with his height, and ability to make plays on passes down the field, as he is averaging 17.5 yards-per-reception in his career, and 20.9 yards-per-reception in 2020. Add in that he is the youngest receiver on this list (27-years old) and Valdes-Scantling is one of the best options remaining on the open market.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com