No position has been talked about, speculated on or written about more this offseason than the Eagles wide receiver position.
Now, it is time to start finding out just how the team did in an attempt to upgrade the position.
Training camp should be starting one week from today, and when it does, the Eagles will practice with 13 receivers on their 90-man roster. Over half of the receivers that will practice with the team at the start of camp weren't here at the start of last season, and only one was a projected starter for the 2019 season.
The result is a group that has some potential, but also plenty of questions.
Here are 13 thoughts about the Eagles 13 wide receivers:
DeSean Jackson: One thing that has really stood out this offseason is not only how committed the Eagles are to Jackson, but just how convinced they are he will be an impact player for them this season. Not only did they stand by Jackson after social media posts that the team called "appalling", but they stood by him after he played in just two games last season, his third-straight season his games-played have decreased. Releasing Jackson to go with a youth movement at receiver would have been a perfectly understandable position.
Instead, Jackson enters the 2020 season as the only healthy, accomplished veteran on the roster. It wouldn't be surprising to see Jackson get 8-10 targets a game if he stays healthy. The Eagles are going to give Jackson every chance to have a big bounce-back season. If what he did in Week 1 last season was any indication, it very well could happen.
If he once again gets hurt, however, the Eagles' extremely risky plan of putting so many of their eggs in the basket of a 33-year old receiver will look foolish pretty quickly.
Alshon Jeffery: Like Jackson, the Eagles truly do believe Jeffery will come back this season and be a big part of their offense. There are some obvious flaws in that thinking, and it is safe to say they might not have convinced themselves of that if they didn't guarantee his 2020 salary. But while the skepticism surrounding Jeffery is fair, i he can come back 100% healthy, he is still a decent, starting NFL wide receiver. Like with Jackson, however, the chances of that happening feel slim.
Jalen Reagor: It won't happen (at least it won't happen without Jackson getting injured), but the Eagles would be wise to make sure Reagor leads the receivers in snaps this season. Reagor needs experience, he needs to develop, he needs to grow chemistry with Wentz and he needs to be ready to be an impact player in 2021. There will be growing pains, but in what should be a weird season in which the team doesn't truly expect to compete for a Super Bowl, getting Reagor as many snaps as possible should be the top goal for the team at the receiver position.
J.J. Arcega-Whiteside: It might be just his second season, but this feels like a make-or-break year for Arcega-Whiteside. In the Eagles ideal world he would start opposite Jackson this season and show enough to go into the 2021 season as the unquestioned starter opposite Reagor. If he doesn't, it wouldn't be surprising if this was Arcega-Whiteside's last season on the team.
Greg Ward: The fact Ward is going to have to compete for playing time in 2020 is kind of silly when you consider how well he played last year and how much he stepped up when the team needed him. He earned the starting slot receiver job, but will likely see a dip in snaps considering how much the Eagles like to move Jackson to the inside. Ward showed some great chemistry with Wentz and it would be wise for the Eagles to make sure that chemistry continue to develop next season. Ward leading the team in catches (at least among the receivers) shouldn't be ruled out.
Marquise Goodwin: Goodwin's spot on the roster is not guaranteed, especially when (according to OverTheCap.com) the team could save $4 million by releasing him. He was likely acquired as a safety net for the younger players on the roster, and will only see the field if Jackson gets hurt or players like Reagor, Arcega-Whiteside or the other rookie receivers don't look ready to play. Goodwin really is one of the biggest wildcards the Eagles have at receiver. If healthy, he can certainly provide the speed they lacked last season. If the knee issues he dealt with last season impact him, he might never play a snap.
Shelton Gibson: Gibson's chances of making the team really rest on his ability to show he can contribute on special teams. Gibson played 50% of the special teams snaps in the Eagles' playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks, a positive sign for how special teams coach Dave Fipp feels about him. Still, he faces an uphill battle to make the team.
Deontay Burnett: Burnett played just 20% of the snaps in both the Eagles key Week 17 game vs. New York and their playoff loss to Seattle. If Burnett wasn't able to get playing time last season, with an extremely depleted receiving core, it is hard to imagine him getting it this year. Burnett is a potential practice squad candidate, or someone the Eagles will keep on speed dial incase they suffer more injuries at the position.
Robert Davis: Davis, like Burnett, was briefly an Eagles starting receiver last season due to the massive injuries the unit suffered from. He didn't exactly hit a home run with the opportunity he got, catching just one pass for six yards in 103 snaps. Davis likely has a better shot of making the team this year, however, as he brings size to the roster — 6-foot-3, 210 pounds — that Burnett does not. If Arcega-Whiteside really struggles, and Jeffery takes longer than expected to heal, Davis could once again be called into action.
Quez Watkins: Watkins has been working hard this offseason to make sure he can get on the field ASAP, meeting up with Wentz in Texas to get some reps in with the starting quarterback. Like Reagor, the logic behind putting Watkins on the field is simple — he is young, he needs to develop and he is lighting quick. I love the idea of the Eagles putting Watkins out there and letting him make some rookie mistakes but developing into a contributing player in 2021. Considering the Eagles seem set on trying to go with veterans at receiver to start the season, however, Watkins might be a player the team tries to sneak onto the practice squad.
John Hightower: Hightower is slightly more versatile than Watkins, and brings special teams value, which will help him as the two rookies battle for what might only be one roster spot. What is hurting Hightower, however, is that it is likely going to be easier to slip him onto the practice squad. Either way, Hightower is another young, intriguing receiver the Eagles should make sure gets plenty of reps with Wentz this season.
Marcus Green: Green spent almost all of last season on the practice squad, which is not a great sign when you consider how desperate they were for any of the three things he in theory should bring to the table — he plays receiver, he is quick and he can return kicks. If the Eagles went with a complete youth movement at receiver this season Green might have a chance, but at this point his ceiling is likely the practice squad to start the season.
Manasseh Bailey: Bailey put up some impressive numbers at Morgan State, averaging 19.3 yards-per-catch last season on 49 catches to go along with 10 touchdowns. It is going to be extremely tough for UDFAs to make the Eagles this year, even if the front office might be more excited for the potential of a player like Bailey over someone they have had in the building for a year. Bailey is going to need a strong training camp to make the practice squad.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
