Receiver Jalen Reagor has been one of the most criticized players on the Eagles roster since he was drafted in the first round last year.
Part of it has to do with a rookie season that saw him miss time due to injury. Part of it has to do with him not meeting the expectations many had for the first-round pick. And there is no doubt that part of it has to do with the fact that Justin Jefferson, in case you didn't know, went right after him.
As a result of the criticism Reagor's relationship with the fans has been a rocky one, especially on social media, where the receiver has noticed the many negative comments sent his way.
Now back for his second season with the Eagles, Reagor addressed the heavy criticism from fans (and media) about his rookie year.
"You can look at it two ways. People can say whatever they want to say, but if you respond, you're wrong," Reagor said. "But it is what it is. I know what I can do better, that is why I attacked this offseason the way I did. We'll see if everybody has that same energy after the season."
Reagor finished his rookie season with 31 catches for 396 yards and one touchdown in 11 games. While his lack of production is obviously concerning, a larger issue from his rookie season was a lack of big down-the-field plays, which is almost exclusively why the team selected him in the first round. Reagor averaged just 12.8 yards-per-catch, and was only about to make a big play down the field twice — once against Washington in Week 1 and then not again until Week 13 when Jalen Hurts found him deep against Green Bay.
It seems Reagor's role in the offense is going to change this upcoming season. Reagor hinted on Tuesday that he could be spending more time in the slot this season than he did last year, and said one emphasis of Nick Sirianni's offense is being able to have each receiver on the roster line up anywhere on the field.
With a new head coach, a new quarterback and a new rookie receiver lining up next to him, the Eagles would definitely benefit from Reagor taking a big step forward in his second season. If he does, the receiving group could turn from a weakness into a strength pretty quickly.
"You are going to see a whole lot of improvement," Reagor said. "That's all I can say."
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
