The Eagles have prioritized their wide receiver depth chart over the past three offseasons, spending notable picks on J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Jalen Reagor and DeVonta Smith.
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In 2019, the Eagles struck out with the second round Arcega-Whiteside. In 2020, Reagor — a first-round selection — followed suit. But this past offseason, Smith turned out to be a home-run pick, breaking the franchise rookie receiving yards record and looking like a true alpha wideout, despite his svelte frame.
During Wednesday’s end-of-year press conference, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni and GM Howie Roseman offered detailed insight on their young wide receiver corps and the honesty of both men sent shockwaves to critics and fans alike.
Here are five takeaways from Roseman and Sirianni’s comments on the wide receivers:
Nick Sirianni loves DeVonta Smith
What Sirianni said: “I feel really good about the wide receiver group as a whole. I think you have a number one guy in DeVonta Smith. I think he is a number one receiver, and he continues to get better. Why do I think he’s a number one receiver? Because he can consistently win one-on-one, he can get the ball into his hands and make plays with the ball in his hand, maybe run a short pass. He catches everything. His competitive nature.
“I don’t think that there are a lot of true No. 1 receivers in the NFL, and I think we have one that is going to continue to get better.”
Takeaway: Smith was everything the Eagles wanted in a first-round pick as a rookie. He was durable, reliable and made huge plays all year. While Sirianni probably wanted to get him more involved in the offense, the midseason change in philosophy hindered his numbers.
That said, Sirianni doesn’t have any buyer’s remorse with Smith. As a former wide receivers coach, Sirianni pays extra attention to the position, and Smith has set the tone at the position. Smith caught 64 passes for 916 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie. His future is bright and the Eagles are excited to see him continue to grow.
Jalen Reagor has admittedly disappointed the Eagles
What Sirianni said: “Jalen Reagor, we want more production from Jalen Reagor and he has all the talent to do so. So, I like him in that No. 3 spot right now to be able to make plays because he has skill, he has talent. It’s our job as coaches to get that skill and that talent out of him so it produces on the field. And it’s our job as coaches to put him in position to succeed.”
What Roseman said: “Certainly, heading into year three, expected more from [WR] Jalen [Reagor] at this point. We had a chance to sit down with him after the season and had an honest conversation about the things that he needs to develop and the things that we can help him develop to continue his growth, in terms of learning from anything. We have to do that. We have to continue to evolve.
“We kind of have to look at not only the things that maybe we don’t like about our decision-making, not just talking about Jalen in this situation, but talking about as a whole, but also the things that we did well. I think that’s part of continuing to grow in your job and in your profession.”
Takeaway: It should come as no surprise that Reagor has been a genuine disappointment for the Eagles, who selected him one spot before Minnesota Vikings superstar Justin Jefferson. Through two seasons, Reagor has just 64 catches for 695 yards and three touchdowns. And the numbers only tell half the story.
Reagor has made consistent mental errors as a receiver and returner over the past two seasons. He has also looked considerably less explosive than he did during his college career. Sirianni said that it’s the coaching staff’s job to put Reagor in a position to succeed, but the play-calling consistently offered him opportunities to make plays. Roseman even said there are things that Reagor needs to work on and that both sides met to have an honest chat about his production and progress.
Both sides could benefit from a breakup, but the Eagles can’t publicly disown him. Roseman will likely shop Reagor in the offseason for a late-round pick or a player swap.
Sirianni thinks Quez Watkins is a starter
What Sirianni said: “Then I look at [WR] Quez Watkins, as he’s our No. 2 wide receiver. He has big-time speed, and he has a knack to make plays. Of course, you always want to get – the style of offense that we played this year didn’t allow for Quez to get as many touches as he probably deserves, but we did everything we could do to win each individual game.
“So, Quez has big-play ability in him. I think out of the No. 2 wide-outs I’ve been around in the NFL, he can be one of the best No. 2′s that I’ve been around in the NFL because of his skillset and because of his ability to make plays.”
Takeaway: The 2020 sixth-round pick impressed the new coaching staff with a breakout performance in training camp. He quickly overtook Reagor, his draft classmate, in the lineup and became the consistent option opposite Smith on the outside.
While Sirianni was quick to praise Watkins here, this seems a bit overboard. Watkins flashed brilliance this season but was painfully inconsistent. He finished with 43 catches for 647 yards and a touchdown, but there were several games where he basically disappeared from the stat sheet.
Ideally, Watkins would be the number three wideout behind Smith and either a high-priced veteran or a top-pick rookie.
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Greg Ward isn’t a goner?
What Sirianni said: “I really valued [WR] Greg Ward’s contribution to the group. I can’t say enough good things about Greg Ward. He’s one of the main leaders on this team. He’s one of the main leaders in that wide-out room.
“It’s through the example of how he kind of goes about his business. For a guy to have 50 or 60 catches that he had last year and then take a little bit of step back of the role that he had this year, but still be able to lead, that speaks volumes to what kind of person Greg Ward is. Each room needs a leader in that aspect.”
Takeaway: Ward went from being a starting slot receiver under Doug Pederson to competing for a handful of snaps under Sirianni. That said, from Sirianni to Smith to offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, everyone praised Ward for his leadership this season.
Ward had some brutal drops in the end zone this year. He also barely got targeted on offense. But it seems like there’s a real possibility that the Eagles offer him an original-round restricted tender in free agency. If Reagor and Arcega-Whiteside are sent packing, Ward could fill out the bottom of the depth chart. Sirianni went out of his way to praise the former college QB with quite the endorsement.
Sirianni likes his wideouts, but the group is upgradeable
What Sirianni said: “I’m pleased with this group. Again, you’re not going to have the same statistical output when you’re the type of offense that we were this year, but I am very pleased with this group. I know that this is a good group. Are we always going to look to add talent to the group and play-makers to the group? Of course. But I like where we sit right now as the wide receiver group, and I think we can continue to grow at that group because of the talent we have and the guys that we have in that room.”
Takeaway: As with any position, the Eagles overvalue their receivers.
There is a clear need for upgrades at wideout, and Sirianni knows that. While he is “pleased” with the depth chart, he clearly isn’t over the moon about it. A good group isn’t a great group, which is what the receiver-obsessed coach likely craves.
The most telling line was the self-imposed question about adding talent. “Of course” the Eagles are going to add to the group, probably with a high-priced free agent or a top-tier draft prospect.
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Mike Kaye may be reached at mkaye@njadvancemedia.com.
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