If you have been following the Eagles this offseason with even a passing interest chances are you’ve heard your share of wide receiver-related rumors. First it was T.J. Houshmanzadeh (who we wrote about so many times I can actually spell his last name right on the first try), then Anquan Boldin, then Marvin Harrison, another round of Boldin rumors, and that was all before Torry Holt got cut by the Rams.
We’ve been so inundated with false reasons for hope that I debated skipping a post altogether about Braylon Edwards possibly being moved. Why should we even bother getting excited about this? Coach Reid already said he “likes our receivers” (that’s a box you can fill in on Eagles Offseason Bingo, by the way). At what point do we just accept what we have and move on?
The answer to that question is NEVER! Finding a true #1 receiver has become a obsession for Eagles fans and why shouldn’t it? Donovan McNabb had his best season in 2004 when he had T.O. to throw to, and while Desean Jackson has the potential to develop into an elite player the core of the offense (McNabb, Westbrook) isn’t exactly getting any younger.
Would I take Braylon Edwards on the Birds? Depending on the price…hell yeah! So he dropped a lot of passes last season; he’s also proved he can be a big time playmaker (those 16 TDs in ’07 ring a bell?) and he has the kind of physical abilities that any defense would need to gameplan around. As long as the asking price is reasonable I think it’s something the Eagles would have to look into.
That being said it never hurts to take stock in what you already have. Andy offered his take on some our receivers in a recent interview on philadelphiaeagles.com, and I figured I’d offer my two cents on some of our guys as well.
DeSean Jackson -
“It was great to get DeSean (Jackson) in the action there (in 2008)…DeSean has to continue to work hard in this off-season, get stronger and more precise in his route running, all of those things. And then we have a big challenge as coaches of coming up with new things to make sure that he has an opportunity to catch the football.”
Jackson is young and explosive, if not a bit undersized. If he bulks up he could definitely develop into a Steve Smith-type playmaker. The only problem is he is still too inconsistent right now to be relied upon as a true #1, and the fact that he had only two regular season receiving touchdowns brings into question his effectiveness as a red zone threat. All in all Reid was spot on to point out that Jackson still has plenty of work to do, especially now that the opposition has more film on him. As of today Jackson can be considered a solid #2 guy with a lot of upside.
Kevin Curtis -
“Kevin is coming off sports hernia surgery that, as we know here, slow you down a little bit. I don’t think Kevin was feeling what he normally feels as a football player until probably the last three games of the season and you were able to see that as we went into the playoffs.”
The sports hernia definitely slowed Curtis down, but even when healthy he is not an elite target. He did have 77 catches for 1100 yards and 6 TDs in his first season as an Eagle, but I’d say that’s the ceiling for what he can achieve statistically. Definitely #2 material but he’d be even better suited for the slot, where he was terrific for the Rams for three seasons.
Jason Avant -
“You saw him bloom into this third receiver who was virtually unstoppable as an inside receiver. He just had a phenomenal year, and he was coming off a sports hernia surgery from the year before and was also banged up just a little bit as we went down the stretch. We expect good things from him and for him to take another step up.”
Much like Curtis, Avant has a knack for getting open in the middle of the field and making the clutch catches on third down. Could he make it as a primary target on the edge? Probably not, but he’s still an incredibly valuable safety valve for McNabb.
Hank Baskett/Reggie Brown – (Reid lumped them together in the interview)
“We’ve got young guys around them – Hank Baskett and Reggie Brown, who is a starting-caliber player and who has started a lot of games for us. We consider him a starter in this mix.”
I can’t tell who Reid is trying to refer to here as a “starting-caliber player” but I’d say if Brown or Baskett is starting for you you’re in big trouble. Neither is all that young anymore (Baskett is 26 and Brown is 28) and neither has shown the ability to be anything more than a complementary receiver (a #4 or 5 guy.) Brown’s stock dropped so rapidly last year that he wasn’t even dressing for games later in the season. Can either of them be relied upon for a big contribution next season? Highly doubtful.
However, if having a hot wife factored in to being a #1 guy, Hank would be a perrenial Pro-Bowler…I’ll give him that much.
Shaheer McBride -
Reid failed to mention him in the interview for a reason. ‘Nuff said.
So there you have it…would you feel confident with Jackson/Curtis/Avant carrying the load next season? Sure those guys can get the job done, but there is no depth on this unit right now. One injury to Jackson or Curtis and the Eagles would be in deep trouble, and none of those guys are a big enough threat to make opposing cornerbacks nervous (Jackson will be there someday, but not quite yet.) That’s why I still think the Eagles will add to the position at some point this offseason. Will it be a Boldin or an Edwards? (You can forget about Holt or Harrison unless they come extremely cheap) Maaaaybe, but I’d bet on the Birds taking a receiver in the first three rounds of the draft as a much more likely scenario.
Doesn’t mean we can’t get our hopes up for a major move though! Come on Lurie, all I want for my Birthday (which is today, fyi) is Boldin in Philly!!
