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CRÊME PHILADELPHIA – When the Eagles drove back running back Josh Adams from the training team and released catcher DeAndre Carter, that only meant highlighting their hole in the receiver's position.
With the disappearance of Carter and Mike Wallace (fractured fibula), the Eagles have only three receivers in good health – Nelson Agholor, Kamar Aiken and Shelton Gibson – with just five days before Sunday's game against the Colts. Indianapolis. Alshon Jeffery is "week-to-week" while he is recovering from an off-season shoulder operation and his status for week 3 is not clear.
It seems that Howie Roseman, Executive Vice President of Eagles Football Operations, is watching a few familiar faces to fill the void.
The first is Jordan Matthews, who reportedly was seen at the Eagles' facilities on Tuesday, only a year after being traded to the Buffalo Bills. Matthews signed with the New England Patriots as a free agent this summer, but was released after suffering a hamstring injury.
The other is Jeremy Maclin, who played for the Eagles from 2009 to 2014 and was released by the Baltimore Ravens in March and could soon train for the Eagles, by NBC SportsJohn Clark.
Here are some thoughts on the two veterans working for the Eagles:
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1. Maclin is not ready yet: Maclin might not even be available for a workout until next week. Per Clark, Maclin is still recovering from a leg injury and may not be physically ready to join the Eagles. Will the Eagles have the patience to wait?
2. Matthews may not be in good health, eitherBefore releasing Matthews, the Patriots initially placed him on an injured reserve. Finally, he accepted a settlement, which allowed him to become a free agent. Tuesday's Matthews training was probably aimed primarily at seeing where he was in health.
3. Maclin is not the player that he was formerly: Maclin's best season with the Eagles was his last, having recorded 85 receptions for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2014 in the Chip Kelly attack. He is now 30 years old and his number has gradually worsened since he left the Eagles. He had 1,088 yards and eight touchdowns in 15 games with the Chiefs in 2015, then only 976 yards and five touchdowns in 24 games since.
4. Matthews might not be either: After being traded to the Bills, Matthews battled injury problems all season and never returned to the form that made Carson Wentz his first target in 2016. He captured 75 assists, 891 yards and six touchdowns in three seasons. He finished with 25 catches, 282 yards and one touchdown in 10 games with the bills.
5. The two could probably intervene right away: Even more than the skills, the biggest attraction for both players is their familiarity with the offensive and the structure of the Eagles. Eagles coach Doug Pederson was part of Andy Reid's staff in Philadelphia for the first four years of his career. He was also Maclin's offensive coordinator with the Chiefs in 2015. Matthews was a close friend of Wentz. and spent the entire 2016 season and the 2017 inter-season with Pederson and the Eagles. The learning curve would not be as strong as that of other free market players.
Listen to "The No-Huddle Show: An Eagles Podcast" on Spreaker.
Zack Rosenblatt can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ZackBlatt. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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