Philadelphia Eagles’ Wide Receiver Youth Movement Key To Present & Future Success

The Philadelphia Eagles were dealt another blow at wide receiver in their Thursday Night Football win over the New York Giants, with veteran DeSean Jackson suffering an injury that will keep him out for much of the remainder of the season.

Jackson is expected to be out six to eight weeks with a non-displaced ankle fracture, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Philadelphia’s wide receiver corps has been decimated by injuries this season, forcing them to place trust in a youthful cast of unknowns.

The Eagles now seem to keen to get younger at receiver. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported Alshon Jeffery is “very clearly available” for trade.

Given Jeffery is 30 years old and has not played a game this season as he recovers from a Lisfranc injury suffered in December, the Eagles may not find many takers for the former Chicago Bear.

If that proves to be the case, the smart move would be for the Eagles to keep Jeffery on the periphery, as the unheralded group of receivers that have stayed healthy are now producing encouraging returns.

The Eagles’ offense is a difficult watch. Carson Wentz, who has 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season, consistently demonstrates erratic decision-making while having to contend with a banged-up offensive line that has had significant struggles keeping him clean.

Yet there are clear signs of a burgeoning rapport between him and several of his receivers. Travis Fulgham, who enjoyed a breakout performance in the Week 5 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, leads the team with 357 receiving yards and has at least five receptions in three of his four games this season.

He and Greg Ward Jr. each have three receiving touchdowns to their name, with the trust Wentz developed in Ward, a former collegiate quarterback at Houston, down the stretch last year carrying through into 2020.

Wentz should also have gained more faith in rookie John Hightower. The fifth-round pick came up with a crucial 59-yard reception on the fourth-quarter drive that pulled the Eagles back within a touchdown against the Giants and is averaging 18.4 yards per reception on his nine catches.

Hightower looks to have the potential to become an exciting deep threat for Wentz, who could have another speedy option in Jalen Reagor back for the November 1 game against the Dallas Cowboys if the Eagles designate him to return from a thumb injury.

Dallas Goedert’s likely return from injured reserve in Week 10, when he should take the role of starting tight end after the struggling Zach Ertz went to IR due to an ankle problem, will add to the list of dependable targets at Wentz’s disposal for the stretch run in the much-maligned NFC East.

Wentz does not have the supporting cast enjoyed by Andy Dalton with the Cowboys. However, the emergence of Fulgham has provided him with a physically imposing possession receiver who can make plays downfield and in the red zone.

Add in the speed of Reagor and Hightower, Ward’s reliability and versatility and the dynamism offered by Goedert at tight end, and Wentz — undoubtedly the best quarterback in the division — has the weapons to secure a second successive NFC East title.

That may not be seen as much of an achievement given the standard of a division that has combined for six wins so far. Yet, with the Eagles projected to be $63 million over the expected salary cap in 2021 — per Spotrac — the impressive progression of several affordable wide receivers, all of whom are 25 or under, is a success story Philadelphia will deem worth celebrating.

With the decisive impact Fulgham and Co. may have on the division race and the financial burden they could potentially ease, it is no surprise the Eagles appear ready to make the prudent move of embracing the youth movement at receiver.


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