Should Eagles Target Upgrades at WR in 2015 Offseason?

The Philadelphia Eagles used second- and third-round picks on wide receivers Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff in the 2014 draft. Matthews then combined with Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper to form one of the most prolific receiving trios in the NFL this past year, compiling 207 receptions, 2767 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Yet despite the investments and apparent breadth of talent the Eagles have at the position, reports from the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, have the organization kicking the tires on even more wideouts. According to Eliot Shorr-Parks for NJ.com, team officials have been spotted taking time with Ohio State’s Devin Smith and Miami’s Phillip Dorsett at this week’s practices.

PLAYER	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
J. Maclin	85	1,218	15.5	10
J. Matthews	67	872	13.0	8
R. Cooper	55	577	10.5	3
J. Huff	8	98	12.3	0

Do the Eagles really need to target receivers in this year’s draft? On the surface, the position may not appear to be among the club’s top needs entering the 2015 offseason, although that perspective could change quickly.

The elephant in the room, of course, is Maclin’s contract situation. Maclin is currently scheduled to become a free agent in March in lieu of an extension from the Birds, and while the sixth-year veteran has indicated he would prefer to remain in Philly, per Philly.com's Zach Berman, it’s not a done deal until it’s done.

One would think re-signing Maclin is a no-brainer. Aside from being the team’s feature receiver, he’ll only be 27 this year and coming off his first Pro Bowl invitation after posting 85 receptions, 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns in ‘14. However, Maclin won’t come cheap. Using other wide receiver contracts as templates, he could stand to earn around $9-10 million per season over five years.

The Eagles should probably just pay that, yet we just watched the team release DeSean Jackson last spring—a 27-year-old, three-time Pro Bowler coming off a career year—at least in part for financial reasons.

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

Even assuming Maclin is retained, Cooper’s days in Philadelphia are likely numbered. Technically, Cooper caught more passes in his second season as a starter (55 to 47), but his receiving yards (835 to 577) and touchdowns (eight to three) plummeted dramatically in ’14.

According to Spotrac, it would actually cost the Eagles more in dead money against the cap in ’15 to cut Cooper than it will cost to keep him on the roster. Looking beyond this year, however, it’s hard to imagine the organization will continue paying upward of $5 million annually beyond this coming season.

The hope would be Huff could step up and replace Cooper in the Eagles’ receiver trio, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the second-year wideout steal even more snaps next season. But unlike Matthews, Huff did not enjoy a breakout rookie season, leaving some doubt as to just how successful of a pro he will be.

Huff totaled eight receptions for 98 yards as a rookie. Worse, it’s the miscues that stand out most of all—a fumble lost, dropped passes going for interceptions, not to mention the occasional special teams gaffe. We certainly can’t pencil him in as somebody who will definitely be a factor in the future.

That being said, Huff had his moments too. He returned a kickoff 107 yards for a touchdown, the longest play in franchise history. He had a 44-yard catch-and-run that showcased how explosive and physical he can be in the passing attack. Huff is also a tenacious blocker and typically sound special teams contributor, so he understands the importance of doing the little things.

The hope would be for Maclin, Huff and Matthews to form the core of the Eagles wide receivers for years to come. But in at least two out of three cases, we have questions.

Even if Maclin stays, which we’ll know well before the draft, and Huff pans out, that’s not an especially deep group, accounting for injuries or any other situation that could crop up. Perhaps scouting receivers in this year’s draft isn’t a bad idea.

Then the question becomes where should the Eagles start targeting receivers?

YR	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
2011	14	294	21.0	4
2012	30	618	20.6	6
2013	44	660	15.0	8
2014	33	931	28.2	12

Depending on which rankings you check—ESPN Insider’s Scouts Inc., for instance—Ohio State’s Smith is a potential first-round pick. It’s hard to argue with Smith’s playmaking ability—20.7 yards per reception and 30 touchdowns in his four-year collegiate career—in an impressive 6’1”, 199-pound package, but the Eagles have much more immediate and glaring needs to address early, specifically in the secondary.

YEAR	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
2011	14	147	10.5	1
2012	58	842	14.5	4
2013	13	272	20.9	2
2014	36	871	24.2	10

CBSSports.com’s prospect rankings have Smith rated as more of a third-round pick, with Miami’s Dorsett going around the fourth. That’s an area where it may start to make more sense for the Eagles to think about bolstering a receiving corps that sooner rather than later will need some help.

Maybe that help can come from free agency. Maybe it can come in the form a developmental prospect in the draft. Or, apparently, maybe it could be another high draft pick.