How the Philadelphia Eagles Will Survive at Wide Receiver Without Jeremy Maclin

You can’t blame the Philadelphia Eagles for not matching the five-year, $55 million contract the Kansas City Chiefs awarded Jeremy Maclin. He’s being paid like one of the top wide receivers in the NFL, which might be a bit of a stretch.

That being said, there’s no denying Maclin was a huge loss for the Birds. For the second offseason in a row, the club is left scrambling to replace its No. 1 receiver—once again a Pro Bowler with over 80 receptions, 1,300 yards and at least nine touchdowns.

YR	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
2014	85	1,318	15.5	10
2012	69	857	12.4	7
2011	63	859	13.6	5
2010	70	964	13,8	10
2009	56	773	13.8	4

It’s a concern, to say the least, but fortunately not one the Eagles are entirely unprepared for. There is some semblance of young talent at the position already on the roster, in addition to receiving threats at tight end and running back that can help ease the transition. This year’s draft is said to field another deep group of pass-catchers as well.

That was also the case in 2014, and the Eagles did well to invest a couple of high selections on wideouts.

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

The Eagles traded up for Jordan Matthews in the second round and instantly installed the Vanderbilt product as the offense’s primary slot receiver. Matthews responded well to the big role, posting a strong rookie season with 67 receptions, 872 yards and eight touchdowns.

At 6’3”, 212 pounds, Matthews is built to line up on the outside, but the Eagles wanted to take advantage of potential mismatches his size creates. According to NFL.com, he also ran a 4.46 in the 40-yard dash and performed 21 reps in the bench press at the combine, so he has the speed and strength to match up against bigger corners, too.

Speaking at the NFL owners meetings, Philadelphia head coach Chip Kelly said he wasn’t sure whether Matthews would start or resume his role in the slot, per the club’s Twitter account:

Michael Perez/Associated Press

The Eagles also spent a third-round pick on Josh Huff, who is sort of the forgotten man in the group after a quiet rookie campaign marred by miscues. Huff had just six receptions in ’14, but lost a fumble, had a dropped pass go for an interception and missed a tackle on special teams that wound up going for a huge return.

Of course, the small sample size tends to magnify mistakes. In truth, Huff had some positive moments. His 107-yard kick return touchdown in Week 12 was the longest in franchise history. That play, along with a 44-yard catch-and-run in Week 15 against the Dallas Cowboys, showcased Huff’s explosive potential.

Kelly suggested a preseason injury was a major setback for Huff last season, and indicated the Oregon product is in line for a bigger role this season.

Huff could find himself in a platoon with Riley Cooper on the outside in 2015. Cooper isn’t living up to the five-year, $25 million contract he signed last offseason anytime soon, but he still caught 55 passes for 577 yards and three touchdowns last season. That’s not nothing.

PLAYER	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
J. Matthews	67	872	13.0	8
Z. Ertz	58	702	12.1	3
R. Cooper	55	577	10.5	3
D. Sproles	40	387	9.7	0
B. Celek	32	340	10.6	1
J. Huff	8	98	12.3	0

Beyond Matthews, Huff and Cooper, the Eagles don’t have another wide receiver currently under contract who’s caught a pass in the NFL. However, they do have some impressive pass-catchers at other spots.

Zach Ertz made an impressive jump in his second season as a pro, logging 58 receptions, 702 yards and three touchdowns as the second tight end on the depth chart. He’ll still likely start the season behind Brent Celek, who’s an impeccable blocker, but Ertz could see more time split out wide amid such a thin receiving corps.

Kelly also hinted that depth at running back with the signings of DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews would allow the offense to be more creative with Darren Sproles. 2014 was the first time Sproles finished with more carries than catches in three years, and was the back’s least productive season through the air since ’08.

More Ertz and Sproles in the passing attack will help account for some of the production that disappeared with Maclin’s departure, but obviously the Eagles still need another wide receiver.

The good news is there will be wideouts to be had in the draft once again. Kelly admitted receiver is probably the deepest position in this year’s class, so don’t be surprised if the club once again looks for a pass-catcher early, perhaps even in the first round. Heck, the Eagles could take two again.

Maclin was a huge loss for the Birds. He’s not the biggest or the fastest receiver in the league, but he was big and fast enough to make plays all over the field, from over the top of the defense to down inside the red zone. He was an excellent weapon for Kelly’s offense, and he’ll be missed.

Philadelphia is not entirely lacking talent on the outside, either, plus it will have the chance to bolster its group of receivers through the draft. The passing attack might take a small step back in the short term, but then again, it might not if a few young players in particular step up and continue to develop.

In other words, the Eagles should be able to survive just fine without Maclin.

All contract details courtesy Spotrac.