Josh Huff Finally Displays Potential with Philadelphia Eagles

Even as rookie seasons go, Josh Huff was a disappointment for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2014.

It wasn't so much that the third-round draft pick finished with only eight catches. It was the lack of production coupled with all the crippling, untimely miscues.

Yet all it took was one game to remind everybody how much potential Huff has. The wide receiver led all Eagles with 78 yards through the air in Sunday's 39-17 victory over the New Orleans Saints, including a 41-yard touchdown reception—the first of his NFL career.

If the world didn't know who Huff was before, it probably does now after he somersaulted into the end zone.

It shouldn't come as a surprise to anybody that Huff is enjoying an improved sophomore campaign. It's only natural for young athletes to develop and learn. The signs were there during training camp as well, as Huff routinely took the top off the Eagles defense.

YR	GMS	REC	YDS	TD
2015	4	8	117	1
2014	12	8	97	0

Up until Sunday, however, he had been practically invisible. Many observers had little hope for Huff to begin with, on account of just how awful his rookie season was. Again, it wasn't merely the numbers. Huff couldn't get on the field, and when he did the play often ended poorly.

According to Pro Football Focus, Huff was targeted 17 times in 2014. He dropped four. Two wound up going for interceptions. He lost a fumble on another. In a word, he was unreliable.

Through the first four weeks of this season, Huff had just four receptions for 39 yards—all in the first two contests—and missed a game with an injury. Eagles head coach Chip Kelly explained that health was not only partially responsible for Huff's struggles as a rookie but contributed to his slow start in 2015.

"I think Josh can do it all," Kelly said. "The thing with Josh is just [that] he missed an extended period of time at the beginning of last season, just kind of getting the reps and getting him more comfortable in terms of what we're doing.

"He was playing well [this season], I think he played 36 or 37 snaps, and then got hurt and missed the Jets game. Then coming back off the injury, he didn't practice full in the Washington week but had a really good week of training this week going into the Saints game, so [we're] just trying to get him back out there."

Rich Schultz/Getty Images

Miscues aside, Huff did demonstrate explosive ability as a rookie. There was an impressive 44-yard catch-and-run against the Dallas Cowboys, running through three tackles, and a 107-yard kick return for a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans is the longest play in franchise history.

And to be fair, the sample size was small. When somebody has as little playing time as Huff, the mistakes tend to be magnified. Not only that, but rookies inevitably will and have to be allowed to make those mistakes. It's part of the process.

Huff isn't a rookie anymore and is making a case to play a bigger role in the Eagles offense. Five weeks in, eight catches match last season's total, and 117 yards and a touchdown eclipse the previous year's numbers. He looks like the best receiver on the team in terms of running after the catch. More importantly, Huff has no self-inflicted errors to speak of thus far.

Kelly, who also coached Huff at the University of Oregon, believes the future is bright.

YR	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
2010	19	303	15.9	3
2011	31	430	13.9	2
2012	32	493	15.4	7
2013	62	1,140	18.4	12

"Josh, in general as a player, is an extremely dynamic player," Kelly said. "I think he's got the ability to change directions, stop and start. He's really good with the football in his hands; that's why he's doing a great job of returning [kicks] for us. We've used him as a running back when he was back in college. He could make people miss.

"But the other thing with Josh is he's extremely tough. He's one of the better blockers in this league. I mean, he's a tough, physical person at the point of attack."

The reality is that the Eagles probably need Huff to become a reliable weapon in this offense. Fellow recent draft picks Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor are here to stay, but veterans Riley Cooper and Miles Austin are likely out the door after this season.

Austin is in Philadelphia on a one-year deal, and Cooper will be released absent a restructuring of his contract. The Eagles will be counting on Huff to become a full-time player—a No. 3 receiver at the very least.

The talent is there. It's all about capitalizing on opportunities. Huff did just that on Sunday, his big plays helping the Eagles earn a huge victory. Now he has to build on that outing and become a fixture in the offense.

All training camp observations and quotes are the author's.