Philadelphia Eagles Jeremy Maclin Needs A Contract Extension
Sep 21, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin (18) celebrates his touchdown against the Washington Redskins during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey G. Pittenger-USA TODAY Sports
Five games into the season the Philadelphia Eagles are now sitting at 4-1, yet the fanbase continues questioning and doubting this team even after they find surprising ways to keep winning.
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They haven’t had a stellar rushing attack. The offensive line is fighting through a myriad of injuries. Quarterback Nick Foles‘ play has been erratic. The defense has been even more erratic, keeping young star in the making Andrew Luck under 200 passing yards, but then conceding 300+ yards to Austin Davis. Outside of a superb special teams unit, this Eagles team seems to be one giant enigma as to how they keep finding ways to win.
However, there has been one constant that has helped this Eagles offense move the chains, pick up yardage, and point points on the board.
Through five games, Jeremy Maclin has accrued 25 receptions on an eye-popping 57 targets, tied for first in the league. He has picked up 427 yards (7th in the league) and is tied for fifth among all wide receivers with 4 touchdowns. He hasn’t had a game where he’s been targeted less than nine times. He’s been making impressive catches all over the field with acrobatic sideline grabs and big play touchdowns in key moments of games.
Maclin is on pace to shatter his previous career numbers and have his best season under head coach Chip Kelly.
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After a summer free of a quarterback controversy, one of the biggest storylines heading into the season for the Eagles was how the wide receivers would make up for the loss of DeSean Jackson. Coming off a career year in which Jackson caught 82 receptions, 1,332 yards and 9 touchdowns, the Philadelphia fanbase speculated all summer how the team would overcome this loss. Newcomer Darren Sproles and the emergence of sophomore tight end Zach Ertz were supposed to help mitigate this loss, and they have to an extent, but Jeremy Maclin has replaced the production of DeSean almost single-handedly.
“In my eyes I try to make every play that I can, and I’m confident I’m going to make every play.” – Jeremy Maclin
Maclin is on pace for 80 receptions, 1,373 yards, and 13 touchdowns. Those are phenomenal statistics that would make any Eagles fan happy, but the truth is that those numbers barely touch the surface of what Maclin is capable of producing. Maclin and quarterback Nick Foles still aren’t on the same page as Foles has struggled early this season and the two are still working on their chemistry. Foles has overthrown his new #1 wideout on several occasions and sometimes missed the opportunity entirely without even seeing that Maclin was open. When Foles and Maclin begin to really start clicking and that whopping number of targets translates into more receptions, watch out.
At his present rate, Maclin’s floor for 2014 has now become the equivalent to DeSean Jackson’s greatest career year. Maclin gambled on himself this year, accepting a one-year deal from Philadelphia in order to see how he’d fare in head coach Chip Kelly’s “see-coast” offense. Through five games, we’ve already “seen” that Maclin can be a difference maker for Kelly. Maclin’s one-year deal that could reach up to $6 million based on incentives is a complete bargain when comparing his salary to other teams’ #1 wide receivers.
The Eagles have about $17 million in cap space to rollover into next year and General Manager Howie Roseman needs to invest in Philadelphia’s offensive star of 2014. Foles still has another year on his rookie deal and the Eagles would be wise to spend their money to continue providing him with the weapons Foles needs to develop his own skillset if Kelly and Roseman see him as their quarterback for the future. Jeremy Maclin has become one of their most dynamic and productive weapons and at the age of 26, a lengthy cap-friendly deal is without a doubt warranted for the former Mizzou Tiger.