The Eagles Receivers: Where In Good Heaven Is Paul Turner?

Is there anyone who still isn’t convinced that Paul Turner should be elevated to the active roster?

It happens every year during the preseason, and it was no different for the Philadelphia Eagles this year. There’s always a guy who steals the show, steals the headlines and, as a result, steals the hearts of fans. They often don’t make the team, but we cheer for those guys anyway. Wide receiver Paul Turner was that guy this year, but he’s different. Why you ask? He’s different because we’re all approaching week 11 of the NFL season (it’s amazing how time flies), and we’re still talking about Paul Turner.

As he sits on the practice squad, questions continue about how fast he is, how ready he is and how he accomplished everything he did in the preseason against guys who ultimately wouldn’t make NFL rosters. One thing that you have to say about this guy is he passes the eyeball test. Who cares about his so-called measurables? The fact of the matter and the only thing that should matter is, when he was given the opportunity to play, he made things happen.

Click here for his one handed catch against the Pittsburgh Steelers or just click the link below for his punt return for a touchdown against the New York Jets.

Correct us if we’re wrong. That doesn’t seem like the guy can’t hit the accelerator. Even if he can’t, this team is loaded with speedsters. What they need is a possession guy that can catch. Do you see Nelson Agholor making one-handed catches like the one we just evidenced? Agholor, against the Dallas Cowboys, had a catch that was ruled incomplete because he had stepped out of bounds prior to the grab. The point? Some of his catches aren’t even catches.

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Some of the reluctance to elevate Turner stems from the need at so many other positions, and the Eagles, who have a ton of skill players already, aren’t quite ready to pull the trigger. This has been compounded by the issues at cornerback, including Nolan Carroll‘s need to undergo concussion protocol and Leodis McKelvin‘s hamstring injury. The roster spot may need to stay open because the Eagles, already being thin in the secondary, may need to make a move there before it’s all said and done.

Meanwhile, the Eagles, again are at the top of the league in dropped passes. Dorial Green-Beckham is among the team leaders in this category (sad because he isn’t targeted as often as fans would like), and the team’s best receiver, Jordan Matthews, has had a case of the stone hands as well. One of his most memorable drops so far came this past Sunday as the wideout dropped a sure touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons. It’s even gotten to be contagious. The normally sure-handed Darren Sproles is now starting to have some issues and is credited with four drops this season.

Next: Philadelphia Eagles: Final thoughts on Atlanta and initial thoughts on Seattle

Truthfully all of this is starting to become depressing. Here’s a message to the Eagles. Give Turner a shot. Enough said.

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