Mack Hollins could be the reason why Jordan Matthews was traded.
One day after the Eagles preseason opener, veteran wide receiver Jordan Matthews was traded to the Bills.
One of the biggest stories of the offseason for the Philadelphia Eagles was based around wide receiver Jordan Matthews. It wasn’t long until he was put on the trade block at the start of the NFL‘s new season. When the 2017 NFL Draft was over, it was shocking to see Matthews still on the Eagles roster. Fast forward to week one of the preseason, and Matthews and a third-round pick were traded to the Buffalo Bills for cornerback Ronald Darby.
It was clear that the Eagles needed to make a move to fill in the most needed position. What does this mean for the wide receiver corp though? Since 2014, Matthews has been the most consistent wide receiver on the Eagles roster. Nothing about that has changed either against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night. He played one drive and caught all three passes thrown his way for 18 yards. Once again, Matthews looked like Carson Wentz most reliable target on the field.
The competition happened…
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Jordan Matthews was a big name in the media during the offseason for reasons that were out of his reach. While he was constantly rumored to be shopped to other teams, Nelson Agholor stepped his game up big time. He improved so much that it officially declared a battle for the slot wide receiver position.
While the focus on Thursday night was Matthews versus Agholor, another player has decided to make a case for himself. Rookie receiver Mack Hollins has quickly become a key player to watch during this offseason. He has impressed day in and day out since OTA’s, and it translated onto the field during the game.
After Matthews made a few small plays against the Packers, Hollins made the biggest play of the night. A 38-yard touchdown catch and shaking two defenders off proved that Hollins has some legit potential at the NFL level. Looking at how quickly the Eagles got rid of Matthews now, the real threat to Matthews spot on the Eagles roster was not Agholor, it was Hollins.
Related Story: Eagles solve two looming issues with Jordan Matthews trade
Think about it…
Agholor’s monster progression in the offseason has been great, but he still has yet to showcase it during game time. He went catch-less on Thursday night and even dropped a pass on a two-point conversion attempt. His lack of production in preseason games so far has shown the Eagles staff that he still cannot be trusted.
There is still plenty of time for Agholor to turn it around, but so far Hollins has one up on him. The comparison between last years Eagles receivers with this year’s receivers is completely different. Matthews and Agholor went from guaranteed starters to fighting for a starting spot, and young guys like Hollins and Bryce Treggs are showing the coaches that they deserve a look.
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So while Agholor was thought to be the biggest possible threat to Matthews, Hollins may have actually been the reason why the Eagles were confident without Matthews. If the Agholor hype is real, and Hollins continues to impress, this trade may go down as a winning situation for the Eagles come Week 1.