Working on the rebuild
Many speculated that Jeffery was one of the locker room moles who gave a local reporter dirt on Wentz behind the scenes. Also, many believed Jeffery was the culprit for letting National NFL Insider Josina Anderson know that there were concerns of Wentz ‘over-targeting’ his tight end and best friend, Zach Ertz on the field.
None of these assumptions were proven to be factual, but the rumors did leave some in Philadelphia concerned with Wentz and Jeffery’s connection heading into 2019. With the addition of DeSean Jackson, it seemed like Jeffery might end up being the odd man out this season.
Ever since the spring, Jackson and Wentz became attached to the hip. Meanwhile, Jeffery was absent for the voluntary portion of the offseason. Therefore, by the time Jeffery made his way back to the Nova Care Complex, Wentz couldn’t stop targeting Jackson on a daily basis.
At some point though, that connection cooled down, and Wentz got back to the basics. While Jackson might be the fastest receiver on the roster, Jeffery could very well still be the most dangerous target because even when he’s covered — he’s open.
Thankfully, Wentz and Jeffery have been back to producing and working on their chemistry. And to our surprise, Jeffery, not DeSean Jackson or Zach Ertz has been Wentz’s favorite target in training camp. According to NJ.com’s Zack Rosenblatt, Jeffery was “Wentz’s most oft-targeted receiver in camp.” He received 43 targets in live scrimmages, as opposed to Jackson’s 39.
Can the chemistry keep up? Only time will tell. So far, though, the offseason results are promising. And even though Jeffery is Wentz’s most-targeted wideout, seeing the almost-even spread of targets between Jeffery, Jackson, and Agholor is surely promising heading into the season.