10 UTR Philadelphia Eagles and how they help a playoff push

2. Greg Ward Jr., wide receiver

After spending the past three years on the preseason roster and practice squad, Greg Ward Jr. was finally called up to the active roster. In evaluating the performance of the other receivers and with how familiar Ward is with the offense, it’s a mystery as to why he wasn’t called up sooner.

In a forgettable offensive game for the Eagles, Ward was the lone bright spot, putting up 40 yards on six catches in his NFL debut. Last week, he was less involved with the return of Nelson Agholor.

With Agholor healthy, it remains unknown what the Eagles plan to do at the receiver position. They could put J.J. Arcega-Whiteside on the outside, but he hasn’t produced much outside of his first NFL touchdown last week. Doing that will keep Agholor in the slot. Then again, they could put Agholor on the outside, seeing as how they are lacking a deep threat, and Agholor is the closest thing they have to one. If that’s the plan, Ward can play in the slot, where he’s been practicing for three years.

Ward was an explosive playmaker in college and could provide a spark for this offense if given the chance. At Houston, he played wide receiver and quarterback in a spread offense where he also utilized his legs. In his junior season, he led his team to the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl where they took down Florida State to finish one of the best seasons by a Group of Five team in recent memory.