Philadelphia Eagles: Arguments for keeping Alshon Jeffery in 2020
By John Newman
After another season of diminished production, there are questions about what should the Philadelphia Eagles do with Alshon Jeffery in 2020.
What is the first thought that comes to mind when you think of Alshon Jeffery? Is it the contested catches, the Super Bowl, or the injuries? Is it the rumor that he leaked the story to Josina Anderson For many Philadelphia Eagles fans, Jeffery is a de-facto Rorschach Test, a guide to the direction the organization is going in.
Jeffery was a key part of Philly winning the Super Bowl. Throughout the season, he had been everything the team could have hoped for in 2017. He caught nine touchdowns that season and racked up 789 yards during the campaign.
For fans of analytics, Jeffery represents a diminished return on a big investment. Since 2017, his yards per reception, targets and touchdown numbers have all decreased as seasons have gone on. Based on the Laws of Diminishing Marginal Returns, there’s no point in giving Jeffery more money or playing time. He’s on the downslide.
Fans who are more cynical look at things this way. Someone talked to Josina Anderson in a rather unflattering article regarding Carson Wentz and shared some information the team probably didn’t want to go public. Even if it wasn’t Jeffery (which it probably was), the perception is he’s the guilty party. Perception is the reality for some people.
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No matter what stance Philadelphia Eagles fans take on Jeffery, his status heading into free-agency is almost certainly going to be a point of contention.
The new league year begins on March 18th, and vice president/general manager Howie Roseman and head coach Doug Pederson will have to decide on Jeffery. He’s under contract for one more season after 2020.
Trading him will be close to impossible. Cutting him doesn’t seem like an option (doing so would incur a cap hit of over $26 million), but whether you love or hate the idea of Jeffery playing for the Eagles in 2020, there are a few reasons why keeping him makes sense. Here are four.