3 Realistic expectations for Eagles wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside

J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Philadelphia Eagles (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Philadelphia Eagles (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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J.J. Arcega-Whiteside #19 of the Philadelphia Eagles (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
J.J. Arcega-Whiteside #19 of the Philadelphia Eagles (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Before he does anything else, he has to make the roster, and he will.

It’s hard to dive into statistical expectations without first addressing a few elephants in a couple of rooms. DeSean Jackson is due back in 2020. Big things are expected of him.

There’s also Jeffery. If nothing changes in his status soon, conventional thinking allows us to state with confidence that he’ll be on the team despite a growing possibility that he’ll begin the 2020 season on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list.

In the offseason, Philly added Marquise Goodwin, and they drafted Jalen Reagor, John Hightower, and Quez Watkins. They added Manasseh Bailey and Khalil Tate to the nest shortly after the draft’s conclusion as undrafted free agents. There’s also Greg Ward to think about. He proved in 2019 that he deserves a roster spot. Before you get into particulars with what to expect from Arcega-Whiteside, you have to discuss something more pressing.

Is he even going to make the team? The answer is yes, and here’s why. Philly has a difficult time, especially under vice president and general manager Howie Roseman’s watch with admitting they’ve made a mistake. They’d rather explain why they did something, try to pass it off as part of some forward-thinking plan, and try to convince anyone listening that, despite the evidence to the contrary, things are going according to plan.

Look no further than Roseman’s defense of taking a quarterback in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, all of the conjecture that both Arcega-Whiteside and Shareef Miller will make major leaps in Year 2, and how long this team held on to Mack Hollins if you need evidence. This team’s leadership is stubborn. They aren’t going to admit a mistake, and that won’t begin with a surprise cut of JJ in 2020. You can bank on that.