Philadelphia Eagles: Arguments for and against Greg Ward thriving in 2020

Greg Ward made most of his recent chance with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Looking back at the beginning of the 2019 season, the Philadelphia Eagles had a pretty good wide receiver corps, at least on paper. Led by Nelson Agholor, Alshon Jeffery, and a recently re-acquired DeSean Jackson, the ‘Birds’ were already thinking about how they were going to prey on opposing cornerbacks. Alas, injuries quickly ravaged the once-promising group as the unit simply ran out of healthy bodies.

At one point, the Eagles brass resorted to calling Jordan Matthews, which was further proof of the glaring hole they had at the position. Tight ends Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert ended up picking up the slack, but it still felt like quarterback Carson Wentz could’ve played even better than he had if he was surrounded by a better supporting cast.

Looking for someone to fill in at wide receiver a year ago, Philly thrust Greg Ward Jr into action. The Houston product had been on and off their practice squad, but 2019 marked the first time he had been promoted to Philly’s active roster. He didn’t disappoint as he caught 28 passes for 254 yards and one touchdown, which wasn’t bad for someone who had to quench his thirst for playing time by playing in the recently suspended Alliance of American Football.

Ward finished third in receiving yards among Eagles wide receivers in 2019 despite appearing in only seven games with three starts. Recently, head coach Doug Pederson says the team is expecting some really big things from Ward this upcoming season.

Can ’84’ thrive in a bigger role or will it be too much for him to bear? Arguments can be made for both sides that are compelling. Here are a few, but let’s revisit some recent history first.