Ranking Eagles positional needs ahead of NFL free agency
. . Wide receiver. 4. player. 54.
Are we still talking about the Eagles’ wide receivers? Why?
It’s okay to mistakes. It’s a part of life. The only time this really becomes an issue is when nothing is being learned from the mistakes that are being made. Does anyone else feel like that’s what’s going on over at the NovaCare Complex?
The Eagles seemingly can’t draft a wide receiver to save their lives. DeVonta Smith is solid. We all like him, but there was no way the Eagles could have missed on him. The unfortunate truth is this. Philadelphia swings and misses with much more frequency than they’ve knocked one out of the park. It never fails.
Since 2017, the Eagles have drafted seven wide receivers: Mack Hollins, Shelton Gibson, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Jalen Reagor, John Hightower, Quez Watkins, and DeVonta Smith. As you can see, most of those decisions haven’t worked out.
Bad decisions in the daft normally lead the Birds to a familiar refrain, trying to mask those mistakes by spending huge dollars on free agents. Sometimes, it’s worked even if it didn’t work for long, Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith for instance. More often than not, most of the guys the Eagles have brought in haven’t panned out. Throw Mike Wallace and an aging DeSean Jackson in that category.
Philadelphia has something in DeVonta Smith. Quez Watkins has some ability, as does Greg Ward even though the Eagles behave as though they don’t want to commit to him long-term. This team has some chess pieces, but sadly, because of all of their misses, they’ll again, have to invest some coin in a wide receiver come free agency.