Preparation for A.J. Brown's departure from the Philadelphia Eagles has been going on for months from the team, but one of his teammates has also been doing his own homework with his exit coming.
NFL insider James Palmer appeared on "Up & Adams" with Kay Adams as he shared one player that he would say to watch out for for the upcoming Eagles season. Palmer likes DeVonta Smith to have a huge year based on what he has done to prep for his moment as the new WR1.
"What I have been told this offseason is he has been a man possessed about 'I am going to step into this number one role.' Calling former receivers, asking them about different things this offseason. I had a conversation with Nick Sirianni where he was like 'We've just scratched the surface with DeVonta Smith. I think we can do so much more with him in this new offense. We do so much more with him. And then they have Wicks, they have Hollywood, and so they've changed the room for sure and they truly believe DeVonta Smith can be a one."
DeVonta Smith is ready for the best season of his career to start
Smith has gone for over 1,000 yards three times in his five-year NFL career, but never made the Pro Bowl, as he was overshadowed by Brown. Last year was the first time since 2021 and the first time since Brown joined the team in 2022, when Smith led the team in receiving yards as he went for 1,008, five yards more than Brown.
As Palmer said, the Eagles have a lot of new weapons at receiver that were added to the team with Dontayvion Wicks, Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, Elijah Moore, and rookie first-round pick Makai Lemon. Smith has the support system around him to be great, but they are not at the level that Smith is at.
Smith has never been the fastest or tallest player on the field, but his hands are criminally underrated; he is one of the most reliable receivers in the NFL. Year after year, he has made spectacular catches that wow Eagles fans but go unnoticed by the rest of the league.
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For six years, Eagles fans have been waiting for this moment to see Smith step up as a number one receiver. He appears to be more ready than he ever has been.
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