The Philadelphia Eagles have had some notorious offseasons in recent memory. From the 2011 "Dream Team" to former head coach Chip Kelly's tyrannical cutting and trading in 2015, the Birds have just not been able to live up to whatever hype they stir up. The team currently seems to be headed in the right direction, coming off of a 7-9 rebuilding season that featured first year head coach Doug Pederson and first year quarterback Carson Wentz. While progress was clearly made, some areas of the team still were pretty awful, most notably, who the Birds had at wide receiver. Last year, Eagles fans were forced to endure an almost comically bad receiving corps featuring the inconsistent Jordan Matthews, the slow to learn Dorial Green-Beckham, the non-existent Bryce Treggs, and Nelson Agholor, who was just flat out bad. Fans knew that changes needed to happen this offseason, as Carson Wentz needs some help on offense.
On the first day of free agency, it seems Howie Roseman got the job done, signing veteran receivers Torrey Smith and Alshon Jeffrey. Smith had previously been with San Francisco, and Jeffrey with Chicago. This means they were catching passes from mediocre at best quarterbacks like Colin Kaepernick and Jay Cutler. It's pretty evident that Smith and Jeffrey wanted to catch passes from a more franchise caliber QB like Wentz. If they didn't, there's no way Roseman would have been able to sign them to the relatively inexpensive contracts they agreed on. I don't want to read too much into the details, as Smith and Jeffrey are here in Philly, and that's what matters. So what does the addition of these two players mean for the Eagles?
Both Smith and Jeffrey are in the prime of their careers. They are still relatively young yet have the veteran leadership ability that the Eagles' receivers desperately need. Both of them have been on some good teams and some not so good teams. Smith actually won the Super Bowl as a member of the Ravens in 2012. Both of these guys know how to run routes, get open, and most importantly, catch the ball. Neither of them are super elite, but it's a far upgrade from what we had. Smith is considered to be a mid tier WR #2 and Jeffrey is considered a lower tier #1, so we know these guys will at least be productive. In terms of their abilities, Torrey Smith is super fast, and will give the Eagles a legitimate deep threat for the first time since the DeSean Jackson days. Alshon Jeffrey will hopefully emerge as Wentz's go to guy thanks to his experience as a #1. The presence of Smith and Jeffrey will also allow Jordan Matthews to spend more time playing in the slot, where he is at his best. Agholor, Green-Beckham, and Treggs will all compete for reps, and there's still a possibility of taking another WR in the draft.
As a dedicated Eagles fan, I want to take this time to thank Howie Roseman for making the necessary moves to make this team good. He didn't overspend, didn't get anyone overrated, and got players for a position they desperately needed. Hopefully they will develop great chemistry with Wentz and take the Birds' passing game to the next level. Fly Eagles Fly!
