DeSean, Maclin and the WR Worries
Philadelphia Inquirer Sports Columnist Bob Ford writes about the Eagles, the Phillies, the Sixers and the Flyers.
DeSean, Maclin and the WR Worries
Bob Ford, Inquirer Sports Columnist
It’s been nearly two weeks since Vince Young showed up at Eagles training camp and declared his new employer a “dream team,” and Vince still hasn’t been right about anything else, either.
As we head into the first exhibition game on Thursday night vs. the Ravens, the Eagles have a lot of question marks, including whether Young will ever throw an accurate pass while wearing their uniform. If you hated it when Donovan McNabb threw the ball into the ground, wait until you see Young throw it sidearm into the ground.
Leaving that where it is for the moment – because Mike Kafka is having a great camp as Michael Vick’s backup – there is still the matter of the offensive line and a few other areas of concern. The starting right tackle is on the PUP list, the starting right guard is a rookie and the center is coming back creakily from microfracture surgery. The first two of those are the main blind-side protection elements for a left-handed quarterback. It might be that Ryan Harris fills in admirably for Winston Justice and that first-round selection Danny Watkins picks up the game seamlessly. That’s a “we’ll see,” however.
Elsewhere, in an Inquirer column today, we took a look at the wide receiver situation. While the DeSean Jackson holdout and his appearance on Monday with agent Drew Rosenhaus was certainly dramatic, it is the absence of Jeremy Maclin that might most trouble Eagles fans.
Comparing Jackson and Maclin, it’s fair to ask which is really the No. 1 receiver, a point the Eagles will bring up in contract discussions with Rosenhaus. Maclin caught 70 passes in 2010. Jackson caught 47. Maclin caught 60 percent of the passes thrown his way. Jackson caught 48 percent. Maclin caught 10 touchdowns. Jackson caught six.
Now, Jackson was the more dynamic player. He broke bigger plays and racked up more yardage, averaging an amazing 22.1 yards per catch. If you take away just two plays, however – give the opposing team a better rush, or better coverage or whatever you like – and his season was still great but not otherworldly. Remove an 88-yard pass from Vick against Washington and a 91-yard pass from Vick against Dallas, and Jackson caught 45 balls for 877 yards.
Just two plays from a whole season changes the look of everything. Of course, that’s like saying that except for the Walt Whitman and the Ben Franklin there aren’t any decent bridges across the Delaware, but still.
Trust that the Eagles will make that point when Rosenhaus wants them to match what Santonio Holmes got from the Jets (5 years/$50 million/$24 million guaranteed). And that’s for a guy who only played 12 games last season, gained 746 yards, has had one decent year in his career, and is always an unannounced traffic stop from being suspended.
The Eagles will, however, be able to use the standard rebuttal: “Yes, but the Jets are crazy.”
Maclin isn’t DeSean Jackson, but the same is true the other way around. Jackson is nowhere near as steady as Maclin, who has great hands, and became a first-down machine for Vick.
Jackson’s situation will be solved. The Eagles better hope the same goes for Maclin.
I;m tired of Eagles fans complaining. Sure the Eagles were Super Bowl machines prior to Lurie and Banner, jeez we won 7, 8, oh that's right NONE. And how much better Buddy was than Reid, I mean he has only 9 less playoff wins that Reid. For true Eagles fans this is the gold standard time, 9 winning seasons out of 12. I remember 9 straight losing seasons.— mjposner- plaxico burress sure would look nice right about now— ihatenewyorkers
- Jackson will get a great new contract if Rosenhaus is fair minded....the kid's a major threat every time he touches the ball...Get R Done!— greenbloodVAEagle
- Jackson is our top big play WR and punt return man and Maclin is our top possession receiver. We need them both. When will we hear what's wrong with Maclin?— Tar Heel 1
- I am amzed by all of th negative comments on this board...and you people are Eagels fans?
First of all, DJ is an elite receiver who deserves to get paid as such. Does anybody really believe that Maclin (who I think is GREAT) would have as many catches as he does if the opposing defenses didn't have to worry about Desean Jackson on the other side?
The Eagles know this and they will pay Jackson.
They didn't go through all of this offseason frenzy only to let their big play guy walk.
— gianno
