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Eagles WR Chris Givens is very fast, which creates room for others

In some ways, Chris Givens is the exact kind of receiver that the Andy Reid version of the West Coast Offense has utilized since the big guy entered the NFL's head coaching ranks in 1999.

Two of Reid's earliest moves when he arrived in Kansas City in 2013 were to sign wide receiver — and former Ram — Donnie Avery (4.27 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine) and trade for A.J. Jenkins, who, like Givens, had a strong performance at the 2012 Combine, where he ran a 4.39 40. From Todd Pinkston to Kevin Curtis to DeSean Jackson, Reid's scheme has always included at least one outside receiver with good straight-line speed to help clear a safety out the middle of the field for tight ends, running backs, and possession receivers. In fact, if you look at Reid's roster construction philosophy, you might notice that he prioritizes [supposedly] steady receivers capable of taking advantage of the space in the middle of the field provided to them by speed on the outside: L.J. Smith, Freddie Mitchell, Reggie Brown, Jeremy Maclin, Travis Kelce, etc.

In Jordan Matthews and Zach Ertz, the Eagles have two such players. While both lack the size/speed/explosiveness combination of an elite No. 1 target, they've shown plenty of promise between the hash marks. But for them to thrive in Doug Pederson's offense, they'll need help on the outside.

It wasn't difficult to spot the Eagles' most glaring skill deficiency on offense last season. Fans saw it and decried the loss of Jackson. Rex Ryan saw it and ran a defense without any deep safeties. And Givens saw it and decided to sign.

"I saw a lot of opportunity," Givens said after a Monday morning practice session that he spent working with the first-team offense.

While Howie Roseman and Jeffrey Lurie spent most of the offseason addressing  the complaints their fan base had been lodging regarding the weaknesses of the team, the one area that they mostly ignored was the lack of straight-line, down-the-field speed in the receiving corps. That's not necessarily an indictment of their decision-making: every team in the NFL is looking for speed, and players who include elite levels of it in their pass-catching toolbox do not often make it onto the free agent market.

This is where a player like Givens comes in.

The 26-year-old wideout is entering his fifth NFL season after spending the first three years of his career with the Rams and most of last season with the Ravens. He isn't big — 6-0, 203 pounds, the roster says — and he doesn't make up for that lack of size with his hands or his route-running ability. But he can run really fast in a straight line, and that along makes him a rare commodity on this Eagles depth chart.

Between 2012 and 2014, only six players in the NFL averaged the same or more than Givens' 16.4 yards per catch (min: 80 catches): DeSean Jackson, Josh Gordon, Torrey Smith, Terrance Williams, Kenny Stills, and Vincent Jackson. That's something to keep in mind in your projections for this Eagles depth chart. While former Giants' wide receiver Rueben Randle has the longer resume, Givens might better fill a role.

"I saw this coaching staff and the things they did in Kansas City and I thought it would be a great fit for my talent," Givens said. "It was just one of those things where it seemed like the right place for me. It was just the best fit and the best decision for my career going forward."

The paychecks that Givens has received in his career have been based mostly on his ability to fill that role. At the 2012 Combine, the former Wake Forest star ran a 4.41 40-yard dash that ranked fourth among receivers, behind Travis Benjamin, T.Y. Hilton, and T.J. Graham (the latter of whom is also in Eagles camp this year). After the Rams drafted him in the fourth round, Givens established himself as a viable NFL deep threat, catching 42 passes for 698 yards and three touchdowns from Sam Bradford. He had similar production the following year — 34 receptions, 569 yards, no touchdowns — but caught just 41 percent of the passes thrown in his direction. By 2014, he was buried on the Rams depth chart, playing in 14 games but catching just 11 passes for 159 yards. Last year, St. Louis traded him to Baltimore, where he started six of the Ravens' final 12 games, catching 19 passes for 346 yards, an average of 18.2 yards per catch.

One of the most active battles in the Eagles' training camp will be for the depth chart order at receiver. Matthews and 2015 first-rounder Nelson Agholor are the only stone cold locks. Third-year pro Josh Huff has been underwhelming, but he has the kind of skills package that can give a defense a lot of different looks in the screen game. Think Dexter McCluster or De'Anthony Thomas in Kansas City. Plus, he contributes a lot on special teams. Early on in training camp, Givens seems to be as good a bet as anybody after that. Graham and Randle are the only other veterans in camp.

"I don't think that I'm too worried about not starting," Givens said. "I'm pretty confident that I'll start at that position. I just have to continue to stack good days on good days."

One look at his competition reveals plenty of justification for that confidence.