Eagles' Jordan Matthews on playing WR and an 'undefeated' defender

Jordan Matthews is not necessarily transitioning to outside receiver this year. He played it in college at Vanderbilt, where he set SEC records, so the spot is not foreign to him. And he won't be exclusively an outside receiver for the Eagles this year – indeed, his best and most frequent role will still likely be in the slot.

But he'll play on the outside more this year than he did the previous two years, when he was almost exclusively in the slot – and was one of the most productive slot receivers in the NFL. Matthews, who takes pride in being a cerebral player, said playing on the outside forces him to be cognizant of how to use the sideline while running his routes.

"Only thing that's really different is the extra defender, which is the sideline," Matthews said. "That's biggest difference. Inside…you know I'm going to bring it back out or go all the way across the field. By the end of the season last year, it was literally like a triangle – that safety had to be ready for me, this corner had to cover me, and there was usually a linebacker who was watching me if I was ever shallow. But even in that sense, there's still a lot of room to work with in the slot. There's more room than people think. On the outside, that sideline is not moving. That defender is undefeated."

The Eagles have Nelson Agholor, Rueben Randle, and Chris Givens who they also plan to use outside, and they're likely going to mix and match wide receivers. Matthews' proficiency in the slot means he could play there when the Eagles are in three-receiver sets, but then play on the outside when the Eagles have two tight ends or two running backs on the field. Matthews said he expects to be on the field more this season – he played 79 percent of the snaps last season.

Matthews said when playing outside, there are fewer chances for the wide receiver to get open. If Sam Bradford doesn't see Matthews open right away, he will look elsewhere. In the slot, there are more directions for the receiver to go.

"The biggest difference is being way more sudden [on the outside]," Matthews said. "At slot, you can come up with a plan as the play is going. There's always going to be a second and third option. …Being more sudden, being more assertive when it comes to getting off press, getting open, and then always finishing."