New Eagles WR Randle wants to prove he's not an underachiever

JORDAN MATTHEWS might be the only wide receiver on the Eagles' roster who doesn't come into 2016 looking to redeem or prove himself. (Yes, Matthews can still get better, but among these guys, he's Randy Moss.)

This could be a good vibe, if it translates to an exceptionally hungry, motivated wideout corps, filled with talented players finally figuring out how to put it all together.

Or it could turn out that the Eagles are collecting a bunch of underachievers who likely will continue to disappoint.

All of which brings us to Rueben Randle, the 2012 Giants second-round pick who met with reporters Friday, a little more than a week after settling for a one-year Eagles contract, when entering free agency off a disappointing 2015 season did not prove lucrative.

"I just felt like it was a better opportunity for me here, to showcase my talents on a one-year deal, to go out there and prove myself," Randle said. "A new start for everyone here, a new coaching staff, a new start for me, as well. So, I figured, why not here?"

Randle, who turns 25 next month, is a chiseled 6-2, 208. After Matthews, he's the biggest receiver among the Birds' likely starting candidates, a group that includes holdovers Josh Huff and Nelson Agholor and free-agent signee Chris Givens.

When he was drafted, Randle was described by then-Giants coach Tom Coughlin as "a smooth athlete," and a "very, very athletic guy." The Giants were thrilled to be able to grab Randle, a junior-eligible from LSU, with the final pick of the second round that year. They've seldom seemed all that thrilled since.

"I feel I left some things out there, especially with us not making the playoffs in the four years I was there," Randle said Friday. Earlier in the session, when asked whether he felt he labored in the shadow cast by megastar Odell Beckham Jr. the past two seasons, Randle said: "I feel like I did the best I could with the opportunities that were given to me. That's all I can control in that situation. Everything else, I really couldn't answer for you. I have to go out there and do my job, and I feel like that's what I did."

"I wish I could" pinpoint why results never matched expectations, Randle said. "I just had to do the best with the opportunity that was given to me. I feel like I could have done more, as a player. Hopefully, I can get that job done here."

Last December, Randle went on the radio and said it was "definitely frustrating" seeing the ball go so much to Beckham. When reporters relayed this to Coughlin, he said, "Well, I would take full advantage of the ones that I do have, before I would talk about opportunities."

Randle hasn't been terrible; he has been durable and has compiled decent numbers, most notably 71 catches for 938 yards in 2014. But even in 2014, there were problems - such as a couple of benchings for being late to meetings. NJ.com noted that among receivers with at least 125 targets that season (he had 127), Randle compiled the fewest yards.

Last season, with defenses focusing on Beckham, and Victor Cruz not ready to return from a devastating 2014 knee injury, many observers thought Randle should have become a star. He did score eight touchdowns, but they were compiled from only 57 catches, for 797 yards. He was targeted 90 times. At least twice, Eli Manning threw interceptions when Randle seemed to break off routes, rather than completing them.

Randle sees himself starting here, and producing the kind of season that will make him a more marketable free agent in 2017.

"I feel confident that I will be," he said, when asked whether he thought he would start for the Eagles. "It's for me to go out and prove it."

The Eagles signed Ryan Mueller, who spent time on the Chargers' practice squad last season as a rookie linebacker, but the Birds brought him in as a fullback. Mueller is 6-2, 245, and was a defensive lineman at Kansas State. West Coast offense fullbacks often are converts from other positions, since the main requirement is to be able to get out in space and block somebody. They rarely touch the football . . . The Eagles released offensive lineman Tanner Hawkinson, who was signed off the 49ers' practice squad last October but was never activated for a game.

@LesBowen

Blog: philly.com/Eaglesblog