Lockout interfered with progress of Eagles receiver Cooper

MARTY MORNHINWEG did not hesitate:

"Riley Cooper."

In July, Mornhingweg, the Eagles' offensive coordinator, was asked which Eagles offensive player would be hurt most by the lockout.

The Eagles had drafted an inexperienced, older offensive lineman in the first round; had plans to make an undrafted rookie their starting center; had plans to sign Vince Young as a backup quarterback; and had Michael Vick developing nicely into a premier passer, though he was perhaps years from being expert.

And Mornhinweg answered: "Riley Cooper."

It turns out Mornhinweg had reason for his concern.

Who will replace injured No. 1 receiver Jeremy Maclin (shoulder, hamstring) Sunday night vs. the Giants if Maclin can't go?

Riley Cooper.

Who, in nine games, has zero catches.

That's how much the Eagles think of their big, second-year wideout. Cooper is 6-3, 222 pounds and, while he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds at the NFL combine, had hit 4.4 in college at Florida.

There, as a senior, Cooper caught 51 passes for 961 yards and nine touchdowns as Tim Tebow's roommate and favorite wide receiver. The Eagles snagged Cooper in the fifth round of the 2010 draft, and he was active for 13 games. He caught seven passes for 116 yards and a touchdown.

Incredibly, even playing on the No. 3 offense in the NFL, Cooper has no catches this season.

"I have a lot to learn," Cooper admitted. "I have a lot of potential. It always helps when you're with your coaches that you're playing for. And not being here, not being able to talk to the coaches for 6 months during the lockout, it really hurt."

After Maclin got hurt Sunday against Arizona, it looked like the drought had ended for Cooper. He caught an 11-yard pass, a third-down conversion late in the fourth quarter, but LeSean McCoy's holding penalty wiped it out.

It's as if he is cursed.

"I don't feel like I'm cursed," Cooper said. "It's just that we have so many weapons on our team."

True. Even if Maclin misses Sunday's game, he is on pace for a career high in yards and catches, as is third receiver Jason Avant. Big-play threat DeSean Jackson and McCoy have become focal points of the offense, and McCoy's 31 catches are tied with tight end Brent Celek, who is rebounding nicely from last year's drop-off. Even backup tight end Clay Harbor has made big plays.

Cooper, meanwhile, has been the odd man out.

He has been targeted just three times this season. He was targeted zero times in the first seven games.

"I'm ready to go, man. Ready for the opportunity. Can't wait," Cooper said. "Everyone's time comes. Hopefully, mine is this weekend."

Steve Smith's return to the Meadowlands could be sweeter.

Pressed into significant service Sunday when DeSean Jackson was suspended, Smith caught five passes, the most distinct of which was a third-down, 19-yarder . . . that should have been a 20-yarder, but Smith surrendered 1-yard shy of a first down.

"Boneheaded," Smith said. "I didn't play that well. It was the first game."

It was his first healthy game in more than a year. A chest injury cost him part of last season with the Giants before a knee injury ended it. Offseason surgery and free agency made Smith a risk that the Giants were unwilling to take, at least at $4 million, even though Smith's 2009 season (107 receptions, 1,220 yards) sent him to the Pro Bowl and put him in the Giants' record books.

So, Smith came to rival Philadelphia, just 90 minutes down the New Jersey Turnpike but light years in terms of loyalty.

Smith realizes that, when his name is announced, he will be derided. After he thanked Giants fans on his Facebook page, Smith's post received more than 5,000 comments, many of them hateful and profane.

"I had some good years but I came to Philly. So the reception might not be too good. New York fans can be brutal. I don't mind," Smith said. "I haven't looked at Facebook."

The hateful among the Giants faithful surely relished Smith's gaffe in the teams' first meeting. In Philadelphia on Sept. 25, a pass in the red zone bounced off Smith's hands and into those of Aaron Ross.

"It's been a tough season but it's been a good season. I've passed my expectations," said Smith, who expected his season to be delayed by several weeks. "I played Game 1, and I thought I was going to be on the [Physically Unable to Perform] list. I'm just happy to be playing again. People said I wouldn't be back to normal. I feel like I am."

Smith has 10 catches for 110 yards this season . . . and $4 million, and the ire of Giants fans everywhere. So what, he said:

"It's a business. I'd rather have more money in my pocket and be able to play football."

Literally.

With Jeremy Maclin possibly out Sunday and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie likely out for a week or 2 with an ankle sprain, the Eagles needed a returner.

So they signed Chad Hall from their practice squad. Hall returned three punts and four kickoffs as an undrafted rookie for the Eagles last season, when he also spent part of the year on the practice squad. Hall also caught 11 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown.

Hall said he expects to be in the punt and kickoff return mix this week, though returners DeSean Jackson and Deon Lewis both will be available.

Safety Jarrad Page was cut to make room for Hall.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was wearing a walking boot yesterday . . . Left guard Evan Mathis said he is 100 percent recovered from the turf toe that kept him out of Sunday's loss. Mathis said he injured the left big toe the previous week, early in the Monday night loss to Chicago. He did not leave the game. He believes now that he should have; that continuing to play made the injury progressively worse . . . Steve Smith, who played for crusty Giants coach Tom Coughlin, on Andy Reid: "I like him so much. He's a player's coach. People can say what they want, but I think he's handled us great. Our record doesn't show what kind of coach he is."