DeSean, Maclin and the WR Worries
Philly.com, Inquirer, and Daily News coverage of the Eagles
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.
one more hit and Jackson will be sitting in the stands with his agent. I love his big plays but I hate his big mouth. Quit showboatin' and take a lesson from Maclin about how to be a professional. Yes, he's fast. Yes, he's a game changer. However, once he slows down with all that money in his pocket I question his long term durability. Next man up.— greenmachine
Comment removed.- Jealous Loser 11 — phillyroni
- Lurie and Banner are not Philly guys....they are Boston billionaires.
They brag about their gold standard and character...yet after 15 years they have never even won a superbowl, and now they are bringing in thugs and convicts and selling their souls, and they still won't win the Superbowl.
PHILLIES ARE THE REAL CHAMPIONS...with great talent and great people that the fans love.
— frank105 - Frank: 1. All owners are billionaires. 2. These are different times then when you grew up - this is a global economy and world.
CEO's of American companies are from around the globe. Owners of businesses aren't mom and pop from down the street. You sound like an 80 y.o. Phillies fan - stay on the Phillies website and you'll be fine. Here, you are a petty nuisance.— Dr Bri - Can we stop with the "Gold Standard" comments? It is so old and tired. The guy said something kind of dumb that was taken out of context, and it won't die. If any of us were taken to task for the rest of our lives for the dumb things we have said we would go nuts. Move on, people.
- Maclin's the top receiver on this team. Jackson's ego will never allow him to accept that. I say trade Jackson for a top draft pick or top line linebacker. The Eagles can always go sign Iverson to replace Jackson.— dapmman
- You're insane. Seriously, Jackson changes the way teams defend the Eagles. You never know where its coming from but a big play is right around the corner with him on the field. Stop hating him, pray the Birds extend him and celebrate the elite talent he is. — paulNC
- Thats hilarious, Sign Iverson to replace Jackson!!! — dycenyne
- I have a fear that Maclin is going to miss significant time this year, perhaps the whole year. Hope I'm wrong...
And frank105, chill out. Your comment is inappropriate to this article.— dlscholt - They'll never let Vince live down the "Dream Team" thing. It was an off-the-cuff remark. He was half-joking when he said it. He didn't "declare" anything.— jayheezy
- Jackson is not a #1 receiver in the NFL and is not worth $10M per. Give him a contract, no doubt, but he is not worth Santonio Holmes money. Santonio Holmes is not worth Santonio Holmes money.— mknphotos
frank105: I'm sick of all you front-running fair-weather bandwagoneers. LET'S GO SIXERS! The only fans with any heart in this town are SIXERS fans! Forget the Eagles and Phils. It's all about the SIXERS.— Leegles- Sixers fans - you mean all 200 of them. You are in an elite club - that nobody else is ready to join. — Dr Bri
- The head injuries are what worry me the most. He'll be a drooling Lindros-like numbscull by the end of the season.— blueye7
