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Eagles rookie WR Shelton Gibson getting the hang of the offense

After a rough spring, fifth-round draft pick Shelton Gibson is hoping to make his case in training camp for a roster spot.

Shelton Gibson catches a pass during a workout in May.
Shelton Gibson catches a pass during a workout in May.Read moreDAVID MAIALETTI

It didn't take Shelton Gibson long to realize he wasn't in Morgantown anymore.

The difference between the Eagles' offensive playbook and the one the West Virginia Mountaineers ran during Gibson's college career is the difference between the King James Bible and a Marvel comic book.

"We didn't have a lot of [different] plays at West Virginia," said the rookie, who caught 17 touchdown passes and averaged  22.9 yards per catch in his last two years in Morgantown. "It worked. But here, it's a whole different ball game. A lot more to learn. I have to step it up."

Yes he does. The Eagles like the 5-foot-11, 191-pound rookie. Liked him enough to take him in the fifth round of the April draft even though they already had taken another wideout  —  Mack Hollins  —  one round earlier.

"He can take the top off [a defense]," football operations boss Howie Roseman said of Gibson after his selection. "You can see he gets separation. He can get vertical."

But you can't get vertical when you hesitate, and you're going to hesitate when you're not sure what you're supposed to do.

Gibson had a rough spring as he struggled mightily to get his arms around Doug Pederson's offense during OTAs. Dropped too many passes. Didn't really make any eye-catching plays until the final two days of the mandatory minicamp in June.

"He's coming along," Pederson said Monday after the completion of the first of three rookie training-camp practices before the full squad reports on Thursday. "He's by no means where he wants to be or where we want him to be.

"But he's learning our system. He's learning a new offense. He understands his role. He knows he has to really come in here and compete for an opportunity."

It's way too early to accurately project how things are going to shake out at wide receiver for the Eagles this summer.

Right now, their top four wideouts would appear to be Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith, Jordan Matthews, and Nelson Agholor. The 6-4 Hollins probably is a lock to be the fifth wideout if only because of his special-teams prowess.

 The Eagles very well may keep only five wide receivers and go heavy at running back, where they have several versatile guys who can line up all over the formation.

But Smith is coming off of two poor seasons with the 49ers, and Matthews still is battling tendinitis in his knee, and the jury still is very much out on Agholor.

Still, Gibson must have a strong camp and preseason to earn a spot on the Eagles' season-opening 53-man roster, and he knows it.

"You go back home [during the break] and you're the guy," Gibson said. "But you come back here and step right back to reality. You're a rookie with a lot to learn. I just wanted to get back here and get to work.

"It's just a matter of [mastering] the plays. You can study them as many times as you want. But the only way you really get it for real is to be out there running them."

Early on, Gibson was discouraged by his struggles during the spring OTAs. But he felt a little better after talking to other NFL receivers, who assured him it's part of the learning curve for a rookie receiver.

"[Chiefs tight end] Travis Kelce went to my high school [in Cleveland Heights, Ohio]," Gibson said. "I talk to him all the time. I've talked to other guys I played with and against. They just told me to stay relaxed and maintain your focus."

Gibson said his understanding of the offense improved dramatically late in the spring when his position coach, Mike Groh, sat him down and gave him a different way to learn plays.

Rather than have him just try to learn one wide receiver position, Groh taught him how to learn all of them from side to side. While it may seem more difficult to learn three or four different spots as opposed to just one, it actually gave him a better understanding of his own responsibilities on a play when he knew what everyone else was supposed to do.

"When you know what everybody's job is, then you know what [speed] you need to run at, what landmark you need to be at, and how you're supposed to run the route," he said. "If I know [fellow rookie wide receiver] Greg [Ward] is going inside and I'm going inside, then I know I have to be patient for him."

Gibson was part of the Eagles' traveling wideout show that went out to North Dakota earlier this month to work out with quarterback Carson Wentz.

He said catching passes from Wentz was valuable, but bonding with the second-year quarterback and the rest of the wide receivers was even more valuable.

"I've never been on a lake," Gibson said. "I've never been on Jet Skis. I never paddle-boarded. I can't paddle-board. I [stink]  at it."

He said the trip also marked the first time in his life that he ate seafood. Poor guy. Waits 22 years to sample seafood, then does it in North Dakota. That's like getting your first bite of caviar in Topeka.

"I got a chance to talk to Torrey [Smith] a lot when we were there," he said. "We talked a lot when we were here [during the spring]. But to get to know him and the rest of the guys, to be able to sit down and have a conversation with them, it builds relationships."

When Gibson returned to the NovaCare Complex on Sunday for the start of training camp, he had a new jersey number waiting for him in his locker. The No. 80 he wore during OTAs was gone, replaced by No. 18, which formerly belonged to Dorial Green-Beckham, who was released late last month.

"Whatever number they want me to wear [is fine]," Gibson said. "It's just a blessing having a jersey."

Now it's up to him to keep it.