The Philadelphia Eagles made a bold decision with their initial 53-man roster. Somewhat surprisingly, they opted to keep only four wide receivers, something that may have to change ahead of their season opener against the New England Patriots.
The Eagles have one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. After them on the depth chart, the team has Quez Watkins and Olamide Zaccheaus who were battling it out for the No. 3 spot.
Having only four wide receivers active is certainly risky as their versatility on offense could be limited. Alas, some insurance could already be needed as the group features two players who are banged up, per Jake Rill of Bleacher Report.
“Quez Watkins (hamstring) and Olamide Zaccheaus (shoulder) were slowed a bit in the preseason. Philadelphia doesn’t have any other WRs on its 53-man roster, as it opted to keep only four for the time being.”
Philadelphia could sign someone off the practice squad if either of those players ends up not being able to play in Week 1. But, Rill believes the team should go in a different direction.
He has suggested that the Eagles sign veteran wide receiver Jarvis Landry. Landry spent the 2022 season with his hometown New Orleans Saints, but his impact was minimal.
He played in only nine games, catching 25 passes for 272 yards and one touchdown. It was the least productive season of his career, but Rill believes the experience that Landry would bring to the roster is the most important thing.
Alas, injuries have been a big issue for him the last few seasons. After playing in every game the first six seasons of his career, Landry has missed at least one in three straight. He may not be the same player he was a few years ago, but the Eagles could certainly benefit from having an experienced, reliable veteran on the roster.
It wasn’t long ago that Landry was considered one of the best slot receivers in the NFL. Playing for a contending team in a high-powered offense led by Jalen Hurts could be exactly what he needs to get things back on track.
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