DeSean Jackson is an incredibly talented wide out and is capable of making some awesome plays. This much is known. What is also know is that Jackson didn't fit the mold for what Coach Chip Kelly was looking for in a teammate. Chip knows the kind of players he want on his team, and apparently "DJax" wasn't an ideal player for what Chip wants. Heading into the draft, the Eagles had a vacant spot on the wide receiver depth chart. Jackson, along with Jason Avant, was let go. This led to the Eagles drafting guys that they believe can fill in the void; Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff. It is also important to know that now both of these guys are under contract and seem ready to start their careers as Eagles.
What's left unknown is just how much Philly's offense will miss the big-play making Jackson. Last year DeSean led the league in big plays of 20+ yards, which helped the offense greatly. But now he will be helping a new team, the Redskins. So who will fill in the role of the big play WR? Most people look to Jeremy Maclin, who is coming back from a injury that caused him to miss all of last season. No one has gotten a chance to see what Maclin is capable of under Kelly's faced pace offense. Maclin proved to be a bit of a playmaker under Andy Reid's West Coast offense, so it would only seem plausible for him to make a smooth transition into Chip's system.
Speaking of players who transitioned into Chips system, the Birds also have newly signed WR Riley Cooper in the mix. Cooper is coming off of a career year with the Eagles in which he showed his own ability to make plays both with and without the ball in his hands. It seems that another year in the system will only improve Coop's production. Also, it's important to remember TEs Brent Celek and Zach Ertz. Chip likes to use a lot of two Tight End sets, which allowed these players to contribute to the offense both in the passing and running game.
Entering the fold are the players mentioned above, rookies Jordan Matthews and Jordan Huff. Both showed great playmaking abilities in College and seem as though they will help out, in some capacity, the passing game as well. At Oregon, Chip's old stomping grounds, Huff showed similar traits to Jackson. He is undersized, but very fast and able to avoid defenders. He may also provide a punch in the Special Teams unit as a return specialist. Matthews ran a lot of bubble screens in college, something the Eagles also do. His size and strength make him seem like a perfect fit for what the Eagles were looking for in a replacement for Jackson.
The passing game was not the only aspect of the Eagles offense that made them so successful last season. A lot of the credit towards the team's progress came because of LeSean McCoy. Shady is coming off of a year in which he won the NFL rushing title. His explosiveness as well as football intelligence and elusiveness adds another element to the offense that not many teams in the league can match. In addition, Philadelphia added one of the more elusive running backs in the NFL to the backfield in Darren Sproles. The combination of Sproles and Shady could prove to be the most dangerous backfield the Eagles have ever boasted.
So while I recognize the fact that losing DeSean is a big loss, I believe the Eagles have done a good job at adding guys that can and will make him a distant memory. For now, it's time for the players mentioned above to work on becoming a cohesive unit and be ready to play come September. As for DeSean, he's Washington's headache now.
What's left unknown is just how much Philly's offense will miss the big-play making Jackson. Last year DeSean led the league in big plays of 20+ yards, which helped the offense greatly. But now he will be helping a new team, the Redskins. So who will fill in the role of the big play WR? Most people look to Jeremy Maclin, who is coming back from a injury that caused him to miss all of last season. No one has gotten a chance to see what Maclin is capable of under Kelly's faced pace offense. Maclin proved to be a bit of a playmaker under Andy Reid's West Coast offense, so it would only seem plausible for him to make a smooth transition into Chip's system.
Speaking of players who transitioned into Chips system, the Birds also have newly signed WR Riley Cooper in the mix. Cooper is coming off of a career year with the Eagles in which he showed his own ability to make plays both with and without the ball in his hands. It seems that another year in the system will only improve Coop's production. Also, it's important to remember TEs Brent Celek and Zach Ertz. Chip likes to use a lot of two Tight End sets, which allowed these players to contribute to the offense both in the passing and running game.
Entering the fold are the players mentioned above, rookies Jordan Matthews and Jordan Huff. Both showed great playmaking abilities in College and seem as though they will help out, in some capacity, the passing game as well. At Oregon, Chip's old stomping grounds, Huff showed similar traits to Jackson. He is undersized, but very fast and able to avoid defenders. He may also provide a punch in the Special Teams unit as a return specialist. Matthews ran a lot of bubble screens in college, something the Eagles also do. His size and strength make him seem like a perfect fit for what the Eagles were looking for in a replacement for Jackson.
The passing game was not the only aspect of the Eagles offense that made them so successful last season. A lot of the credit towards the team's progress came because of LeSean McCoy. Shady is coming off of a year in which he won the NFL rushing title. His explosiveness as well as football intelligence and elusiveness adds another element to the offense that not many teams in the league can match. In addition, Philadelphia added one of the more elusive running backs in the NFL to the backfield in Darren Sproles. The combination of Sproles and Shady could prove to be the most dangerous backfield the Eagles have ever boasted.
So while I recognize the fact that losing DeSean is a big loss, I believe the Eagles have done a good job at adding guys that can and will make him a distant memory. For now, it's time for the players mentioned above to work on becoming a cohesive unit and be ready to play come September. As for DeSean, he's Washington's headache now.