When NFL free agency begins on March 16, the Eagles will be looking to bolster a roster that made it to the playoffs in Year 1 under Nick Sirianni.
We’ll look position-by-position for some possible targets. We started with running backs and will continue with receivers today.
The Eagles will bring back DeVonta Smith and Quez Watkins for the 2022 season as their top two returning receivers. But Jalen Reagor has been a big disappointment, even as a third option. The Eagles would really benefit from adding a veteran in free agency.
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Here are 10 wide receivers for the Eagles to target the offseason:
Davante Adams: We’ll start with the pie-in-the-sky option. Adams is probably the best receiver in the NFL, coming off two consecutive All-Pro seasons and five consecutive Pro Bowl seasons. In 16 games in 2021, he had over 1,500 yards. It seems really unlikely the Packers let Adams walk, especially if they want to keep Aaron Rodgers happy. But we just can’t leave him off this list.
Chris Godwin: The Bucs used a franchise tag on Godwin last offseason so maybe they still won’t be able to figure out a long-term deal. Before tearing his ACL in 2021, Godwin had over 1,100 yards in 14 games, giving him his second-career 1,000-yard season after his Pro Bowl year in 2019. The Penn State product and Middletown, Delaware, product doesn’t even turn 26 until Sunday.
Mike Williams: The former No. 7 overall pick out of Clemson in 2017 hasn’t exactly lived up to his draft status but he’s still a really good player. In 2021, he had a career year with 76/1,146/9 with the Chargers. In his career, Williams (6-4, 218) has averaged 16.1 yards per catch and in 2019 led the league with a 20.4 average. Williams, 27, is the type of big-bodied, big-catch receiver that would really complement for Smith. And when the Chargers drafted Williams in 2017, his position coach was Sirianni.
NFL
Allen Robinson: Robinson is a little older than Williams but he’s more accomplished and is another receiver with a big frame (6-2, 220) and catch radius. After two great seasons with the Bears in 2019 and 2020, 2021 was a down year for Robinson, who had just 38 catches for 410 yards 12 games in an offense that was clearly broken. But he’s still supremely talented and will fetch a large contract. He’d be another nice complement for an offense with Smith. And Eagles personnel executive Dave Caldwell was the Jaguars GM in 2014 when they drafted Robinson out of Penn State in the second round.
Zach Pascal: Sirianni hasn’t hid the fact that Pascal is one of his favorite players. Pascal isn’t a top-tier receiver but he’s been really solid and has carved out a role as an undrafted player from Old Dominion. Sirianni helped Pascal become a key part of the Colts offense. In their last two years together, Pascal had 600+ yard seasons and has been a special teams contributor.
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Michael Gallup: Yeah, the Eagles haven’t had much success taking players from Dallas but maybe Gallup can buck that trend. Unfortunately, he dealt with injuries in 2021 and tore his ACL later in the season. The former third-round pick still hasn’t turned 26 and the Cowboys probably won’t be able to keep him.
Juju Smith-Schuster: The Eagles were reportedly interested in Smith-Schuster last offseason before he went back to the Steelers on a one-year deal. But now he’s a free agent yet again and is coming off a season in which he was limited to just five games. But Juju is a really solid slot receiver, which means if the Eagles added him, they’d need to put Watkins on the outside. Watkins has primarily played in the slot with the Eagles but has the ability to play outside too.
Christian Kirk: If the Eagles want to add a slot receiver who gives them more of a vertical threat from that position, Kirk could be an answer, although he has some inside-outside versatility. The Cardinals’ 2018 second-round pick has had a really solid NFL career and had a career-season in 2021, catching 77 passes for 982 yards and 5 touchdowns. The connection with the Eagles dates back to his college days; Kirk played under receivers coach Aaron Moorehead at Texas A&M.
D.J. Chark Jr.: At 6-4, 198 pounds, Chark has an impressive size/speed combination. Injury limited him to just four games with the Jaguars in 2021 and injuries have been an issue in his four-year career. But he is still a young player who could still be ascending. And like Robinson, Caldwell drafted him too.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling: The Packers are going to work to keep Adams around, which means they might have to let Valdes-Scantling go. He’s another size/speed guy at 6-4, 206. He had a breakout season in 2020, averaging 20.9 yards per catch. Because Smith is such a volume receiver, adding a player who can make a big impact with just a few catches a game would make sense. The former fifth-round pick has a chance to make some money this offseason.