The Philadelphia Eagles had one of the worst wide receiver groups in the league last season, dropping more passes than one could count on their hands. The only truly serviceable player was slot receiver Jordan Matthews, who didn't even lead the team in receiving yardage. That distinction belongs to tight end Zach Ertz, who recorded 816 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Their third leading receiver was running back Darren Sproles, a poor sign for a team that clearly needed help at the wide receiver position entering 2017 free agency.
Alshon Jeffery signs with Philadelphia.
The Eagles signed Alshon to a one year "prove it" deal worth about $14 million. Of that $14 million, approximately $4.5 is related to incentives that span from Pro Bowl appearances to yardage totals. That means his one year deal will be team friendly and count for only $9.5 million against the cap. That's good news for a team that had limited cap space to work with before free agency even started.
Philadelphia Wide Receivers.
The Eagles now have a true number one wide receiver in Alshon Jeffery. The former Bears wide receiver had two seasons in a row with over 1000 receiving yards in 2013 and 2014. He hasn't fared as well recently, but had to deal with poor quarterback play for the past two days.
Jeffery will pair with slot receiver Jordan Matthews, who should act as a nice complement to the tall wide receiver. Other than those two, the Eagles will still rely on both Zach Ertz and Darren Sproles for production. They might not have the firepower that the Giants have with both Odell and Brandon Marshall, but they have improved significantly at the position.
Carson Wentz.
Philadelphia's production at the wide receiver position will be heavily dependent on the play of quarterback Carson Wentz. The rookie had a decent year in 2016, throwing for 16 touchdown passes and more than 3500 passing yards. The rookie also struggled to take care of the ball, tossing 14 interceptions in his first year. Drops from his receivers couldn't have helped his confidence level. Now that he has Alshon Jeffery on his team, Wentz will have much more talent (and fewer drops) to work with.
