Nick Piccone
Nelson Agholor’s been getting some major praise this summer. Mike Quick called him the most talented wide receiver on the Eagles’ roster. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said on his podcast that Agholor “is going to be their slot receiver” when discussing the Eagles.
Now, we’ve been through this before. Players look great in camp and it never translates to real games. But there’s something different about Agholor this year. He’s got better receivers around him, which ultimately can make him better, and with Jordan Matthews yet to sign a contract extension, this could be the year for Agholor to prove his worth.
But Matthews doesn’t want to hear about any of that. He’s had tendinitis issues in his knee for a while, but doesn’t use that as an excuse. He comes to practice every day and has a good rapport with Carson Wentz. And, hey, Matthews may break out this season given the presence of Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith, too.
But upon being told about Jeremiah’s comments, Matthews said he wasn’t worrying about them, and probably should’ve left it at that. Via Jeff McLane of philly.com:
“My biggest thing is, am I getting reps now? Am I getting opportunities to go out there and make plays? That’s my only focus,” Matthews said Sunday after open practice at Lincoln Financial Field. “I can’t really worry too much about what Daniel Jeremiah says, or any of those guys. They don’t play ball. They’re not in the front office.
…
“It’s so early in training camp. People make so many bold predictions,” Matthews said. “The craziest thing is, I make a bold prediction or say something outlandish and it’s wrong, I would get scrutinized. He might do it, and it’s, like, ‘OK …’ His mock drafts are pretty bad every year. Nobody gets on him.”
Jeremiah is a former scout for the Eagles, and has worked with both Howie Roseman and Joe Douglas before. We could surmise that he’s not just making stuff up. He seems pretty keyed into the team, and I doubt he would throw out the possibility of Agholor being the slot receiver if he hadn’t heard it from someone he trusts. Also – it seems as if Jeremiah’s mock drafts aren’t “pretty bad” as the fourth-year receiver put it.
But Matthews is also right. Football is so unpredictable. Maybe Doug Pederson and Frank Reich are thinking about permanently putting Agholor in the slot. That doesn’t mean they will. Matthews is also right that it’s still early in training camp. But, it is an interesting note that Jeremiah makes, simply because he’s a guy that is dialed in.
Honestly, I don’t care who’s in the slot. As long as the offense puts up points and the team wins games. That’s what it’s all about. Whether it’s Matthews, Agholor, or somebody else doesn’t really matter if Wentz doesn’t perform the way we’re hoping he will.
Man, Thursday can’t come soon enough.
Oh, and here’s Matthews toasting Malcolm Jenkins during today’s open practice.
Jordan Matthews getting the best of Malcolm Jenkins ? #EaglesCamp pic.twitter.com/hcga9Dq0vq
— Gayle Saunders (@EagleSessions) August 6, 2017
You can follow Nick Piccone on Twitter (@nickpiccone) and e-mail him at [email protected]. Subscribe to his podcast on iTunes here or listen on WildfireRadio.com. Click here to read his pro wrestling articles on PhillyVoice. Follow Philly Influencer on Twitter (@PHL_Influencer), Facebook and Instagram.