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As receivers go elsewhere, Eagles will have to hit in draft

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Author Beasley Media Group Editoral

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It’s becoming pretty clear the Eagles will try to address their pressing need at wide receiver in next month’s draft. 

If that wasn’t clear before Tuesday, that got hammered home as three of the top remaining free agent receivers on the market went elsewhere: 

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While Funchess might not have made a ton of sense for the Eagles, Anderson or Perriman would have. 

Anderson ended up choosing a Temple reunion in Carolina with Matt Rhule and Breshad Perriman became Anderson’s replacement with the Jets. Jets GM (and former Eagles front office executive) Joe Douglas was with the Ravens when Perriman was drafted. 

A one-year deal for Perriman at that price seems pretty reasonable, especially when you consider that the Eagles held on to Nelson Agholor at a $9.4 million price tag last season. The Eagles don’t have unlimited cap space but they’re not right up against it either and Perriman would have helped. The former first-round pick came on strong late in 2019 and finished with 36 catches for 645 yards and 6 touchdowns. 

There are still some free agent options available but they are definitely dwindling: Demarcus Robinson, Tajae Sharpe, Taylor Gabriel, Marcus Johnson, Rashard Higgins, Paul Richardson, Geronimo Allison, Jaron Brown, Ted Ginn. 

I’m in the camp that thinks the Eagles should really try to bring in at least one veteran to bolster their receiving corps but it looks like they’re planning on figuring out that position of need in the draft. To their credit, this is a very good receiver draft class. Most mock drafts have the Eagles taking a receiver in the first round with the 21st pick or in a trade-up. 

But with their inaction during free agency, it’ll be even more important they hit on receivers who can play immediately in 2020. 

Here’s a reminder of what the Eagles have on their roster now: 

DeSean Jackson 
Alshon Jeffery 
Greg Ward
J.J. Arcega-Whiteside 
Robert Davis 
Deontay Burnett
Marken Michel
Marcus Green
River Cracraft

Not a lot of known commodities in that group. Jackson is 33 and coming off a serious injury. Jeffery is 30, coming back from a Lisfranc injury and might be a bad locker room fit. JJAW is coming off a terrible rookie season. Ward had an OK season but might not be a long-term solution. 

And then the rest of that group is really unknown. 

I think it would have made a lot of sense for the Eagles to go after a guy like Perriman in free agency but they either didn’t or they didn’t do enough. And receiver remains a top need. 

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Author Beasley Media Group Editoral
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