[jwplayer W9biqRvh]
The Philadelphia Eagles have been ravaged by injury at the wide receiver position over the past two years and with two of the biggest stars set to return, Doug Pederson could have some major personnel issues to work through.
Philadelphia has seen some impressive play from rookies Jalen Reagor and John Hightower, but the emergence of Travis Fulgham could force Pederson and Howie Roseman to face a huge decision in spite of big contracts for Jeffery and Jackson.
On Wednesday, Pederson was asked by Brandon Lee Gowton about the looming decisions at wide receiver amid Fulgham’s emergence as a go-to player on the roster. His response was interesting.
“It’s a difficult thing. One, we’ve got to make sure that the player in question is healthy, right? And that’s just why we practice during the week, we let them practice today and we see how they feel tomorrow on Thursday and then we see how they feel on Friday and then we can make a decision for game day.”
“But at the same time, it is hard to say ‘Hey, okay Travis, we’re going to push you to the side because here comes a couple of [veteran] guys.’ We’ve got to get all our guys integrated back into practice this week. And at the end of the day, we’ve got to select the four or five guys we feel give us the best opportunity on game day. And some of it could be based purely on the matchup.”
“Obviously, Travis has made a case to continue to play and play at a high level.”
Pederson made it seem as if Fulgham will continue to have a major role in the offense because receivers line up in various roles in the Eagles’ offense, and they could be listed as an X or Z receiver that’s utilized in different positions.
Jeffery and Jackson will both be needed if the Eagles have any hopes of making a postseason run, but Fulgham’s production shouldn’t be minimized because the two big named vets have returned with huge salaries.
[vertical-gallery id=639260]
[lawrence-related id=642204,642197,642198,642168]