The Eagles have a long history of whiffing on wide receivers drafted in the first (or second or third) round. Quarterback Donovan McNabb arrived in Philly in 1999, and since then the front office has welcomed Todd Pinkston, Freddie Mitchell, Billy McMullen, Reggie Brown, DeSean Jackson, and last month, Jeremy Maclin. If nothing else, the organization has gotten better at finding talent at the position, although it would take some effort to do worse than FredEx. Brown (a 2005 second-rounder) and Jackson (taken in Round 2 last year) have shown the most promise, but neither is a No. 1 wide receiver. And neither have to be; the flexibility of the West Coast Offense is accommodating like that.
Still, it doesn't hurt to have a legit go-to guy on the outside. Terrell Owens, for all his warts, was invaluable during his short stint in Philly. And the Eagles are hoping Maclin, the Missouri wideout they traded up to grab with the 19th overall pick, has that type of on-field impact. Assuming Maclin earns a starting gig, that means that either Brown or Jackson will be relegated to the No. 3 job. While Jackson seems perfectly suited for the slot, it's hard to imagine the Eagles wouldn't want him on the field as much as possible. (Even if he has trouble identifying the end zone.)
Which makes Brown the odd man out. And while he's not preemptively making this an issue, it doesn't mean he'll happily take his place on the bench, either.
"I'm just gonna make the best out of what I have right now," Brown said during an interview on Comcast SportsNet. "I don't think I'm gonna force the issue too much unless I have to. Unless things start to decline to me not playing at all when I know I should be and everyone know I should be. Then I might push the issue a little bit, but right now I'm just trying to focus on what I have to do to become a better receiver."Brown had a forgettable 2008 season -- he caught just 18 passes for 252 yards, and the Eagles deactivated him for the NFC Championship game.
"For me personally, it was a very disappointing year," Brown said. "I wasn't able to get out there and help the team to victories like I wanted to. There was a little bit of uncertainty there, how I fit in the offense, but that's something I try to leave in the past. I really didn't want to dwell on it and have it affect my performance."
Hmm. The offense hasn't changed much between January and May, and I suspect that will also be the case when training camps start in late July. That said, Brown has had success in Philly. He hauled in 61 passes for 780 yards (4 TDs) in '07, and had 816 receiving yards (8 TDs) the year before.
And it's not the like the Eagles are the Patriots, featuring two Pro Bowl wideouts. Should Maclin and Jackson get the nod, they will have one year of NFL experience between them. There's a place for Brown in this offense, even if he's not a starter. It's just a matter of him embracing that role. WWTOD?
