NL Belron
Wednesday the Eagles signed Jordan Matthews after being traded to the Bills last season for Ronald Darby.
This was a significant move for the Birds after losing recently signed Mike Wallace to a long-term fibula injury. The Eagles are also without Alshon Jeffery and Mack Hollins out wide.
Now with the addition of Jordan, the Birds have only Agholor, Matthews, Aiken, and Gibson at wide receiver for Sunday's game. Carson Wentz will also have the option of throwing to the 3 Eagles tight ends but he still has a depleted receiving corps.
I think this move of signing free agent Jordan Matthews is great for the team and the situation they are in.
The Eagles needed a receiver ready for the Sunday matchup against the Colts, so acquiring Matthews is perfect because he understands the offense. It's the same offense he learned 2 years ago when Doug Pederson coached his first year with the Eagles. Also the Eagles are getting a great team player who has a great relationship with Wentz. Wentz will also make his return Sunday against the Colts.
So it really is a great fit for this Eagles team, and I believe that Jordan will pick up right where he left off from his past 3 years with the Birds.
In three seasons with Philadelphia, Jordan Matthews totaled 2,673 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 225 catches. The former 2014 second-round pick was one of Carson´s favorite targets in his 2016 rookie season. Matthews led the team in targets with 117, and gained 804 yards on his 73 catches during that season. During 2016, Wentz and Matthews averaged a pleasant 11.3 yards per catch. He didn't put up star like numbers but the organization loved him because he´s unselfish, a great teammate, smart, and productive.
Wentz and Matthews already have trust and chemistry, that will benefit this Eagles team. Wentz will face some less difficult secondaries in the next two games, (the Colts and Titans) which will be great for the two to find the connection they shared before.
The Birds are already struggling to stay healthy with injuries all throughout their offense. So this would be another key move to help out the team early on in the season. The only concern going forward with this move is whether Nelson Agholor can find success on the outside like he had in the slot. Matthews will start out in the slot as Doug Pederson did say he would get him ¨in the mix¨ this Sunday.
It looks like the trade involving Jordan Matthews a year ago couldn't have worked out any better for the Eagles.