Ouch: Is Reggie Brown really No. 1 in Philly?

By Os Davis  |   Monday, July 31, 2006  |  Comments( 1 )

Philadelphia Eagles
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When Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Reggie Brown limped off the Lehigh University practice field on Saturday after a single play, he wasn't the only one wincing. One thing the legion of Eagle faithful didn't need to see this preseason was another injury, the bane of the team's existence in 2005.

Immediately rumored to be a torn muscle, Brown's sudden departure made for what the Eagles' official website called a "frenzy over the news." By Sunday, Fox Sports hurriedly reported that team doctors had declared Brown's problem a hamstring injury and were calling it a spasm. Although the same outlet reported that "there's still no specific expected return date for Brown," the WR did practice on Sunday giving the media a nice photo op with the requisite cheesy thumbs up.

Though fairly typical of the sort of non-story that gets play in the offseason, the reportage of Brown going down is revealing with regard to the state of the Eagles' receiver corps. Yes, Brown was the second-round draft pick in '05. Yes, Brown caught 43 receptions, more than any Eagles rookie in history. Yes, his reception and TD totals were second among Eagle receivers who didn't get suspended about halfway through the season.

But is this really the No. 1 guy in Philadelphia this year?

Last year's top "receiver" was Brian Westbrook with 61 catches. Among receivers, Greg Lewis was tops; his 48 receptions were exactly one higher than some guy who departed the Eagles for the sunnier climes of the Dallas Cowboys. However, the four-year man's stats last season - an average of 11.8 yards per reception, one TD - reveal a fairly one-dimensional short-route receiver.

Todd Pinkston is still around, or perhaps that should be "is back again," as the seven-year veteran missed all of last season due to an injury suffered last August. Pinkston's numerical career summary isn't particularly positive, either. After a 2002 in which the WR snagged 60 passes for just under 800 yards and seven TDs, QB Donovan McNabb seemingly turned off to him, favoring first James Thrash and then Philly's 2004 headline acquisition. Pinkston totaled exactly 36 receptions in both '03 and '04, not exactly a No. 1 guy's stats.

Rookie Jason Avant and reformed skier Jeremy Bloom are also theoretically on hand, but both are currently listed as day-to-day and Bloom figures to see most of his action on special teams, regardless. Reportedly finding favor with McNabb these days is rookie Hank Baskett, the former University of New Mexico Lobo.

Baskett is an enigma on top of an unknown. This wideout got gobs of great press before the draft, including ESPN lead draftologist Mel Kiper, Jr., naming him No. 2 senior wide receiver and among the top 25 college performers in 2006. Yet Baskett went undrafted thanks to terrible times recorded at the combine (i.e. 4.55 in the 40-yard sprint) and was only acquired by the Eagles in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings for disgruntled underachiever Billy McMullen. Baskett may get more play than was previously expected, but he's hardly the top dog here.

There are a few other guys trying to break in at the position, but the reality is that receivers currently with the Eagles not named Lewis or Brown totaled five receptions for Philly last year, all by Darnerien McCants. In the last two seasons, only newly-acquired Jabar Gaffney has caught more than one TD pass, and his scores were for the Houston Texans.

When the story of the '06 Philadelphia Eagles is written, much attention will be given to McNabb, who is surely to be under a microscope after losing a receiver who amassed almost 2,000 yards in less than a season and a half. With a receiving corps that puts the green in the green-and-silver, McNabb will truly be tested indeed.

And if this particular set of Eagles doesn't fly (especially in a couple of games against a certain divisional rival from Texas), it may just be further proof in one man's mind at least, that the NFL does indeed revolve around Terrell Owens.

Catch the latest Eagles news at Realfootball365.com!
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About Os Davis

Os Davis has taken a twisted route to get to RealFootball365.com in his nearly 17 years in professional writing, working in any number of capacities in the sportswriting, news reporting and film criticism worlds. In print media, Os has served as editor at a few publications, including Albuquerque's ...
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