Jalen Reagor Is Being Misused By Eagles Coaching Staff
Although Jalen Reagor was the Philadelphia Eagles’ first-round draft pick in 2020, the organization has not seen the return on investment just yet, not all in part to his performance on the field.
It is understood that Reagor missed five games before returning in Week 8 against the Dallas Cowboys, but he is not being put in the position to succeed whenever he is out there on the football field.
Reagor is clearly the most versatile pass-catcher on the Birds, but the playmaker has not had an opportunity to excel when the coaching staff is asking him to do things outside of his skillset.
The Eagles must include Reagor in their game plan more if they hope to salvage their season.
Reagor’s route tree in the Eagles’ offense has consisted of curls, comebacks, and out patterns. These route concepts are better suited for Travis Fulgham, who is the big-bodied receiver of the bunch. The coaching staff has failed the TCU alum up to this point.
Reagor became one of the most explosive playmakers in college football due to his speed and elusiveness in space. 2,572 total yards from scrimmage and 24 total touchdowns of production is not just a coincidence. Screen passes were a specialty of Reagor’s but it seems those plans are designed for Greg Ward Jr., who is one of the slower receivers on this Eagles offense. When Reagor has gotten the ball quickly, he has proven he can make things happen.
Let’s use a 4th and 1 versus the New York Giants as an example.
It is head-scratching to see the coaches shy away from these manufactured touches for the 21-year-old speedster.
Now, let’s take a look at what Reagor has to offer in the vertical passing game
This has been Reagor’s only catch of over 25 yards in his 16 career receptions. If this is the deep threat the Eagles desperately needed, they need to give him more of a chance to stretch the field and play the ball.
A series of fly routes and deep posts made the majority of Reagor’s highlight tapes from TCU. Ever since Reagor went down in the second game of the season against the Rams, Doug Pederson has been reluctant to dial-up No. 18 on a deep shot. There is no excuse why Pederson won’t scheme the ball into Reagor’s hands.
It is a shame Reagor has barely broken 200 receiving yards (211) in the five games he has played.
What’s even more discouraging is the emergence of fellow first-round receiver Justin Jefferson.
Jefferson was drafted No. 22 overall, exactly one spot behind Reagor. Since entering the league out of LSU, Jefferson has stuffed the stat sheet averaging 18.8 yards per catch on 45 receptions. Jefferson leads all rookie pass-catchers in yards with 848 yards and should surely eclipse the century mark in receiving during his rookie campaign.
Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported a rumor that Philly’s scouting department favored Jefferson throughout the draft process but ultimately elected to draft Reagor because the offense needed an injection of explosiveness and speed.
This report makes the mismanagement of Reagor even more disappointing. The Eagles clearly wanted Reagor but have absolutely failed to properly utilize him up to this point.
Hopefully, coaching can turn a corner and begin to maximize the young man’s value.
Featured Image: Tim Hawk/NJ.com
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Categorized:Eagles