NFL Spin Zone
Fansided

Philadelphia Eagles: Jordan Matthews poised for huge year statistically

By Kevin Parvizi

facebooktwitterreddit

Philadelphia Eagles second-year wide receiver Jordan Matthews is the No. 1 receiver on one of the NFL’s most high-powered offenses, and while rookie Nelson Agholor and star tight end Zach Ertz are also impressive pass-catchers who will command attention from Sam Bradford, there’s little doubt in my mind that Matthews is the one to watch the most.

ALSO ON SPIN ZONE: Where Do Eagles TEs Rank Among NFL’s Best?

The former second-round pick out of Vanderbilt exceeded expectations as a rookie with 67 receptions for 872 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 13.0 yards per reception and 54.5 yards per game despite being restricted to the slot as a rookie. Showing off his toughness, strength, hands, smarts, and route-running chops weekly, Matthews had no issues going from one of the SEC’s most accomplished receivers to one of the NFL’s most accomplished rookies.

More from Philadelphia Eagles

In fact, only six wide receivers out of 50 qualifiers, according to Pro Football Focus, had a higher WR Rating than Matthews’s 119.3. Eagles quarterbacks threw eight touchdowns with just one interception when targeting Matthews, who showed plenty of playmaking juice with six yards after the catch per reception. He caught nearly everything thrown at him, and his 8.5 yards per target last year indicate that he can be “the guy” for the Eagles this year with Jeremy Maclin now killing it for the Kansas City Chiefs after being Philly’s MVP in 2014.

Could Matthews be the Eagles MVP in 2015? Since the Eagles have DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews, that could be tough, as while Matthews will have more than the 103 targets he had last year, it might be difficult for him to get the 143 targets Maclin earned last season.

Of course, 143 targets aren’t out of the question for Matthews, but his usage could simply be a function of how much confidence the team has in getting Agholor involved as often as Matthews last year. Since Agholor was a first-round pick, it’s more than fair to argue that he should be better and perhaps even more polished than Matthews as a rookie, especially since he’s done nothing but impress this offseason.

While that’s a situation worth monitoring, all Jordan Matthews can do is control his own play on the field, which has been nothing short of exceptional this offseason. I mean, you could legitimately argue that he’s been their best player on offense this preseason with seven receptions for 115 yards in three preseason games. Just yesterday against the Green Bay Packers, Matthews took advantage of Sam Bradford’s 10-for-10, 121-yard, 3-TD outburst to catch all three passes thrown at him for 51 yards.

Matthews has been more explosive than I anticipated he would be, and that’s huge in an aggressive Eagles offense. Not only does Chip Kelly like to run an awful lot of plays, but he finds ways to get his talented receivers in space or vertically. Matthews has the long speed to make bigger plays out of the slot, the quicks to make things happen with the ball in his hands, the size to move to the outside and win at the catch point, the hands to be reliable over the middle of the field, the toughness to mix it up with anyone, and the route-running chops to quickly get open in the Eagles passing attack.

Basically, the 23-year-old has done everything asked of him to perfection, and we can only expect huge numbers from him in his second season. He put up those strong numbers as a rookie No. 2 receiver with questionable quarterbacks, so just imagine what he can do with an accurate QB at the helm, with another year of experience, and with an even bigger role.

The efficiency numbers and seventh-best WR Rating speak for themselves. Bradford isn’t going to look like he did in the Philadelphia Eagles dress-rehearsal game every week, but he should be a notable upgrade over what Matthews worked with last year. He’ll have to deal with more attention on him, but, as we’ve seen over the past two years, receivers in Kelly’s offense are almost always put in a position to succeed. Matthews has significantly better tools than Riley Cooper, so I’m not worried about any sort of a let-down from a more gifted, consistent, and versatile wideout.

His explosive play this preseason has helped cement his status as a top fantasy pick, and we have no reason to doubt his ability to take full advantage of the volume that being the Eagles top target will provide him. Agholor’s presence and the expected running game usage taper his fantasy upside a bit, but Matthews still looks ready to light up the stat sheet.

Matthews isn’t a No. 1 receiver by quality (he’s more of a No. 2), but it’s all about opportunity and fit. His skill-set is perfect for the Eagles offense, and the Eagles will reward him with targets. Perhaps Agholor usurps him in the targets department, but I’m not anticipating that taking place in 2015.

Next: Who Are The NFL's Most Important Players?

More from NFL Spin Zone

Home/Philadelphia Eagles