The wide receiver issue in Philadelphia is either high comedy or desperate tragedy. Which you choose probably depends on what part of NFC East territory you come from.
No Cowboys fan is going to spill any tears for the Eagles' offense. But just for the sake of it, let's recount: • DeSean Jackson returns to lead the corps after his worst season as a pro.
• Jeremy Maclin tore his ACL and is a season-long casualty.
• Riley Cooper is back at practice after his uproarious racial remarks tore through the team locker room. Even still, his career-best output is 315 yards, and he has five career touchdowns in three seasons.
• B.J. Cunningham, a practice squad receiver for the Eagles in 2012, was waived last week as he deals with a foot injury.
The latest setback came Tuesday, when offseason acquisition Arrelious Benn – formerly of Tampa Bay – also tore his ACL. Behind Jackson is veteran Jason Avant, who nabbed 648 yards last year but has just two combined touchdowns since the 2010 season – he put up a doughnut in 2012.
In other words, the Eagles return a whopping five touchdowns of production from their 2012 wide receivers. That's less than half of Dez Bryant's 2012 total.
Let's bring the bullet points back, shall we? These are the guys behind Jackson on the depth chart. • Cooper, he of the 46 career receptions and 679 total yards since 2010.
• Avant, whose best career yardage total is 2011's 679 yards. He has caught 10 touchdowns since his rookie campaign, all the way back in 2006.
• Damaris Johnson, a second-year guy out of Tulsa who pulled in 19 catches for 256 yards last year.
• Greg Salas, who hasn't played in a game since he was with St. Louis in 2011. He caught 27 balls for 264 yards.
• Russell Shepard, an undrafted free agent from LSU. Shepard was a highly-prized recruit who turned in an unspectacular career in Baton Rouge.
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That's not a lineup that inspires any confidence for the Eagles' passing attack. Running back LeSean McCoy and tight end Brent Celek will certainly help. But probably not enough.
The list of free agents available for signing at this late hour isn't anything to get excited about. But being around the Cowboys, Laurent Robinson is a guy who catches the eye. Robinson has worked out for seemingly half the league since training camps kicked off – San Francisco, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Miami, Detroit, San Diego and the New York Jets.
Robinson posted 11 touchdowns for the Cowboys in 2011, but concussion problems ended his five-year deal with Jacksonville before it could even get off the ground. Injury troubles aside, Robinson is basically the best available option on the open market, with the exception of New England castoff Brandon Lloyd.
The number of teams Robinson has worked out for without signing a contract isn't an encouraging sign, but someone is going to be desperate enough for his help eventually. Right?
