Over the last three seasons, Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has created one of the NFL’s best wide receiver duos in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Despite their greatness, Roseman has failed to fill Philadelphia’s void at the third wide receiver spot behind their dynamic duo.
The arrival of offensive coordinator Kellen Moore in Philadelphia has likely pushed Roseman to place a stronger emphasis on the position this offseason. Roseman has already signed two veteran wide receivers in free agency, filling the voids left by the likely departures of Quez Watkins, Olamide Zaccheaus, and Julio Jones.
Kellen Moore’s Impact on Philadelphia’s Approach at WR3
Moore has been an offensive coordinator in the NFL for the last five seasons, spending four with the Dallas Cowboys and last year with the Los Angeles Chargers. In comparison to Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, Moore places a much higher emphasis on utilizing the third WR in his offensive scheme.
In five seasons as an offensive coordinator, the third receiver in Moore’s offense has averaged 47.2 receptions on 77.2 targets for 645.6 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns per season. Those are eye-opening numbers compared to the production of the third wide receiver in Sirianni’s offenses over the years.
In six seasons as an offensive coordinator and head coach, the third WR in Sirianni’s offense has averaged 28 receptions on 45.6 targets for 321.8 receiving yards and 1.8 receiving touchdowns per season.
Even with better situations at the position in certain years, Sirianni simply does not place an emphasis on involving the third wide receiver in his offensive scheme.
Moore appears to place players in much more defined roles in his offensive scheme. While Sirianni opted to use a variety of players to fill the third wide receiver role in Philadelphia last season, that likely won’t be the case with Moore in 2024.
He clearly places a much higher priority on getting that player consistently involved in his offense, which is likely why Roseman has decided to sign two veteran wideouts so early in free agency this offseason, compared to his more conservative approach in recent years.
Can DeVante Parker or Parris Campbell Win the Eagles’ WR3 Job?
Last offseason, Roseman didn’t add a veteran wide receiver in free agency until signing Zaccheaus on April 19, 2023. Philadelphia’s next veteran addition at the position was signing Jones on Oct. 17, 2023.
Fast forward to this offseason, and the Eagles have already signed DeVante Parker and Parris Campbell before the start of April. Given Moore’s arrival, it’s clear that Roseman is being more proactive in adding talent to improve Philadelphia’s situation at WR3.
MORE: 15 Best One-Year Deals in the 2024 Free Agency
While both Parker and Campbell have signed with the Eagles this offseason, they are drastically different players on the field. Parker is a big-bodied wide receiver who has primarily played on the outside in his nine-year NFL career. According to Pro Football Focus, 81.8% of Parker’s career snaps have been at outside wide receiver.
Campbell is quite the opposite, as he offers blazing speed and plenty of experience playing inside. According to PFF, 69.7% of Campbell’s career snaps have been at slot wide receiver. Given his experience working with Sirianni with the Indianapolis Colts, Campbell is likely the early favorite to win the third wide receiver job in Philadelphia.
Eagles Showing Interest in Several Wide Receivers in 2024 NFL Draft
The 2024 NFL Draft is absolutely loaded at wide receiver, and the Eagles have shown interest in several prospects in this year’s draft class. According to multiple reports, Philadelphia has top-30 visits scheduled with USC wide receiver Brenden Rice and Texas A&M wide receiver Ainias Smith.
Eagles wide receiver coach Aaron Moorehead has been busy during the pro day circuit leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft. Moorehead was in attendance at Smith’s pro day and was also at the University of Texas to watch their intriguing trio of wide receiver prospects at the school’s pro day.
Over the past several years, Philadelphia’s reported top-30 visits have proven to be strong indicators of their interest in prospects. In the 2023 NFL Draft, four of Philadelphia’s first five picks were players that the Eagles hosted on top-30 visits. While it’s easy to disregard these interactions for certain teams, they are certainly important for Philadelphia.
KEEP READING: Why the Philadelphia Eagles’ Tush Push Isn’t Going Anywhere
Therefore, it’s worth monitoring both Rice and Smith heading into April’s event. Rice is a big wide receiver that plays with maximum effort and was a scoring machine at USC.
Smith is more of a gadget player that can be used in a variety of ways, including as a returner on special teams. Despite Philadelphia’s additions in free agency, look for them to add another weapon or two for Moore to work with in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Miss football? The 2024 NFL Draft is almost here, boss. Pro Football Network has you covered with everything from team draft needs to the Top 100 prospects available. Plus, fire up PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator to put yourself in the general manager’s seat and make all the calls!