There’s been a lot of talk regarding the changes that have taken place on the Philadelphia Eagles offense.  When you change players, particularly at quarterback, with the transition comes a change in philosophy.
Everyone knows that Donovan McNabb’s strength was the vertical, deep passing game. With Kevin Kolb taking over the helm, Eagles fans can expect to see a short-intermediate game based more on timing.
One big question mark is: How is a 5’10”, 175lb DeSean Jackson going to handle being the No. 1 wide receiver in an offense dominated by slants, curls and out patterns?
Let me nip this in the bud for everyone.  DeSean Jackson is no longer going to be the No. 1 receiver for the Eagles.  That title will go to Mr. Jeremy Maclin.
This is by no means a knock on Jackson.  He’s one of the most exciting players in the league right now and should continue to be so.
It’s about the team catering to its strengths.  At 6’0”, 200lbs, Maclin already fit the “west coast receiver” mold physically.  He also showed plenty of promise his rookie year, accumulating 56 receptions, 773 yards (14 YPC) and 4 touchdowns.
With no pre-draft workouts or a rookie contract negotiation to cause a holdout to miss part of training camp, Maclin has focused primarily on football.
It has been reported that Maclin has been diligent in working on his strength and conditioning.  Add to that a year within the Eagles offense along with an expected 100% attendance in OTAs and training camp, I’m looking forward to a huge improvement in Maclin in 2010.  Catching 80 to 90 receptions isn’t out of the question.
These improvements will help Maclin fight through press coverage and break initial tackles to gain extra yardage after the catch.
Cornerbacks Champ Bailey (Broncos) and Mike Jenkins (Cowboys) showed last year that DeSean can be taken out of the offense.  As good as he is, he hasn’t proven he can consistently take on physical, cover corners.
Maclin’s improvement will only help Jackson.  If he and tight end Brent Celek continue their success with the 10-15 yard catches and LeSean McCoy is able to handle being the No. 1 halfback, defenses (safeties in particular) will be kept honest.
There’s not a secondary in the league that can recover if D-Jax gets behind them.  Kolb doesn’t have McNabb’s arm, but he can get the ball 40-50 yards down the field and hit Jackson in stride.
Remember the 2004 Eagles season? Terrell Owens presence helped Todd Pinkston stretch the field and be second in the league in yards per catch (18.8) that year.
For the Eagle’s offense to be as lethal as it can be, Jeremy Maclin needs to be the No. 1 wideout.  This will only help each member of the “Young Guns” to maximize their potential.
Of course, DeSean Jackson has to be okay with being the second option and not let his pride get in the way.  Ultimately, this will help the Eagles front office decide on extending his contract in the future.
G, that’s great news!
However, if Maclin becomes Kolb’s first option, I believe Jackson will still gain more yards than he.
T.O. was a threat from anywhere on the field. When he caught passes underneath, he required attention from everyone in the secondary, including linebackers (because of his size). If Maclin can break tackles, the Maclin/Jackson combo could be lethal. And with strong contributions from McCoy, Weaver, Celek and Avant, the offense could be on its way.
drummer, it was Haran. It would be great to see, but till now DJax is still the #1 option.
I do believe Maclin has the bigger upside because of his side and speed. Jackson is lethal but he’s sort of a one-trick-pony. If he can’t beat you deep then he’s not really hurting you. Maclin has the skill, size and speed to hurt you all over the field. But as stated, I think this helps Jackson as well because he can possibly get less attention and be able to get free releases. I am interested to see what Jackson will say if Maclin really does start accumulating better stats. It’s very possible in this offense with Kolb at QB to see consistenly statlines: Maclin 8 rec 110 yards 1 TD and Jackson 3 rec 86 yards 1 TD. Obviously each week will vary but I can definitely see Maclin being the more consistent receiver because you are not going to beat everyone deep every week. He already wanted to yap when they drafted a WR in the first round. Who knows what he’ll do if that same guy is more productuve than him. So we will see what happens. I just don’t want him in front of the camera ever.
Haran ur a fool..why does G let u post articles. West coast offenses run short pass plays to help set up thee deep ball…West coast offense also has the concept of passing to set up the run..Desean is one the best receivers in the league..who cares on number 1 or 2..are u an Eagles fan u chump..Quit trying to stirr sh!t up u prick.
@ Silencer….. The stirring things up and articulating an opinion are two different things. IG.Cobb posts my articles because I’m able to do the latter. If you took the time to read (do you have that ability??) the article you would notice that I never said anything diminishing about DeSean Jackson (whose jersey I own by the way as a true fan of his).
I made a point on how Jeremy Maclin could actually make Jackson and the entire offense better. When you look at Jackson’s first two seasons, you should take note that his success was largely the result of receiving passes from one of the best deep ball passers in the game (McNabb). Now that Kolb is at the helm, the passing game will change. But, you would know I said that if you took the time to read the article.
As far as the passing game setting up the run, that is very true. But, I chose to give my opinion I expressed in the article I wrote on my thoughts about the changes in the passing game.
Having said that, I’ve notice that I have yet to see an article written by you. I’ve haven’t notice a posting by you expressing your opinion on the Eagles as a fan. I’ve also notice three derogatory terms directed towards me, yet no invitation to express these thoughts face to face as two grown men.
These are all actions of a little boy. As a man, let me advise the boy aka Silencer to look in the mirror next time he (am I correct on the gender?) wants to dish out some name calling.
After that, please live up to your username and stay silent until you have something mature and intelligent to say.
I won’t hold my breath on this, but all things are possible. Have a blessed day. 🙂
I been saying this since Day 1 with Maclin. ( Oh God I sound like Paulman)
Hey Jimmy Mac.. I was going to say that….You stole my thunder…. .
Thanks Haran for some good points all around,
Now I am going to write a “mock” article on the Eagles upcoming #1 WR’s …or an article on the
“Mock Fans” who are whining now and Kolb haters but will jump on the Eagles Bandwagon in October when they are playing well and in 1st place…
I WONDER WHY THE LONG BALL IS NOT A VIABLE OPTION NOW? let me guess????????????
Vick get ready when you’re called upon, so when Bobby Hoying Jr. start throwing completions to the guys in th other jerseys…we’ll need you.
Drummer, good point. Man I think this team will go undefeated now Kolb is at the helm!!!!
Go EAGLES!!!!
(Spud, make sure you send the pay in British Pounds) Kolb is Tom Brady and Peyton Manning wrapped into “ONE”.
No SONGS don’t guess – your an idiot and you will get it wrong and look even stupider. Kolb comes from a spread offense background – he is trained to make fast reads and get rid of the ball – MCNabb grew up in an option offense. McNabb had outstanding arm strength, Kolb has good arm strength. McNabb was 240+ lbs and built like a LB and would shake off tacklers, but would also take sacks, I don’t think Kolb will do that. The point the author was trying to make had nothing to do with the physical limitations, but more the strengths of both players games, Steve Young and Joe Montana were not known for their deep bombs.
Please, I implore you, stop posting. Mark Twain once said its better to let people think your an idiot then to open your mouth (or in this case post things) and confirm your an idiot. We all got it – you think very little of this team…
@Interesting..Articulating an opinion?..a stupid and invalid one..We will get to the facts in a second about the two WR in second..Man yes ..boy no..clever though..face-to-face any day of the week..Im proud of u having a Desean jersey..your probably the guy who says ur not racist because u have minority freinds too..lol..(NOT SAYING u are, just saying how dumb u sound justifying ur love for 10) ..Anyway As an Eagles fan i would like to talk and read all positives info or opinions on certain meaningful topics ..Then articles like this are posted and say maclin is our new number one…or the other article I read about Desean not being a west coast WR..what is the point of either one of the articles..we finally get a NUMBER ONE receiver, and then try to call him out..because of his size..well he shut up critics the past two years..
My point is that the west coast thrives on YAC and amazing route running…both of which Desean excels at..Quick point..Mike Jenkins an Champ had him man coverage..with Safety help..there are very few times in a game i saw that he wasnt double covered..they didnt single handedly do by themselves..and a knock on some play calling, running spread offense routes with no time to throw..with time any QB can look good..
So in the end Desean draws double coverage 90% of the game..makes everyone better..Not maclin..DeSean is our number One Philly!!..And the knock on the screen name is a knock on u..DeSean he wanted to silent critics like u about what he can and cant do because of his size..Someone on PhiladelphiaEagles.com calld him “The Silencer”..Because he did in FACT shut them up..So go ahead..u are infact a fan of THE SILENCER cuz u have his jersey…..LMAO..
-FISHTOWN REPREDENTING-
Sorry HT i had to go there..find more useful and productive topics to discuss..on a softer note it was immature for the name calling i do apologize..Im DIE hard..u did post good stats..ur logic may be skewed though..have a good day..
Jesus Christ you guys sound silly sometimes.
WOW! That’s the first time I’ve seen a journalist respond to a post . . .and invite him to meet face to face, no less.
Haran, it seems you’ve got a little Charlie Manuel in you. I think that’s great!!! One of my favorite moments in journalism was when Manuel invited the Wolfman into his office for a private conversation. Things changed dramatically after that. I’m fairly certain that the old guy would have put something on Eskin. Nothing wrong with holding people accountable for their posts.
Okay, back to football:
Scorp, I get your point on Maclin and I agree that he may have the bigger upside. However, I base my prediction on two comparisons. Rather than compare Maclin to Jackson, I compared DeSean Jackson to Todd Pinkston and Terrell Owens to Jeremy Maclin. I did that because Pinkston was average before Owens came, but became a pro-bowler afterwards.
First, I think Jackson is much faster and more elusive than Pinkston. Think about it. Pinkston never returned punts, but Jackson’s an all-pro punt returner. I think he’s much more dangerous in the open field because he has better vision and understands how to set up his blocks.
Secondly, from what I’ve seen, Maclin’s not even close to Owens. T.O. was a beast! In fact, I think the present-day T.O. would match up against Maclin. Let’s face it, Owens is probably a Hall of Famer. Unfortunately, he’s also head case. Again, T.O. was dangerous from anywhere on the field because of his ability to break tackles, but he also beat a lot of people deep. In fact, most of his scores came while running the deep routes. T.O. didn’t have superior speed, but because he was so dangerous catching the ball underneath and breaking tackles, he ran right by guys. I haven’t seen anything close to that kind of threat from Maclin.
Scorp, just my humble opinion, man. I love sharing thoughts with you. I miss the old days when we shared daily on GCobb.com. It seems some of the name-calling rif raf has disappeared. That’s why I’ve begun to post more often.
Green, thanks for the correction. I never ready the by lines. Now that G’s got a staff, I guess I had better start reading them.
@ drummer…. When I write an article I don’t expect everyone to agree with my opinion. At the end of the day it’s all about respect. When someone calls me out of my name, especially behind a username online, I’m going to call them on it.
@silencer….I don’t like to judge people based on their neighborhood, but what is “FISHTOWN REPREDENTING”?…..Furthermore, you’re basing your pro-DeSean argument on his second year in the like playing with a different QB and the fact that Maclin was a rookie who missed a lot of training camp. All of these things have NOTHING to do with 2010.
Let me start by saying I hope Jackson is here for a long time he is such a difference maker. But if Maclin does turn out to be the real deal 80/90 catches a year(which I think he will be) I dont see Jackson staying here. He is a injury waiting to happen. He is gonna want to paid top 3 WR money and I dont see the Eagles giving a guy that undersized that kind of money.
Representing *..gotta show love..
No one is hidind behind a screen name..but anyway..would I rather listen to a hall of fame receiver in Jerry rice when he’s was saying DJ is one of the best receivers he’d had ever seen coming out of college and this kid can do it all..or U guys saying he’s not west coast offense receiver..he might not brake a tackle, that’s because no one is guna touch him..Here the facts on the two..DJ is a better route runner, hands, faster, and excellent release of the line of scrimmage even though he’s only 175 , but quick enough to avoid the press..All Maclin has on him is size..So The Silencer remains our number one..he draws the double team and has the edge in all the intangibles.. Except he’s just 15lbs lighter…Jackson pro bowler again as Maclin wont. Maclin is a beast but no DJ..
At true eagles fan…we will see how good Maclin will be with no DeSean..Maclin doesn’t get the double teams like DJ or respect that DJ gets..DJ makes everyone better..like celek and avant..be careful what u wish for..
Silencer:
If you read my post im not wishing for it I just think its gonna happen.
I love D Jackson I hope he is here for his whole career do I think it will happen NO
We all saw how the Birds hadled a look at me type guy in TO
Jackson is gonna want the moon and the stars when it comes to his contract. I dont believe the Eagles will give it to him. Remember who his agent is
Well be careful what u think..LOL..u said I one sentence u did think it will..and then the next one u said no u don’t think it will…but whatever..it wont because DeSean is a beast and will get paid.
its true maclin does fit the west coast offense better than jackson. in my opinion jackson is a play maker and a match problem for defenses. the short passing can only go so far. you have throw a couple of deep balls game to keep the defense honest. maclin being the top pass catcher means two things. one the birds will low ball jackson with a contract offer. or if desean yells to loud he will be traded. if kind of funny to me that on the day desean talks about being paid, an article comes out saying maclin is the new go to guy in the offense.
oh scoot… see, this is what happens with many a negadelphian – one report gets written, or something happens, and then drastic extreme conclusions are drawn and people predict the future. The Eagles trade up so it’s gotta be Earl Thomas! They didn’t get the RB we wanted and took that QB instead! They’ll never get TO! We have TO , therefore, SB win! Fact is, we don’t know sh*t in advance of it ever. Who predicted Donny to the skins, 13 draft picks, drafting stud WRs early twice in a row? Trading Lito AND Sheldon? Fact is, we’ll see what happens. We don’t know how the offense will play. We don’t know how the ball will be spread around in this O, or what kind of throws Kolb will end up being able to throw in the NFL. But if an opportunity arises to spin a few speculative sports opinion articles into an either/or doomsday scenario… well…
I think Avant should have an improved year as well, and he doesn’t seem to have the alligator arms that Maclin showed last year.
who cares no qb
Drummer, I feel you and I agree. I think overall any increase in productivity helps Desean and the rest of the team. At the end of the day I still think Maclin will be the better NFL receiver especially if he gets to the point where he breaks tackles. He’ll have the whole package. That’s not a slight against Jackson, just what I think about Maclin. Yeah the old days were better. Too many sensitive chumps around here that get mad if someone says something critical of the team like you were talking about their mommy. And then others that are over the top in the other direction. Not as fun as it use to be.
I’m willing to make a bet, that once again DeSean is lights out and proves any n everyone wrong who thinks Maclin will be the better WR, this year n years to come..
Silencer, do you have a crush on Desean? This kid is God to you. Do you have a shrine of him in your house? Seriously?
HAHAHAHAHAHA
I think that if everyone is honest Receivers should always be evaluated as tandems or corps. I think we have a dynamic duo or terrific trio or even a quizzically talented quad or even a sexy sextuplet depending on personnel on the field.
I am being ridiculous but the point is I don’t ever remember an Eagles team with this much talent at WR/TE/FB/HB and dare I say QB all at the same time. This team offensively (as a team) is far more talented than the team that went to the superbowl. Jackson, Maclin, Avant, Celek, Weaver, McCoy are far superior to a hurt TO and pinkston. That team had Westbrook, McNabb, and TO and Greg Lewis was the only receiver to score a TD. Come on guys be excited. The only thing that can get us offensively is if Kolb busts (or injuries) but I don’t see that happening! Defensively if we are in the top 10 this team is competing for a deep playoff run if not a superbowl.
I will continue to hope for nothing more (yeah not likely but hey) than to have Kolb hoisting a Lombardi in his first season on the star in Dallas while a bedraggled Jerry Jones is captured looking on with disgust after having fired all his coaches and calling out his team two weeks prior for having let it slip away!
RealEagle…you’re a real fan. I remember I use to think like you…you’re young.
Kolb is just another guy…the Eagles window is shut.