Philadelphia Eagles News: Receivers Prioritized, JuJu Smith-Schuster An Option

In the latest Philadelphia Eagles news, the team is busy as it continues the search for a wide receiver. Recently, USC’s JuJu Smith-Schuster was one of the names linked to Philadelphia after having the chance to workout with Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz at the NFL Scouting Combine.

As reported by ESPN, Smith-Schuster had a great experience during his time on the field with Wentz. The Trojans star shared that he got on- and off-field lessons from the Eagles passer, who also discussed with him the things that should be expected at the combine.

“You only do it once and he said you should embrace it, make sure you’re the first at the drug test because it’s a long line, which it was, and just a lot of football good IQ. When to come in, when to throttle down against different defenses and stuff,” Smith-Schuster also said.

ESPN also mentioned that when asked, Smith-Schuster approved the idea of him playing for Philadelphia with Wentz and ex-USC teammate Nelson Agholor, who is also a wide receiver.

Philadelphia could use someone like Smith-Schuster who came off another excellent year for USC, which won the 2017 Rose Bowl against Penn State. In the 20-year-old’s appearances for the 2016 season, including the Rose Bowl, he recorded 70 receptions for 914 yards and 10 touchdowns.

However, the chances of Smith-Schuster joining the Eagles via the 2017 NFL Draft remain uncertain. ESPN added in its report that aside from him, Philadelphia has three other receivers on its radar. These are John Ross (Washington), Dede Westbrook (Oklahoma), and Mike Williams (Clemson).

In a news by NJ.com, it was mentioned that Westbrook and Williams already met with the Eagles. Williams even called the meeting “great.”

Meanwhile, Bucky Brooks of NFL.com predicted that the Eagles’ No. 14 pick will be used to select Ross. Brooks compared the 22-year-old Husky to DeSean Jackson, believing he can bring “speed” and “playmaking” to the table.

Following the 14th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Eagles have No. 43 in the second round. As of this moment, it is undetermined what type of players Philadelphia will select with its other draft picks. Only one thing is clear and that is the Eagles are getting a receiver with their first-rounder.

The good news for Smith-Schuster is that he spent time and worked with Wentz. This gave him the opportunity to display his skills in front of the Eagles’ main man on offense, which could boost the possibility of him heading to Philadelphia when he turns pro.

The 2017 NFL Draft is just another option for the Eagles in their pursuit of a wide receiver. Recently, they were in trade news as one of the teams eyeing Brandin Cooks of the New Orleans Saints. Joining them are the Tennesse Titans who are searching for help as well for their quarterback, Marcus Mariota.

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Eagles tried to complete a deal last year for Cooks. Now, they are again aiming to land him but it might entail a huge sacrifice. Recently, Saints head coach Sean Payton said Cooks is valuable to the team and the offer must be “real significant” for them to give him up.

Last season, Cooks had 78 receptions for 1,173 yards (career-best) and eight touchdowns. These numbers were enough for him to lead New Orleans in the receiving department for the second consecutive year.

Philadelphia being active with its wide receiver search is pleasant Eagles news. This means the organization is exerting effort in addressing the areas of its game where it struggled in the 2016 NFL season. The Eagles missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year during their previous campaign as they finished with a 7-9 record.

[Featured Image by Gregory Bull/AP Images]