He may not be the next Terrell Owens, but the first Jordan Matthews seems to be progressing well in his rookie offseason with the Eagles.
According to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Rotoworld), Matthews took “a number of reps” with the first-team offense on Tuesday.
Matthews, a second-round pick last month, previously had been working almost exclusively with the No. 2 offense, developing great chemistry with veteran backup quarterback Mark Sanchez.
If Matthews can contribute as a rookie, he’ll beef up considerably a depth chart that hopes to thrive without DeSean Jackson. Riley Cooper and Jeremy Maclin both re-signed prior to become free agents, but Maclin is under contract only for a year. Matthews could make Maclin a luxury that the Eagles don’t need.
That said, there’s a long way to go until Matthews lines up across from an NFL-caliber defensive back in a game that counts. When that happens, we’ll all know whether Matthews or any other rookie receivers can become the exception to the rule that it takes at least a year or two to find a groove at the wideout position.
