How Eagles receivers really feel about QB switch

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When we last saw Nick Foles, his wide receivers were Jeremy Maclin, Jordan Matthews, Riley Cooper and Josh Huff.

Oops. We can't forget Jeff Maehl.

The Eagles have turned over their entire wide receiver corps since trading Foles after the 2014 season. Nelson Agholor arrived in 2015, and Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith and Mack Hollins this year.

So when Foles goes out there Sunday afternoon to face the Giants at M&T Stadium, he'll be playing alongside wide receivers he's barely played with.

"I've watched them run their routes all year, I've been able to practice with them at different times to throw them routes, so you just sort of build that database," Foles said. 

"I'm not going to always be able to get the reps Carson gets, but I'm always standing behind the play, I'm always watching film, I'm always watching his drops, I'm always doing drops in the background, so you just go out there … and play."

Since he got here in March, Foles has worked with the scout team at practice, facing the starting defense and working mainly with receivers like Marcus Johnson, Hollins and Shelton Gibson.

But starting Sunday, he'll be out there with Jeffery, Agholor and Smith — a group he's completed six passes to in his career.

That's why this practice week was so important. These guys don't have a huge history together.

"Moving forward, these guys can really spend time together, Alshon and Nick, Torrey and Nick, (Zach) Ertz and Nick and everybody on offense, can spend time this week kind of getting to know each other a little bit better and understanding it's going to be different," head coach Doug Pederson said. 

"The ball is going to come out a little differently. It's going to be in a different spot. It's just the nature of the game. So it behooves them to spend as much time at practice this week to get on that same page."

Foles has played with all three tight ends — Ertz, Brent Celek and Trey Burton. In fact, he and Celek were together for three years. And Foles and Ertz hooked up on 49 catches for 643 yards and six touchdowns in the 20 games they played together in 2013 and 2014.

But for Foles and the outside receivers, this is all new.

"It's just us getting repetitions with him at practice, that's all it is," Jeffery said. "My comfort level is pretty high with Nick. I'm extremely confident in Nick, we all are. 

"Nick's been in there throwing every once in a while, they switch it up, so I have a pretty good feel for him.

"On Sunday, we'll see. We'll just keep practicing and go out there and let Nick have fun and we're going to do a great job rallying around him."

Smith, coming off his first 100-yard game as an Eagle, said people are making too much of Foles' lack of experience with the Eagles' wideouts.

"I think it's overrated, especially when it's a guy who's been here the whole offseason," Smith said. "He knows the system. It's not like we haven't been in practice with him. 

"We know how he throws the ball. It's not going to be as tough a transition, in my opinion. I've gotten plenty of reps with him in there. They rotate him in there in 7-on-7. The 7-on-7 periods, we're all in there, so the quarterbacks get reps with all the receivers. 

"I'm very comfortable with Foles and for him, it's really just him getting the reps and getting back into it. He's ready. He looks pretty good."

If anybody is concerned, they're not letting on.

"It's basically just talking to them, what they like, how they feel, what they see this week," Foles said. "And it'll come really fast."

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