How Eagles can fix their glaring wide receiver problem this offseason

Carson Wentz Philadelphia Eagles

© Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Eagles are currently pathetically short on talent at the wide receiver position and must address the issue with fervor this offseason.

The skinny: Last season, at the most crucial time of the season, the Eagles had just two healthy receivers on the roster. Furthermore, even with a fully healthy roster, the team lacks that true No. 1 option.

The current situation: Looking at the roster, there are some big names that pop. But if last year was any indication, those big names are at the tail-end of their careers, and the youngsters have not impressed.

In a dream scenario, Jeffery and Jackson would be fully healthy for 16 games and the Eagles may have a competent passing game. But competent doesn’t win Super Bowls. And with a quarterback like Carson Wentz still on the upswing of his career, the Eagles have to strike now to land some impact players at this crucial position.

What’s next? Well, free agency is coming up next month, and then the 2020 NFL Draft kicks off in late April. There are options galore for the Eagles to consider as they attempt to shore up this area of need.

Free agency options: There’s a chance some incredibly talented receivers will hit the open market this March. Some are less realistic than others, but here’s a quick look at some of the guys the Eagles could target in free agency.

The Eagles already inked Wentz to his big-money deal and will have just over $40 million in cap space to work with this offseason. So there’s no reason for the franchise not to take a swing at one (or two?) of the top receivers in free agency.

Impact draft: This year’s draft is absolutely loaded with talented young receivers ready to make an immediate contribution. The Eagles will certainly want to take advantage of this, and they can go to the well multiple times.

The Eagles currently own the No. 21 overall pick, and some mock drafts have them going with a cornerback at that spot. However, it wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world if they took a receiver instead. Here’s a look at some options in the first round.

If the Eagles look for an impact playmaker outside of the first round, there will be plenty of options. A few include Laviska Shenault Jr., Justin Jefferson, Jalen Reagor, Michael Pittman Jr., and the underrated Brandon Alyuk.

The bottom line: Aside from improving the defensive back end, there is no bigger fish to fry ahead of the 2020 season for Eagles’ general manager Howie Roseman.

Thankfully, there may not be a better year to land multiple starting-caliber wide receivers. If they’re lucky, the Eagles could end up with a dynamic receiving corps by playing their cards right with a mix of free agency and draft moves.

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