He isn’t the first one to refer to the Eagles as a “track team.” But he is the first person with a bust in Canton to say it.
LaDainian Tomlinson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017 and now appears weekly on NFL Network as a lead analyst. He’s known for fast takes and bold opinions. Earlier this week, the five-time Pro Bowl running back was asked to pick the “most underhyped team” in the NFL.
His choice? The Philadelphia Eagles, of course. Tomlinson highlighted the team’s revamped receiving corps and said “they have really built a track team.” He also cited the addition of Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay as another reason why the Eagles should be feared in 2020.
“Carson Wentz last year was throwing to guys I don’t even know. Guys like Greg Ward Jr. and guys like that,” Tomlinson told NFL Total Access. “He has a slew of guys coming back. They have really built a track team at the wide receiver position, when you talk about DeSean Jackson coming back, they drafted Jalen Reagor out of TCU, they got Marquise Goodwin this offseason, and not to mention, Alshon Jeffery is coming back. I love what this team has done on offense.”
.@kurt13warner, @LT_21 and @SteveMariucci are here to hype up your team!
SOUND UP! 🔊
His buddies on the panel didn’t necessarily agree. Fellow NFL Hall of Famer Kurt Warner picked the Cleveland Browns while former 49ers coach Steve Mariucci chose the Arizona Cardinals. Tomlinson ranks seventh on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with 13,684 yards.
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Eagles Have Legitimate Track Team at WR
The Eagles literally have a track team at the wide receiver position. They prioritized speed in the draft and the 40 times prove it wasn’t just coachspeak. You might want to grab a glass of water.
First-round pick Jalen Reagor: 4.47 seconds (4.22 adjusted time, at pro day)
Fifth-round pick John Hightower: 4.43 seconds
Sixth-round pick Quez Watkins: 4.35 seconds
Newcomer Marquise Goodwin: 4.27 seconds
Veteran DeSean Jackson: 4.35 seconds.
Some #NFL NextGen stats for you. DeSean Jackson reached a speed of 21.4 MPH on his 51-yard TD reception and believe it or not there were two players faster than him on Sunday, Saquon Barkley at 21.76 on his 59-yard run and Malcolm Butler at 21.5 on his 38-yard INT #FlyEaglesFly
Reagor was one of the first to bestow the “track team” label on the Eagles. It’s true on many levels, too. Reagor was a track and field star in high school and won a gold medal in the long jump. Ditto for Hightower who ran the 400-meter hurdles in high school.
“Track definitely helped me on the football side of things with my quickness, being able to outrun defenders,” Hightower said. “It has been a great journey with track, and obviously football paid off.”
🔥🔥🏈 Marquise Goodwin shows off his Olympic speed on Richard Sherman
Meanwhile, Goodwin was a prolific sprinter and jumper in high school. He won seven Texas track and field state championships and competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics for the long jump. Jackson also ran track in high school at Long Beach Polytechnic. Watkins didn’t participate in organized track but obviously has insane speed.
“I feel like we have a track team now,” Reagor said, via ESPN. “Pairing me with D-Jack, I feel like that is going to be a scary combo. I’m just expecting a lot of speed and a lot of wins.”
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NFL Hall of Famer Offers Bold Prediction for ‘Track Team’ Eagles