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Veteran Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd is heading for free agency this offseason, and the Philadelphia Eagles have been named a top destination.
After a disappointing and early exit in the playoffs, the Eagles are going to be looking to upgrade their roster on both sides of the ball. Adding depth at wide receiver is something the team will surely address, whether it be in free agency or in the upcoming draft.
Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus thinks Boyd would be an excellent fit on an Eagles team in need of a WR3.
“The Eagles’ lack of wide receiver depth has been an under-appreciated shortcoming for several years now, which is understandable given they have one of the game’s elite duos in DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown, but we saw in the playoff game against the Buccaneers how precipitously that depth chart drops off,” Spielberger wrote on January 31.
Eagles Offense Could Use Another Reliable WR
The Eagles scored fewer than 20 points in five of their last seven games, including their 32-9 loss to the Buccaneers in the Wild Card round. They also failed to get off to fast starts the way they did in 2022.
Per Sharp Football Analysis, Philadelphia averaged 25.9 seconds per play in the first half of games, during the 2022 regular season, which was ranked first in the NFL. In 2023, they averaged 29.7 seconds per play in the first half, which was ranked 25th.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts also struggled at times, finishing the season with a career-high 24 turnovers (15 interceptions, 9 fumbles). The Eagles QB also held onto the ball longer than he has in previous seasons, which can be attributed to a number of factors, including receivers not getting enough separation downfield.
According to Next Gen Stats, of the 45 QBs in the league who had at least 135 pass attempts, Hurts ranked 40th in time to throw (3.03 seconds). The team fired former offensive coordinator Brian Johnson and hired former Chargers OC Kellen Moore, so that should help.
Adding a player with Boyd’s skill set would also be a good sing for Philadelphia’s offense.
What Would Philadelphia Eagles Be Getting in WR Tyler Boyd?
While Smith and Brown each surpassed 1,000 yards receiving for the second straight season in 2023, the depth at wideout behind them is bad. If one were to go down with a serious injury, the team would be in dire straits. Behind Smith and Brown, the Eagles WR who had the most receiving yards in 2023 was Olamide Zaccheaus, who finished with 164 yards.
Adding Boyd would give the offense an immediate threat in the slot. “Boyd brings in a sure-handed slot receiver that Jalen Hurts can get the ball out to quickly, not always having to buy himself time waiting for a downfield route to develop, which was certainly not always his fault,” Spielberger added.
A former second-round pick for the Bengals in 2016, Boyd has spent all eight of his seasons in Cincinnati. He had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2018 and 2019, and back-to-back 800-yard seasons in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, he finished with 58 catches for 762 yards (13.1 yards per catch) and five touchdowns. In 2023, he caught 67 passes for 667 yards and two scores.
Boyd, 29, is getting older, but he has been incredibly durable, missing just one game since the 2019 season. The 6-foot-2, 203-pound veteran WR likely wouldn’t break the bank, either.
Spotrac has him projected to sign a three-year deal worth over $26 million ($8.7 million per year). If he would sign for anything close to that, it would be a solid depth move for the Eagles, and would give Hurts another reliable playmaker.
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