Former Browns stars Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry are both free agents in 2023.
Slot receiver has been an interesting position for the NFC champions this season. The Philadelphia Eagles were able to drop Quez Watkins and Zach Pascal into that bucket while A.J. Brown’s physicality made him a frequent target over the middle.
When the offense was humming — and the NFL’s No. 2 offense for total yards whirred at will on most Sundays — specific roles and positions didn’t really matter. The Eagles have offensive weapons all over the field and they used them all. Still, the idea of adding another Pro Bowl receiver to the mix is an intriguing thought for a front office always looking to stave off stagnancy.
Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger recently urged the Eagles to sign Jarvis Landry. General manager Howie Roseman could lure the five-time Pro Bowler in on an incentive-laden one-year contract and use him in a similar way to what the Kansas City Chiefs did with JuJu Smith-Schuster. Landry, who turned 30 in November, is coming off a career-worst year — one bogged down by a nagging ankle injury — but still flashed his trademark reliability in the slot during a 9-catch, 114-yard performance in Week 1.
The 5-foot-11, 202-pounder seemed to have plenty of gas left in the tank when healthy. He had 52 receptions for 570 yards (87 targets) in 2021, preceded by 72 grabs for 840 yards (101 targets) in 2020. With Brown, along with DeVonta Smith drawing so much attention on the outside, Landry could feast on underneath routes in Philly. Here is what Spielberger wrote:
Landry is also known to be a good veteran leader, which could be a nice addition to a young group of offensive weapons. He’s coming off the two worst seasons of his career but was arguably the best slot receiver in the NFL from 2015-20. His 3,938 receiving yards, 1,748 yards after the catch, 1,166 yards after contact and 91 explosive receptions were all the most among receivers when lined up in the slot over the span, and he could bounce back in a major way in 2023.
Don’t cover Jarvis Landry with linebackers
Evaluating Slot WR Options for Eagles in 2023
Quez Watkins is locked up through the 2023 season. Zach Pascal is a free agent. And the jury is still out on rookie Britain Covey. Those guys are the primary slot opens alongside starters A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith who aren’t going anywhere.
Eagles wide receivers Zach Pascal and Britain Covey working along the far wall
Receiver is a luxury item for the Eagles. They don’t necessarily need to upgrade there at all. However, if they wanted to put the pedal to the metal, there are options in free agency. In addition to Landry, here are some other players to consider:
NFL Draft: Eagles Own 2 First-Rounders
Philadelphia will also have opportunities to draft a new slot receiver in April. The Eagles own two first-rounders — the No. 10 overall pick (via New Orleans) as well as either the No. 31 or No. 32 pick depending on how the Super Bowl shakes out. While the first one is almost certainly going to be used on a defensive player (see: cornerback or edge rusher), that second one could go toward restocking the offense.
NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah selected Ohio State receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba for them in his latest mock draft. He is a natural inside receiver, per Jeremiah, with a similar skill set to Amon-Ra St. Brown. Smith-Njiba was named MVP of the 2022 Rose Bowl and finished a breakout sophomore year with 95 receptions for 1,606 receiving yards with 9 touchdowns.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba has some fun tape.