Opportunity Knocking Again for J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Rookies, too, Perhaps

Jalen Reagor’s injury stings the Eagles, but it doesn’t bite.

The rookie receiver could miss as little as two weeks or as many as four. Now, if DeSean Jackson gets hurt again in the second week of the season, well, that would qualify as a big bite taken out of the offense, especially with Reagor sidelined.

Jackson’s stellar camp has been mostly overshadowed by the Reagor and his fellow rookies, John Hightower and Quez Watkins, but the veteran hasn’t let the ball hit the ground when it’s come his way with accuracy, nor has he dropped a punt.

He won’t be the return man on punts, most likely. Reagor was going to be that guy, but it’s a job that could now fall to Greg Ward. Maybe even Watkins.

While it’s true Reagor was having a terrific camp, opening eyes with his ability to take a short pass, turn on his jets and gobble up yards after the catch, the Eagles are equipped to deal with his short-term loss.

Check out Ed Kracz's Eagles off-day musings in Eagles Extra plus:

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For the second year in a row, opportunity is knocking on J.J. Arcega-Whiteside’s door. Last year, he either cared too much about what people thought about him as he answered the door or needed a playbook to find the right pattern to get to the door.

“I think as a rookie it’s hard not to look into (outside opinions),” said Arcega-Whiteside. “You want to know what people are saying and talking about and how you compare and how you defer, it’s a whole new lifestyle and you’re trying to catch up to it.”

Arcega-Whiteside looks better equipped to answer the door this time around.

“In the offseason when I realized at the end of the day, we’re all human,” he said. “We’re all going through the same things in our lives, we’re all doing work, we’re all going to work, working hard, grinding, just like you guys are.

“At that point, I kind of just realized I’m playing football because it’s fun. Obviously I get paid to do it as well, but it makes me a lot happier doing it because it is fun and it’s what I did since I was a kid, so I don’t need to worry about what people say, or what people think about me or what’s being said out there. I’m not doing it for them, I’m doing it for my family for me because it’s fun. Who doesn’t love playing football? Who doesn’t love watching football? Once I made it about that, that’s when it really clicked.”

Arcega-Whiteside doesn’t have the speed that Reagor does, and that may hinder the Eagles’ ability to stretch the field like they had planned, but that’s where Hightower comes in. Maybe Watkins, too.

Opportunity could knock for one or both rookies because both have the speed to stretch the field. Watkins ran a 4.35 at the NFL Scouting Combine last February while Hightower clocked a 4.43.

Right now, though, Hightower has captured onlookers’ attention more so than Watkins.

Hightower has looked good both running routes and catching contested passes for most of the last two weeks.

The fifth-round pick from Boise State probably was drafted too low, but because the receiver class was so stacked, he slipped down the board. In other years, Hightower could have been a third-round pick.

Now, it looks like an opportunity could come knocking for him.

Right now, the week one starters at wide receiver probably go Jackson, Arcega-Whiteside, and Ward in the slot.

There should be a role for Hightower as well and even Watkins.

Discounting some snaps for Deontay Burnett may not be wise, either. He, too, has had a good camp and, still just 22, all he needs is an opportunity. He doesn't have the speed that the rookies do, however.

Of course, given the Eagles’ strategy of playing 12 personnel more than 50 percent of the time, how much opportunity will knock for the rookies and Burnett remains to be seen.

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