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Reliability is Greg Ward's Calling Card

At some point, an embattled Carson Wentz is going to simply default to Greg Ward.
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PHILADELPHIA - At some point, an embattled Carson Wentz is going to simply default to Greg Ward.

Ward, the one-time University of Houston quarterback turned NFL slot receiver, has been Wentz's most reliable outside target after injuries have again taken hold of the WR corps.

It seems like the Eagles are always waiting...for DeSean Jackson to get his body right... for Alshon Jeffery to return from Lisfranc surgery...for the speedy rookies to catch on...for 12 personnel to be en vogue again.

With Jalen Reagor (thumb) and Dallas Goedert (ankle) out against San Francisco and Jackson very iffy with his latest hamstring injury, most outside observers are hoping that Jeffery, who returned to practice in a limited fashion last week will be able to go, or perhaps sixth-round pick Quez Watkins can return from injured reserve sometime soon to provide a spike.

Through it all, though, Ward just keeps plugging along, snaring career-highs in receptions with eight and yards with 72 and making a 29-yard touchdown, the second of his career, in the 23-23 tie against Cincinnati.

Whether he's the first option or the fifth, Ward stays on an even keel.

"I have the same expectations and standards for myself every single game," said Ward on Tuesday afternoon. "We're hoping those guys play. Regardless of what happens, I'm gonna always be ready. I'm gonna make sure I'm on top of my game."

Ward is now second on the Eagles with 14 receptions for 108 yards through three games with only Zach Ertz (15 receptions) getting more traffic from Wentz.

"We have the same expectations," said Ward of the much-maligned WR corps. "That's to go out there and make plays and just help the team win. So, my message to everybody whenever I talk to some of the young guys is just let's go out there, control what we can control, just run the plays to our best ability and just make plays whenever it comes to us."

Doug Pederson talked about trying to simplify things and going with tempo for the offense earlier this week.

"Right now we're not a very good football team, as I said after the game, we're not very smart," the coach said. "We're shooting ourselves in the foot. We're leaving touchdowns on the field offensively, and we're just not executing.

"And those are things that we're going to really look hard at this week, and if we have to simplify, we'll simplify. If we have to go up-tempo, we'll go up-tempo, things that have been successful in the past."

Ward discussed how that kind of tempo could help.

"You are able to play fast, be able to react. You're not thinking so much," Ward said. "You gotta get lined up, get the play in, execute it, and then the communication. I think that's very good for us, just to get the defense off their toes and get them on their heels."

In the end, though, Ward believes the answer is in the details.

"I don't know about any struggles," he said. "I think we all just need to go back to the practice field and correct all the little mistakes and just detail our work."

ROSTER ROULETTE

The Eagles placed Goedert on injured reserve Tuesday afternoon and signed TE Hakeem Butler off the Carolina practice squad to replace him on the 53-man roster.

That means Goedert will miss at least the next three games with a fractured ankle, at San Francisco, at Pittsburgh, and vs. Baltimore.

Butler, 24, is a former king-sized college WR at Iowa State making the transition inside at the pro level. He was a fourth-round pick by Arizona in 2019 and is 6-foot-5 and 227 pounds so in theory, he's here to catch the football.

Butler missed his rookie season with a broken hand and was waived by Arizona on the final cut to 53 this season before signing with the Panthers PS on Sept. 18.

The Eagles also brought in another TE to their practice squad in Jason Croom, originally an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee in 2017 by Buffalo. He played 15 games for the Bills in 2018, catching 22 passes for 259 yards and a TD, and was released off Buffalo PS on Sept. 22.

Philadelphia also brought back cornerback Michael Jacquet, a UDFA out of Louisiana-Lafayette who was with the team in training camp. To make room for the two new signings TE Jordan Franks and running back Michael Warren were released from the practice squad.

Finally, the Eagles started a 21-day practice window for Watkins. The rookie can be activated at any time over the next three weeks.

John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's EagleMaven and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John every Monday and Friday on SIRIUSXM and every Monday and Thursday with Eytan Shander on SportsMap Radio. He’s also the host of Extending the Play on AM1490 in South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen

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