Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE
An already depleted wide receiver corps for the Philadelphia Eagles took a major hit on Thursday when number one receiver DeSean Jackson missed practice after injuring his hamstring the previous day.
Jeremy Maclin, the team’s second receiver, also missed practice for the fourth straight day following a hip flexor strain he suffered in the season opener against the Cleveland Browns.
But head coach Andy Reid remains optimistic and said he expects both players to be in the lineup on Sunday in a crucial game against the Baltimore Ravens, one of the NFL’s top teams.
“I think we’re going to be OK,” Reid said after practice Thursday. “They’re getting better, so I think we’ll be alright. I’m not too worried about it right now.”
Reid said he will know more on Friday.
The Eagles clearly are concerned about their lack of depth though. Besides Jackson and Maclin struggling through injuries, number four wide receiver Riley Cooper still hasn’t recovered from the broken collarbone he suffered early in training camp.
The Eagles signed veteran Mardy Gilyard earlier this week. Gilyard had spent the whole preseason with the Eagles but was released during final roster cuts. I would expect him to be active on Sunday unless both Jackson and Maclin play.
The Eagles also signed wide receiver Jeremy Ebert to their practice squad. Ebert played at Northwestern and was a seventh round pick of the New England Patriots but was released during final roster cuts. The Eagles released undrafted rookie center Chase Beeler from the practice squad.
This article was written by Bryn Swartz, the top writer for the Philadelphia Eagles and a featured NFL columnist on Rant Sports. Bryn has written more than 1000 articles in less than two years as a member of Rant Sports. His blog, Eagles Central, was named the 2010 Ballhyped Sports Blog of the Year. You can follow Bryn on Twitter by clicking here and here. To read a portfolio of Bryn’s best work, click here.
