September 19, 2018
The Philadelphia Eagles have officially signed wide receiver Jordan Matthews, and they have placed Mike Wallace on injured reserve. Matthews could see action as soon as this Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.
Matthews spent three seasons with the Eagles from 2014-2016, when he racked up 225 catches for 2673 yards and 19 touchdowns. Here's where he ranks in NFL history in those three categories for players in their first three seasons in the NFL:
| 225 catches | 2673 yards | 19 touchdowns |
| 11th in NFL history | 59th in NFL history | T-76th in NFL history |
Here's where those numbers rank in Eagles history for players in their first three seasons in the NFL:
| 225 catches | 2673 yards | 19 touchdowns |
| 1st in Eagles history | 3rd in Eagles history | T-3rd in Eagles history |
During those three seasons, Matthews had more than double the number of catches, yards, and touchdowns of any receiver who played for the Eagles during that span. However, while Matthews caught a lot of passes, most of which were in Chip Kelly's misleading, artificially stat-boosting scheme, they often weren't high impact plays.
During the preseason in 2017, the Eagles dealt a third round pick, along with Matthews, to the Buffalo Bills for cornerback Ronald Darby. In one season in Buffalo, Matthews had 25 catches for 282 yards and 1 TD. He signed with the New England Patriots this offseason, but was released in early August after suffering a hamstring injury.
It was a given that the Eagles were going to sign or trade for a wide receiver, as they are currently without Wallace, Alshon Jeffery, and Mack Hollins. Matthews knows the Eagles' scheme, and is good friends with Carson Wentz, who will be making his debut on Sunday against Indianapolis.
Wallace will be on injured reserve for at least eight weeks, at which point the Eagles can use one of their two "get out of IR free cards," for lack of a better description, to add him back to the roster. The Eagles' IR list is already filling up, as TE Richard Rodgers and Hollins are already on it. Given that the Eagles only have two "get out of IR cards" and there are three players on IR, at least one of Wallace, Rodgers, and Hollins will not return to the active roster this season.
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