It has been 2 long seasons, and I hate calling any 23 year old player a bust after a couple years, but 88 catches, 929 yards and a measly 4 touchdowns in two years are pretty anemic numbers. After the initial excitement during the summer leading into the season the Head Coach stated “I think he’s had a heck of a training camp.” That same coaching staff now has questioned his desire to play through an ankle injury. The guys in the locker room never mention him. The fans are ready to run him out of town. Davante Adams is just no longer wanted in Green Bay.
Yes, those are real reports and stats for one of the most dynamic receivers in the league over his first 2 years.
One Green Bay article read “Fans pounded their fists, angry that the second-round pick didn’t step up when Jordy Nelson missed all of last season. As we know, Adams completely flopped in his 2nd season. A low ankle sprain forced him to miss 3 full games, but that doesn’t excuse the horribly inefficient season he had replacing Jordy Nelson.”
Harsh criticism for a future number one receiver.
My how times have changed.
I want to be clear, I am in NO way comparing Davante Adams to Jalen Reagor.
Sorry for the Few Good Men reference.
All I am saying is, you never know.
He may surprise everyone. Some team may believe in him more than anyone realizes and trade for him. Nobody knows. Below are some things we do know.
Look at the numbers after 2 seasons:
Reagor 64, 695, 3
Adams 88, 929, 4
Devante’s 3rd year in the league, 2016, is when he finally turned it on with 75 receptions, 997 yards, and a 12 TD campaign.
So can Jalen turn things around in his third season to even be a 3rd or 4th WR option in the Eagles 2022 offense? We would first need to know what went wrong with Reagor last year and how to fix it.
For starters, he failed a conditioning test upon his arrival to training camp. (Dallas Goedert failed the conditioning test as well, but it went largley under reported) Reagor also wasn’t in the right place emotionally. Jalen was dealing with the recent murder of a close childhood friend, which understandably “weighed heavily” and contributed to his not being ready.
But this is the NFL, and each individual is responsible for themselves and must be accountable. 52 other men who line up on the field are counting on you. Ownership, coaches, fans, and stadium workers are all counting on you too. To be fair to Jalen, I have never heard or read that he has used any of these excuses for his shortcomings.
In a previous era and time his struggles would have been seen as unacceptable, and he would have been viewed as weak. But this is 2022, mental health and depression are now at the forefront of our consciousness. Acceptance for those suffering from emotional and psychological issues has been slow, but it has progressed by leaps and bounds compared to where it was 20 years ago. Especially in the NFL. Make no mistake, it is still not where it should be.
In hindsight, Reagor probably should have taken some time to heal. If you dispute that notion, make sure you have deleted all of your receipts on the timeline begging the Eagles to acquire Calvin Ridley. Ridley was a player most every fan (and the Eagles) were excited about getting, until he was suspended for gambling. Ridley took the entire 2021 season off to get his mental health under control. It isn’t fair to accept that from a star player who is already successful and established but not from a second year player trying to make a leap during their second season.
Reagor started off 2021 in the wrong head space, and seemingly never recovered. As much as he frustrated everyone with his play, I have to admit, I admired that he constantly wanted the ball. He struggled mightily, but his desire to contribute as a receiver or a returner never wavered.
Towards the end of the season I opined that the Eagles needed to save him from himself. He was going to continue to field punts, run routes and struggle doing it all until he was taken off the field. He was fighting, but it just wasn’t ending in positive results. It is hard for me not to root for anyone who has the type of fight in them that he displayed. He wanted to succeed badly, but at the end of the day this is a results based business. His results were not good enough.
2022 is a make or break year for Reagor. He needs to come into camp with a purpose, a clear mind, and a body that is in the rhetorical “best shape of his life”. He needs to show everyone that he wants it as bad as everyone else wants it for him. Then he needs to take it!
Reagor may never come close to Devante Adams. I only mentioned it as an example of why teams are reluctant to move on from players that could potentially develop later, rather than sooner. It is risky business to move on from a player that you have under control for 5 seasons, after two years. Due to cap implications, it is not financially sound. In addition, it is not beneifical in the teams efforts to develop athletes. Not every player will produce within the same time frame. All athletes are not created equal. Some need more time than others to mature. Others may need more coaching, more experience, more whatever.
Nobody should question somebody’s mental state. At some point, much like with Ben Simmons, it gets to a place where nobody wants to hear about it anymore. Jalen Reagor is at that point. To some of you he is past that point.
That being said, the Eagles (or whatever team Reagor plays for) do not owe him anything. He will have to earn his playing time, and then he will have to produce in order to keep it.
Reagor hasn’t performed how Howie and the Eagles envisioned, but that doesn’t mean he won’t ever be an asset for the team. A productive, mentally sound and physically healthy Jalen Reagor would be what’s in everyone’s best interest.
I am hoping 2022 can be his year. I am wishing him health and rooting for him in whatever he role he plays on the team.
David
As always, thank you for reading.
Follow me @PHLEagleNews
3/25/2022