Philadelphia Eagles: Demaryius Thomas can fill Alshon Jeffery’s shoes

Demaryius Thomas can fill two roles for the Philadelphia Eagles this fall.

Who was the last veteran wide receiver the Philadelphia Eagles signed to help serve as a mentor for a relatively young receiving corps?

Not a veteran like Alshon Jeffery or even DeSean Jackson who was given an eight-figure deal to come in and perform at a high-level week-in and week-out on the field, but a dude who, while no longer in his prime, still comes into work every day early, stay late, and fill a secondary offensive role while serving as a valuable resource to 20-somethings looking to break into the league.

Miles Austin?

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Ugh, how did that one go?

I know the NFL is all about loading up a roster with the best possible players at every single position, and giving a deal to a 30-something without much tread left on their tires may seem counterintuitive. If the 2019 iteration of the Eagles is of any indication, it kind of is counterintuitive. But just because Zach Brown and Andrew Sendejo couldn’t make it through their inaugural season doesn’t mean the Birds should write-off any player born in the 80s.

No, adding the right veteran leader at a position of need may be just what the doctor ordered to keep the Eagles salient in what may ultimately go down as the weirdest season in NFL history; a player like Demaryius Thomas.

Typically, this is the part of the article where I would give you some basic information on Thomas’ height, weight, where he went to school and when he was drafted, but come on, do you really need that? I mean this is Demaryius Antwon Thomas we’re talking about, the first-round pick out of Georgia Tech-turned-four time Pro Bowler who averaged 1,446 yards per season from 2012-2016.

Oh snap, I guess I gave you the old stat dump after all. My bad.

While Thomas has never really been right since suffering a torn Achilles on Christmas Eve in 2018, he still showed out fairly well for a paltry New York Jets offense in 2019; hauling in 36 balls for 433 yards and a touchdown over 11 games of action.

Is that a particularly impressive season? No, but by Eagles standards, it’s practically Pro Bowl worthy.

Oh yeah, the Eagles. As you probably already know, Alshon Jeffery is set to start the 2020 season on the PUP list with his return-to-the-field-date still MIA. Thomas, even at the tender age of soon-to-be-33 is one of the rare players left on the open market who can step onto the field Week 1 and help make the offense move from the ‘X’ wide receiver spot.

In theory, the Eagles may not need that guy, as they initially drafted JJ Arcega-Whiteside to be Jeffery’s heir apparent on the outside, but let’s be honest, does anyone really trust JJAW to start on a playoff-hopeful NFL team? Yeah, me neither.

With another offseason to fully recover from his Achilles injury, there’s no reason to believe Thomas couldn’t at least match the production he put up last fall, let alone his split performance with the Broncos and Texans in 2018. Whether lined up on the outside, or kicked inside to a Jason Avant, Jordan Matthew-ian ‘big slot’ role, Thomas has run every route imaginable in the NFL playbook and has somehow maintained a completion percentage of 61 despite having to suffer through seasons catching balls from players like Luke Falk, Chase Keenum, and noted baseball player Tim Tebow.

If Thomas was just another body, a ‘Jordan Matthews’-type looked at as a slightly above replacement-level player, then yeah, I can see the prospects of his addition receiving a resounding meh from Eagles fans the world over, but that isn’t the only experience the soon-to-be-11-year-vet brings to the table.

After sustaining a string of midseason injuries to their veteran corps, Adam Gase named Thomas a captain for the Jets’ Week 12 win over the then-Oakland Raiders, a move voted on by the team’s players. This decision clearly touched Thomas, who had this to say on the matter according to The New York Post,

"“I try to take myself as a leader, as a captain. I’m going to try to help the lead the team and teach them some of the stuff I learned in my career being around Tom [Brady], Peyton Manning, Brian Dawkins, Champ Bailey … and just try to adapt it here, some of those things. I think that’s one of the reasons why they voted me in. I appreciate it. I respect it. It meant a lot.”"

Evoking the name of Weapon X? My goodness, Thomas would fit right in.

By all reports, the Jets receivers, coaches, and most importantly, starting quarterback Sam Darnold, really liked having Thomas around and appreciated his experience as a tool for their individual personal growth. Do you know who else could use a player like that? The Philadelphia Eagles, who are set to trot out an opening day with as many as three rookie pass catchers, and *checks notes* zero receivers with more than a single season of experience catching balls from Carson Wentz.

In Thomas, Howie Roseman, Doug Pederson, and the team’s collection of a half dozen or so ‘senior offensive assistants’ would be giving their starting quarterback a professional pass-catcher to turn to when he really needs to convert on third downs, a reliable resource for Jalen Reagor, John Hightower, and Quez Watkins as they transition into the NFL, and a potential short-term replacement for Alshon Jeffery in the starting lineup – or long-term when Josina Anderson‘s favorite player eventually parts ways with the team.

Or hey, the Philadelphia Eagles can just bring Jordan Matthews back for a third straight season if so much as one of their incumbent receivers suffers a hematoma (bruise). To me, the choice is clear.