Philadelphia Eagles: 3 offensive training camp players with the most to lose

2. JJ Arcega-Whiteside

On paper, JJ Arcega-Whiteside has everything and nothing to lose heading into his fourth season as a pro.

He’s effectively squashed any chance of becoming a reliable WR 1, WR 2, WR 3, or WR 4-7 for that matter either, as the Philadelphia Eagles have opted to move him to tight end instead of releasing him outright, and if he doesn’t show enough effort as a blocker to warrant a spot at tight end behind Dallas Goedert and Grant Calcaterra, he’s probably done in the NFL, period, with maybe a practice squad spot on a bad team serving as a best-case scenario.

And yet, with basically everything he’s worked for already lost, JJAW may oddly be at peace with his current situation, as, when you have nothing to lose and only things to gain, you can perform with a sort of freedom that is unavailable to the self-conscious.

Arguably the best blocking wide receiver in the NFL with the added bonus of having accrued 229 special teams snaps onto his resume in 2021, Arcega-Whiteside has the size to play tight end at 6-foot-2, 237 pounds – up from 225 in 2021 – and has the inside-out versatility to be a moveable chess piece performer who, freed of the expectations of being an X wide receiver, may actually play a valuable role as a lunchpail performer.

Question: Has any player ever tradition from wide receiver to fullback? If not, we may soon see the first.