It’s not high on their list of priorities this offseason, but the Philadelphia Eagles could use a WR3 to pair alongside A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.
Jahan Dotson, who has been the Eagles’ WR3 over the last two years, is scheduled to be a free agent next month, and it's not guaranteed that he’ll be back. The Eagles could decide to bring Dotson back, considering that there’s a new voice on offense in Sean Mannion, who is bringing a new scheme and philosophy to this passing game.
However, the Eagles will do their due diligence to see who else is out there in free agency to fill the WR3 void.
Veteran WRs like Tutu Atwell, Hollywood Brown, and Brandin Cooks would be a few interesting candidates, as they can stretch the field, which is what the Eagles could use to help open things up for Brown and Smith. In addition to those guys, another WR that should be on Philadelphia’s radar is Nick Westbrook-Ikhine.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine Would Be Sneaky WR3 Signing to Bolster Eagles’ Passing Game
The 28-year-old Westbrook-Ikhine officially hit the open market last week after being cut by the Miami Dolphins, after signing a two-year, $5.99M contract last offseason.
On paper, it seemed like a good move for Miami, especially with how the veteran played with the Tennessee Titans. Westbrook-Ikhine would also be a good complement to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, as he has the size and speed to create big plays in the passing game.
That never materialized in Westbrook-Ikhine’s first year in South Beach. He had a disappointing 11 receptions (20 targets) for 89 yards across 15 games. Now, all of that isn’t the veteran’s fault, as Miami’s QB situation wasn’t great this past season.
However, he’ll now enter free agency with his stock at a low point, which could benefit a team like the Eagles. According to Spotrac, Westbrook-Ikhine’s calculated market value is a one-year, $3.1 million deal.
If that’s the estimated price tag for the ex-Dolphins WR, Eagles GM Howie Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni, it's a no-brainer.
Westbrook-Ikhine can play both on the perimeter and in the slot, which is perfect as Mannion is coming from an offense in Green Bay, which had its WRs playing on the outside and inside to create mismatches and sometimes big plays.
The 6-foot-2, 211-pound Westbrook-Ikhine isn’t afraid to do the dirty work and get involved in run blocking, which is something that Sirianni values with his WRs. And did we mention the vet is a big play waiting to happen, if he can get behind the defense?
During his five-year tenure with the Titans, he averaged 14.1 yards per reception. And in his last year in Tennessee (2024), Westbrook-Ikhine posted 32 receptions (60 targets) for 497 yards and nine touchdowns. Westbrook-Ikhine also had a chance to play with Brown for a couple of years.
He averaged 15.5 yards per catch in 2024, which was the second-best mark of his career, and an ADOT of 11.5.
When you add those things up, Westbrook-Ikhine is the perfect WR3 for the Eagles. He would give this offense another weapon that could give opposing teams headaches in 2026, and it wouldn’t cost them a lot.