Dorial Green-Beckham received a wake-up call when he was dealt by the Tennessee Titans to the Philadelphia Eagles on Aug. 16. But can the former second-round pick, who was dismissed by the University of Missouri during his college career due to drug-related issues and allegedly pushing a woman down a flight of stairs, help the Eagles’ passing game?
The Eagles offense feels hasn’t been particularly impressive so far this season. Averaging 22.3 points per game through three preseason games, the team appears to be waiting for a player to step up and electrify the offense. Could that certain someone be newly acquired wide receiver Green-Beckham? The Eagles certainly hope so.
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The Eagles dealt backup offensive lineman Dennis Kelly to the Titans for Green-Beckham, whom Tennessee picked 40th overall in the 2015 Draft. Kelly is a versatile guard/tackle, who will add competitive depth to the Titans’ offensive line.
However, the trade was more about the Titans parting ways with their wide receiver than acquiring Kelly. As a rookie, Green-Beckham plagued his former team with an uneven performance.
At 6-foot-5 and 237 pounds, the young receiver is every bit as tall and nearly as strong as tight end Zach Ertz. But he is a true wide receiver and could fill a desperate hole in the Eagles offense — outside receiver.
It’s only been a little more than two weeks for the young man to learn the offense and earn his place on the depth chart. That’s a tall order for a 23-year-old; but for Green-Beckham, this season could define the remainder of his NFL career.
So far, the team has only asked Green-Beckham to learn the “X” receiver position, rather than all three of the team’s main wide receiver spots. That will limit the number of plays he will be involved in, but should place him at an advantage as he’ll quickly become comfortable with the duties of the position. It’s early, but the feedback regarding Green-Beckham has been quite positive. Head coach Doug Pederson has been slowly integrating his new receiver into the offense.
Green-Beckham caught two of the three passes hurled his way against the Colts in week 3 of the preseason. One of those was for a 4-yard touchdown to place the Philadelphia Eagles up 14 points with less than five minutes remaining in the first half.
Of all the preseason games, week 3 is the game to focus on; in that game, offensive players are challenged by a watered down version of the season’s playbook. (Teams don’t want to show their opponents any of their most complicated plays during the preseason.) Win or lose, the red zone touchdown suggests that quarterback Sam Bradford will look Green-Beckham’s way during the regular season.
In the first two weeks, it was the defense that carried the team in the preseason. In week three, it was the offense’s turn to step up.
Green-Beckham may not record 1,000 receiving yards this season, but there was something far more important to earn against the Indianapolis Colts: Trust. During his performance, he stepped up and earned it.
To hear more from Bret Stuter, follow him on Twitter at @milroyigglesfan.
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