The first weekend of training camp for the Philadelphia Eagles was met with a very unwanted injury. Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin went down with an ACL tear is out for the entire season. Along with DeSean Jackson, Maclin was the other leading receiver for the team. Maclin currently has the most catches of any Eagles wide receiver since 2009 with 258. He is not an easy player to replace. Head coach Chip Kelly intends to replace him from within, giving Riley Cooper the perfect opportunity as the next man up.
Since the Eagles drafted Maclin in the first round back in 2009, he has averaged 63 catches and 863 yards per season with seven touchdowns. His injury gives Cooper the chance to be the next starting receiver for the Eagles, an opportunity he plans to take advantage of.
"It's an opportunity for everybody," Cooper said after the injury. "He's out, so we'll see how it goes. This is my fourth year. Last year, I started five games. I just want to pick up where I left off last year. I felt like I had my best year yet. I've just got to keep it going. But I feel pretty comfortable, I really do."
Cooper was drafted in 2010 and has served as mainly a rotational player for most of his career in Philadelphia. He has been either Maclin or Jacksons' replacement during injuries. In three years, he has racked up just 679 yards and five touchdowns total. While his numbers are small, the Eagles are not planning on signing a new player, so it is Cooper's time to prove to be a starter.
"We're always going to explore options and see if there are ways to improve our roster," general manager Howie Roseman said. "But right now, we're excited about some of the young guys we have. And we'll go from there."
The Eagles would have likely tried to use Arrelious Benn to replace Maclin after acquiring the wide receiver from Tampa. However, he injured in knee on Friday and at the moment is out indefinitely. Damaris Johnson is in his second year with team. He showed flashes of promises, catching 19 passes and averaging 13.5 yards in his rookie season. His issue is height. He is 5-8 and compared to Cooper's 6-3, 220-pound frame, he will not get the spot.
The Eagles coaching staff likes Cooper but insists that right now, they are more concerned with evaluating all players before deciding on starting spots. Cooper is in a contract year with the team so Maclin's injury will give him a chance to prove he is worthy of an extension.
