Jalen Armand Reagor is an American football wide receiver. He is currently playing for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was drafted in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Reagor was the first wide receiver picked by the Philadelphia Eagles. He is one of the most highly touted rookies in the NFL. Here are three reasons Reagor isn’t making a big impact in Philadelphia.
Reagor’s production hasn’t been there
After being drafted 21st overall in the 2020 NFL draft, wide receiver Jalen Ragor hasn’t produced like he was expected. The Philadelphia Eagles have given Reagor minimal playing time, preferring to be right than be wrong. His production hasn’t been there, either, and he’s not the only one to blame. Pro Football Focus has rated him as the 118th best wideout in the NFL.
While Reagor has yet to play his way onto a roster, there is plenty of room for him to improve. The Eagles’ offense has made significant changes without him, including the addition of a second-round pick to replace A.J. Brown. On draft night, the team traded for A.J. Brown, while DeVonta Smith set a rookie receiving yard record with 916 yards. In free agency, Zach Pascal signed a one-year deal.
The Eagles continued to move the ball after the first turnover. Reagor was in the endzone but didn’t make a catch. While the game wasn’t a complete loss, the Eagles lost despite having a solid defense. Boston Scott had a costly turnover and Hurts was awful. Ultimately, the Eagles lost the game, but Reagor’s performance was vital.
He hasn’t been a starter
There are two reasons why Jalen Ragor hasn’t made the starting lineup yet. The first is that he has not played with the starters yet, and the second is that he is a backup on the second team. He is 6th on the depth chart, behind top receivers AJ brown, DeVonta Smith, Quez Watkins, Zach Pascal, and Greg Ward. In other words, he needs to beat at least one of those guys to make the team.
The Eagles have made moves in the offseason to ensure that Reagor doesn’t hinder them in any way. While the former first-round pick has struggled in Philadelphia, the Eagles want to avoid a rookie scale contract for him. Reagor’s versatility makes him a viable special-teamer, but they also have other options on the roster. It might be better for the team to hold onto Reagor than take a $6.04 million dead-money hit in the process.
Lastly, the Eagles are in need of a veteran wide receiver, so they’ll be looking to trade up from DeVonta Smith. The sixth-round pick in 2020, Quez Watkins, has a stellar track record and could be a starter in a few years. Although Reagor has not been a starter, he still has the potential to be one of the Eagles’ top receivers.
He has a dead cap hit of $7.8 million in 2022-23
The Philadelphia Eagles are expected to target a pass-catcher with one of their two remaining first-round picks in the coming offseason. It’s possible that the Eagles could trade Reagor for a better deal. However, cutting him now would leave the team with a dead cap charge of $7.8 million or $6MM, depending on when the Eagles cut him. A trade would reduce those dead cap charges.
The Eagles were open to trading for WR Jalen Ragor, but ultimately opted not to do so. The Eagles released a photo of Reagor during an offseason workout that showed him beaming with a big smile. It seems that he’s making the best of the situation. Reagor had the third-highest rep total among wide receivers in 2018, behind only DeVonta Smith and Quez Watkins.
The Eagles drafted Ragor over Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson during the 2020 NFL Draft. Jefferson is already a top-five wide receiver in the NFL and Reagor is now in a position to get cut. It may be worth it to burn this dead cap for a better future for Jefferson. If they cut him, the Eagles will save $4.2 million in the future and give up a better wide receiver.
He’s blocked members of the Philadelphia Eagles media on social media
According to reports, defensive lineman Jalen Ragor has blocked members of Philadelphia Eagles media on social networks. The move comes after he snubbed the media with an angry tweet about the trade of A.J. Brown. The NFL has no choice but to protect its players, but Reagor may not be able to move forward if he continues to avoid the media.
The Eagles are trying to keep Reagor, who has played in the NFL for the past two seasons, from leaving their team. The team has strengthened their wide receiver depth by trading for A.J. Brown, a former high school star. Reagor would cost the Eagles nearly $8 million this offseason if he is cut from the roster, and he’ll count against the salary cap at that point. The Eagles haven’t announced whether or not they’ll trade Reagor.
Although Reagor has blocked the media, it’s unclear why. Several sources have reportedly revealed that Reagor has blocked members of the Philadelphia Eagles’ media on social media. Reagor’s decision is a personal one, but the Eagles’ coaches and front office have commended him for reporting to camp in better condition than he was last season. The wideout’s blockage of the media is a clear sign that the wideout needs to prove his worth to earn a roster spot.
He’s a speed demon
If you think of the NFL’s top wide receivers, the 2020 NFL Draft class will be quite interesting. Jalen Ragor has one of the most explosive speed figures in the draft, and could become a top receiver for a top team. While Reagor is a 206-pounder, he was able to shed some of that weight during a virtual pro day. His 42-inch vertical leap at the combine is an impressive stat for a receiver, and he made some amazing catches above the rim while playing in the Big 12. He was also explosive in the passing game, particularly on gadget plays and jet sweeps.
Reagor is a mismatch receiver with tremendous speed. Unlike most receivers in his draft class, Reagor has more playmaking talent than other skill sets. Play-callers must factor his playmaking ability into their plans, because he is a ball-winner. Reagor is a versatile talent that will be able to play multiple positions in the NFL.
He’s a bubble screen receiver
TCU wide receiver Jalen Ragor caught a 65-yard touchdown against Baylor on a bubble screen and ran back to the line of scrimmage. The play is reminiscent of Hilton’s breakout game in college and he has similar explosiveness. However, the big difference is that Reagor plays the game the right way. That’s important to note, as the rest of the team has a high number of players with the same abilities.
During this play, Jalen has a free release from the corner when he plays off coverage. The defender has to take an extra hop to get in front of him but isn’t able to catch the pass. It takes a split second for the QB to complete the pass. Nonetheless, he has the first down and has negated any chance of an interception.
If Jalen Ragor drops the football, it’s because he’s watching a coverage player and he doesn’t get hands on him. This is an extremely costly miss coverage. The next play is a linebacker blitz followed by a safety blitz. Jalen can’t make a catch because the coverage player is all over him. Jalen is a solid physical receiver who has good speed.
He’s a clear-out route runner
The Texas Tech quarterback, who has played at all positions in the NFL, is an ideal candidate to learn the clear-out route. A clear-out runner, Ragor can run any route on the field, and can often find himself open against tight coverage. Reagor, who is 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, shows great route-running skills. His quick feet allow him to break the tackle and run six yards.
Reagor’s struggles have been partly attributed to the presence of Sirianni and Hurts, who can make the quarterback miss Reagor when he’s open. However, his route-running, ability to create separation, and contested balls still remain issues. As a receiver, Smith and Watkins rank 88th and 89th in fantasy football rankings, respectively.
TCU comes out with an empty formation, preparing to use Ragor’s speed in space to make defenders miss. The H-back follows behind with a pulling right guard, and a swing screen is set for the quarterback to throw to Reagor. While TCU is outnumbered four-to-three on the field side, Reagor can make defenders miss in short areas of the field.
