Eagles News: Not much to be thankful for at WR

How the Eagles' receiving corps got rotten - Daily News

Looking back, when the Eagles cut the veteran receivers they'd brought in, the issue of Agholor feeling pressure to perform was lurking. This is what he said at the end of the preseason:

"I have a responsibility, because I will be a guy that's out there. In my mind, my number's going to be called multiple times, and I need to answer the phone . . . This is a different type of pressure for me now. This is a pressure that I accept from my teammates, and for my team. This is an opportunity that I need to take advantage of, for my team and what we need to do."

Roseman's move, as the preseason evolved, was to cross his fingers again and take Green-Beckham in a trade for reserve offensive lineman Dennis Kelly. This was low risk and high reward - a young wideout who is a physical marvel, at 6-5, 237. But it turns out the Tennessee Titans weren't crazy. For whatever reason, Green-Beckham still performs like an athlete who first discovered the sport of football last week and is trying to learn what it is all about.

Carson Wentz's numbers crash when targeting Eagles' outside receivers - ESPN

The numbers, however, show that whatever confidence Wentz does have in the outside receivers has not been well-earned.

The hit rate has been good with slot receiver Jordan Matthews. Wentz is completing 66 percent of his throws to Matthews with three touchdowns to no interceptions for a 103.1 quarterback rating, per ESPN Stats & Information. Similarly, he has a 73 percent completion rate when targeting tight end Zach Ertz and a 70 percent mark with fellow tight end Brent Celek.

Those stats dip to 56 percent with a touchdown and three interceptions (almost half his total picks) when going in the direction of Nelson Agholor. Dorial Green-Beckham believes he needs to be targeted more, but Wentz is completing just a touch over half of his passes when trying to connect with him.

In total, the rookie is just 52-of-98 (53 percent) with three touchdowns to six interceptions when throwing to his current group of outside receivers.

Jalen Mills' finger wag: Why he does it - Penn Live

Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has raved about Mills' competitiveness this season. That trait helped the rookie vault up the depth chart and find his way onto the field as Philly has battled key injuries at cornerback.

Mills said from the beginning of training camp he was eyeing a large role on the team.

Now that he's earned significant playing time, he wants to show people he deserves the opportunities he's getting. And the finger wag is part of that.

"I had an idea that I was going to come in and compete and show these guys I was going to play in the NFL, but as far as as much playing time as I'm getting, I didn't expect that," Mills said. "I'm thankful that I'm getting it."

Among NFL players' main challenges: managing big bucks - Associated Press

"I think the biggest issue for players is the sudden wealth factor," said Dana Hammonds, senior director of player development for the union. "Many players are coming from ethnic poverty and all of a sudden are thrust into this industry where they are paid millions of dollars and it literally happens overnight. There are very few individuals in society prepared to handle the sudden wealth. It is the emotional side they have to deal with, along with a quick and steep learning curve. And the career is 3 1/2 years on average, so a lot of that goes on very quickly."

Which makes it ever more critical for players to immediately get a handle on their finances once they make a roster — even before the big paydays might come.

Patrick Kerney spent 11 seasons as an NFL defensive end, making the All-Pro team in 2007. Soon after he retired in 2009, Kerney went to work for the league in the player investments area.

"My big idea behind joining the league office was that they held offseason camps for broadcasting and other (subjects)," he said, "and we had lots of guys with interest in those things. But 100 percent of our players should have disposable income they should have to manage, so a financial boot camp had universal application. It was a no-brainer to get guys together in the offseason to dial back from all the noise and hear unbiased information and the real numbers in the investment world."