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The Eagles new wide receiver coach Aaron Moorehead spoke to the media on Thursday afternoon about rookie Jalen Reagor — someone he’s known since the rookie was a kid — and about the wide receiver group as a whole and the chip on their shoulders.
Here’s what Moorehead had to say:
On Jalen Reagor
“He’s a powerful guy, he’s fast, he’s got good hands.”
They haven’t gone against the defense yet, so there’s nothing to point to specifically about he needs to improve. But, he’s doing a good job learning the offense and so far, so good with the rookie.
He said that on the field, you can see Reagor’s explosion and his footwork, and he has a really good work ethic. Moorehead actually played with Reagor’s father in Indianapolis, so he’s known the rookie since he was a kid, and even recruited him out of high school. He noted that Reagor is a humble guy, but also has the swagger of a receiver.
On the WR group
The expectation is to be one of the best wide receiver groups in the NFL this season, and this group is coming out with a chip on their shoulder from last season. They’re excited to get out on the field and go against the defense and see what the next step is.
Moorehead later said that he enjoys coaching a group that feels they have something to prove. He knows that they have a good group and they just need to stay healthy and show what they can do every week. So far, it’s been good, and they have a great cohesiveness that gets better everyday.
He said that being a former player earns him respect, but as a coach he has to demand and teach and that’s his philosophy whether he’s coaching at the college level or in the NFL. Moorehead is 6’3.5” so that helps him coach players like Alshon Jeffery and JJ Arcega-Whiteside, because he knows how to move his body in certain situations, and he’s had to learn how to coach smaller receivers like DeSean Jackson.
Moorehead also talked about moving guys around and making sure they know all positions within a play, rather than just one spot. They’re teaching concepts, and as they start practicing, they’ll see how things shake out as far as who is starting at which positions.
On Greg Ward
“When you do what Greg did at the end of the year, your confidence goes up.”
Especially for a guy who spent time on the practice squad, and spent time on and off the roster, to come in and make a game-winning touchdown catch, his confidence soared. That’s half the battle sometimes in the NFL is knowing that you can do that, and having the quarterback know you can do that.
Ward is a very natural receiver, has great spacial awareness, he understands where the zone are and how to beat man coverage — things that come from some of his QB background. But, ultimately, Moorehead notes, Ward is a natural football player and has been a leader in the wide receiver room.