The Jordan Matthews buzz has built to a crescendo in Philadelphia, but the Eagles have issues at wide receiver if Jeremy Maclin can't mount a strong comeback off last year's devastating torn right ACL.
The sixth-year pass-catcher has been limited in three of the past four practices with soreness in his knees, but promised there's been no post-surgery setback.
"Just a little soreness," Maclin said, per Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "It's not a big deal. Today, I probably could have gone. I just wasn't 100 percent. Tomorrow, I should be fine, Thursday I'll be fine, and I'll be able to play Friday."
Maclin acknowledged that he's treating the health of his knee "just a little different" after surgery, but he promised he'd suit up for Friday's preseason opener against the Chicago Bears. With Maclin having hurt the knee more than a year ago, there's no reason to expect a setback, but we still want to eye-check his speed and lateral moves.
With Riley Cooper currently in a walking boot, Maclin's absence on Tuesday helped pave the way for Matthews to put on a show in front of reporters. The rookie lined up inside and out, giving Eagles quarterbacks a tantalizing 6-foot-3, 212-pound target to work with.
All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy has seen enough from Matthews to call the second-round pick "the best" of this year's stocked rookie class. We have every reason to believe the former Vanderbilt star will eat this autumn, but Chip Kelly's post-DeSean attack needs Maclin to contribute early and often.
The latest Around The League Podcast talks about the good and bad out of Cowboys camp, then plays the "What's More Likely?" game.
