Dorial Green-Beckham's time in Philadelphia might be running out, but in the receiver's opinion, he's just getting started as an Eagle.
"I'm looking at the numbers," Green-Beckham said Friday, via the Philadelphia Inquirer, "but I really haven't had the chance to actually get the [opportunities] just getting there last year. I'm just getting the feel for playing with this team."
Green-Beckham was dealt by the Titans to the receiver-needy Eagles in 2016 after the wideout wore out his welcome in Nashville. Eagles GM Howie Roseman said then that the organization knew the receiver needed to "get more consistent." The result: 36 catches for 392 yards and two touchdowns, but the prevailing sentiment that Philadelphia desperately needed new blood at receiver remained.
The Eagles attempted to address the void by signing Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith and using fourth- and fifth-round picks on North Carolina product Mack Hollins and West Virginia wideout Shelton Gibson. Mathematically, Green-Beckham looks to be the odd man out, but his athletic talent is undeniable and will likely have plenty of other teams ready to pluck him off the waiver wire should the Eagles let him go.
"I'm just going to approach it with a positive attitude," Green-Beckham said. "I know that doesn't change anything for me, but I just love the competition."
Later-round picks also don't always make a roster, even one devoid of talent (ask fourth-round pick Vince Mayle how that worked out after he struggled with a hand injury in Cleveland). He'd need some true chances to prove that he had what it took, though, and it sounds like those are limited.
"I don't really get a lot of opportunities at practice," Green-Beckham said, "but I feel like everything on my end is going pretty good."
There's still a chance for Green-Beckham, despite the apparent odds and the lasting criticism. But he'd better get going if he wants to stick in Philadelphia.
