Andy Reid called cutting wide reciever Jeremy Maclin the hardest part of being a head coach.
The Chiefs skipper cut ties with the once-stud pass-catcher a few days ago, citing Tyreek Hill as the team’s new No. 1.
Maclin posted over 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns in 2015, his first season away from the team that drafted him in Philadelphia. Hampered by injuries, he was less effective in Year 2 with Kansas City.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Eagles have a level of interest in signing the veteran wideout, and why not? He knows the Eagles offense inside and out already, having played with Birds’ head coach Doug Pederson when he was an assistant for five years in Philly and offensive coordinator in Kansas City during the 2015 campaign. He has lots of fans in the city, but would a second marriage make sense for both parties?
LeSean McCoy has openely campaigned for Maclin to rejoin his former teammate in Buffalo, and Schefter reports that he is visiting Buffalo Tuesday and will head to Baltimore later in the week.
There’s also the issue of depth and salary. According to the NFLPA, the Eagles have the worst cap situation in football with just around $5 million to play with. Maclin on the open market would net much more than that — but the timing of his release gives teams a little more bargaining power.
He’d also be vying for snaps against a deep core of wide receivers already, boasting newly signed Torrey Smith and Alshon Jeffery alongside Jordan Matthews and rookies Mack Hollins and Shelton Gibson.
Still, having too many great wide receivers is a good problem to have. The leadership and locker room presence the 28-year-old can provide the Eagles could be worth the investment.
