Eagles wide receiver Marquise Goodwin is opting out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns and has already informed the team of his intentions, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday. Goodwin was acquired by the Eagles during the 2020 NFL Draft but has a 5-month old daughter at home after his wife previously had three miscarriages.
While not necessarily a lock to be a starter in 2020, the team was certainly penciling him as a key contributor on offense. After the Eagles dealt with injuries and arguably the worst group of wide receivers in the NFL in 2019, the team placed an emphasis on adding to the position during the draft.
In addition to swinging a draft-day trade for Goodwin, Philadelphia drafted wideouts Jalen Reagor in the first round, John Hightower in the fifth round, and Quez Watkins in the sixth round. All four are speed-first wide receivers, which was a major weakness for the 2019 Eagles offense. The team also signed undrafted free agent wide receiver Manasseh Bailey.
The Eagles have numbers at the position but are lacking in veterans, especially with Alshon Jeffery expected to miss at least the beginning of the season. The team has already begun to trim its roster ahead of the start of training camp in conjunction with NFL protocols, but it’s possible they look to the free-agent market to add an inexpensive veteran.
Mike Kaye of NJ.com has one comparable player in mind to replace Goodwin:
Obviously, if the team doesn’t go out and sign another veteran, it increases the chances of a rookie like Quez Watkins making the roster if he’s able to impress in this summer’s extended training camp. However, there aren’t going to be any preseason games this year, which makes the path to the roster a bit more difficult for younger players.
Here are the wide receivers currently on the Eagles roster:
- J.J. Arcega-Whiteside
- Manasseh Bailey
- Deontay Burnett
- Robert Davis
- John Hightower
- DeSean Jackson
- Alshon Jeffery
- Jalen Reagor
- Greg Ward
- Quez Watkins
For a deeper read on Marquise Goodwin and his commitment to his family, check out this excellent piece by Evan Macy in PhillyVoice from June.
