Jeremy

Maclin

According to King, Mizzou’s Jeremy Maclin is also an option. Raiders coach Tom Cable was reportedly in contact with Maclin Thursday night. It appears that the Raiders are locked into a receiver with their first-round pick.

The No. 19 overall pick of the 2009 draft, Maclin had a forgettable year with the Ravens in 2017 before failing to catch on anywhere last season. A big-play threat, Maclin briefly operated as one of the league’s best all-around wideouts, parlaying an 85/1,318/10 2014 under Chip Kelly into a big deal with the Chiefs. Long slowed by injury, however, Maclin’s career quickly went downhill before he found himself out of the league at only age 30.

Maclin had been rehabbing from an offseason hamstring injury, and it’s prevented him from working out for potential suitors. He’ll now undergo a procedure on the ailing hamstring/glute and sit out for the remainder of 2018. Slowed by injury the past two years, Maclin, who turns 31 in May, may have to settle for the veteran minimum next offseason.

Maclin has been rehabbing from an offseason hamstring injury. He was scheduled to visit the Eagles before they signed Jordan Matthews but wasn’t cleared to work out. 30-year-old Maclin should have interest from wideout-needy teams when healthy. Maclin has ties to Chicago (two seasons with Matt Nagy in Kansas City) and was linked to Buffalo before signing with the Ravens last year. He had the best season of his career under Giants coach Pat Shurmur in 2014.

Maclin had just one catch in the opener, but was on the field more than any other receiver. That’s a clear statement that the Eagles aren’t concerned at all with Maclin’s health despite his absence during training camp. “I felt fine,” Maclin said after the game. “My legs are fresh. It wasn’t any of that.” He figures to be a much bigger factor in Sunday’s game against the Falcons.

With DeSean Jackson slowed by a forearm injury, Maclin was targeted 15 times. The 171 yards were also a career best for the third-year wideout. Maclin’s night should have been even better, however, as he dropped a Mike Kafka pass on 4th-and-4 with just 1:41 remaining in the game. The Eagles would get just one more offensive play, a hail-mary attempt with five seconds left. Despite the disappointing end, the takeaway is that Maclin is obviously back to 100 percent health following a scary offseason illness, and poised to be an elite WR2 going forward.

Maclin left midway through the fourth quarter, and did not return. The Eagles’ passing attack was out-of-sync all afternoon, but Maclin managed to lead the team in both targets and catches for the second consecutive week, hauling in five catches for 69 yards on seven looks. That’s the good news. The bad news is hamstring injuries tend to linger, and Maclin could have a tough time getting on the field in Week 4 against the 49ers. His status should be updated later this evening.

It’s still a positive sign that Maclin was able to get some work in while battling a hamstring tweak. He expects to play Sunday against the 49ers, but that’s written in light pencil.

On SportsCenter Friday, ESPN’s John Clayton pseudo-reported that Maclin will be a “game-time decision” against the 49ers, but that “Maclin (is) all set to play for Philadelphia, most likely.” It sounded like pure speculation to us, but the probable listing confirms the Eagles fully expect Maclin to start. He’s caught a team-high 19 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns through three games, ranking 12th among receivers in fantasy points.

Maclin was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday, but appears ready to play against the 49ers. With a team-high 19 catches for 260 yards and two touchdowns through the first three games, Maclin has emerged as Philadelphia’s most consistent receiver. He comes in as our No. 19 ranked receiver for Week 4.