The rookie has only taken part in one practice that was open to the media, but Eagles WR Jordan Matthews sure put on a show. Matthews showed quick burst off the line of scrimmage and tremendous speed for his size while making several tough catches Monday afternoon. One aspect about Matthews that seems to come off is his confidence, not only in his press conference quotes but the fact that on several occasions he even put his hand in the air calling for the ball.. during seven-on-seven drills. There are far worse things in the world than a second-round draft pick at wide receiver wanting the ball in his hands, even during spring practices.

Matthews will likely see snaps in the slot this season. The Eagles are going to spread the ball around, so he doesn't have a ton of upside unless there's an injury ahead of him on the depth chart.

Eagles WR Brad Smith has been running with the first team, but I’m projecting Jordan Matthews as the eventual No. 1 slot receiver. Smith may get more snaps initially once the season starts, but I would expect the second-round rookie to take over sooner rather than later.

There is a lot of optimism regarding Eagles TE Zach Ertz as the tight end enters his second NFL season, but don't forget about Brent Celek. The versatile veteran lines up as both an in-line and flexed-out tight end. During the final 11-on-11 drill, Celek got the offense into the red zone after hauling in a laser over the middle from Foles. Earlier during 7-on-7 drills, the two also connected on a beautiful post-corner route.

Ertz is going to have to block well to surpass Celek, who is a capable receiver, on the depth chart. Ertz's outlook took a hit when the Eagles drafted Jordan Matthews to man the slot -- that was a spot where Ertz could get on the field with Celek.

Beat writer Jimmy Kempski: Eagles WR Jordan Matthews "is constantly sprinting... Practices his ass off."

The Eagles aren't holding Jeremy Maclin back in workouts. He has lined up on the right in DeSean Jackson's old spot opposite Riley Cooper.

Thursday was the first opportunity to watch all the new pieces on offense, but rookie receiver Jordan Matthews was excused to attend the NFLPA's rookie symposium in Los Angeles. Cooper said that Matthews had been practicing in the slot with the first team.

Maclin was the #13 WR in 2010, #31 in 2011 and #27 in 2012 before tearing his ACL last summer. The Eagles don't throw as much under Kelly as they did under Andy Reid, but Maclin has the talent and opportunity -- DeSean Jackson is gone -- to be a fantasy starter in 2014, provided his knee is good to go.

Chip Kelly wants WR Jordan Matthews to start off in the slot and use his 6-foot-3 frame against smaller nickelbacks. If the Eagles come out in “11 personnel” (three wide receivers, one tight end) on their first possession, Matthews will likely man the slot and, technically, he’d be among the starting 11. But look for Kelly to lean a little heavier on “12 personnel” (two receivers, two tight ends) early on for experience reasons. In that case, the outside receivers would be Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper, with Zach Ertz and Brent Celek manning the tight end spots.

The fact that Matthews can play inside and outside -- he was mostly an outside receiver at Vanderbilt -- gives him the best chance to see the most significant playing time early. Kelly can move him around and figure out mismatches. Also, any injuries at wideout would automatically increase Matthews’ workload. if Cooper or Maclin were to suffer an injury, Matthews would likely be elevated into a starting role. Maclin is coming off his second ACL tear since college, so he’ll be handled carefully in the spring and summer camps. Matthews should get plenty of grooming.

Matthews should see the third-most snaps and targets among the Eagles' wideouts assuming everyone stays healthy. He will have to contend with Ertz and RB Darren Sproles for snaps in the slot.

Eagles GM Howie Roseman was asked recently about WR Jeremy Maclin, and how long it takes a player to return to form following a torn ACL.

“I think it depends on the player," he said. "We saw Adrian Peterson come back after six months, and did he win the MVP award after that? So I think it depends on the genetics. And all I know is what our doctors are telling us, and he’s doing a great job in his rehab. We fully expect him to be ready to go once the season starts.”

As we all know, Peterson is a freak. Few bounce back like he did. He tore his ACL in December of 2011, and ran for two touchdowns in the Vikings' opener the following September to kick off an MVP campaign. Ridiculous.

Maclin sustained his injury in late July and will have had well over a year to recover by the time meaningful games roll around. As Roseman referenced, all of the reports have been really positive on the receiver to date. Still, it's yet to be seen how the knee (now twice surgically repaired) responds and holds up over the course of a season.

Assuming there are no issues, yes, I believe Maclin can have a big year in what has proven to be a skill position-friendly offensive system.

Maclin's availability will impact the snaps/targets for Riley Cooper, Jordan Matthews and Zach Ertz, among others. Since he tore his ACL in the summer, we're expecting him to be a full go for Week 1, though he may not look like himself until the 2015 season.