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.
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