Rookies DeVonta Smith and Kenny Gainwell give offense hope

[time2rock]

Rookies DeVonta Smith and Kenny Gainwell give offense hope

 

Only five rookies in Eagles history had ever caught 13 passes in the first four games of their career.

This year two have done it.

And in a largely miserable first month of the season, rookies DeVonta Smith and Kenny Gainwell are giving Eagles fans some reason for optimism.

Smith and Gainwell, both 22 years old, both had career games Sunday in the Eagles’ 42-30 loss to the Chiefs at the Linc, Smith with 7-for-122 and Gainwell with 89 scrimmage yards and a touchdown.

This was the first time in 38 years two Eagles rookies had at least 85 scrimmage yards. It happened in 1983 when running back Michael Williams had 94 and receiver Glen Young had 95 in a 27-20 loss to the Cowboys at the Vet.

Only Keith Jackson, Hank Baskett, Jeremy Maclin and Jordan Matthews have had more receiving yards in a game as rookies than Smith did Sunday. Only Bobby Walston in 1951 and DeSean Jackson in 2008 had more yards through four games than Smith, who has 237.

And no running back in franchise history has had more catches through four games than Gainwell, who has 13. His 198 scrimmage yards are 4th-most through four games by an Eagles RB over the past 35 years, behind only Correll Buckhalter (344 in 2001), LeSean McCoy (224 in 2009) and Miles Sanders (262 in 2019). His 114 receiving yards are most by an Eagles RB in his first four games since Michael Haddix of all people had 117 in 1983.

The only other time the Eagles had two rookies with 198 scrimmage yards four games into a season was 1976 with running backs Herb Lusk and Mike Hogan.

The Eagles really have some intriguing young talent on offense. Jalen Reagor is also 22, and Quez Watkins and Jalen Reagor are 23.

And the Eagles have a 23-year-old quarterback in Jalen Hurts who trusts all his young receivers and on Sunday targeted Smith 10 times and Gainwell eight times. 

After years of wondering why the Eagles’ rookie skill guys weren’t producing, Smith ranks second among all rookies this year with 237 receiving yards, 60 behind the Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase, and Gainwell’s 13 catches are second-most among rookie running backs, behind the Steelers’ Najee Harris, a 1st-round pick who’s already caught 26 passes. Gainwell is also 4th among all rookie running backs in scrimmage yards.

The Eagles are the only NFL team with two rookies with 10 catches so far. Smith played 68 of 74 snaps Sunday, but Gainwell made the most of just 29 snaps.  

The Eagles netted 461 yards of offense against the Chiefs, and players who are 23 or younger gained 312 of them, with Smith and Gainwell responsible for 211.

It’s early, but Smith and Gainwell are both putting themselves in position to go after some franchise records. 

DeSean Jackson set the Eagles rookie receiving record with 912 yards in 2008, and with a 17-game schedule Smith is on pace to surpass 1,000 yards.

The rookie record for receiving yards by a running back is Miles Sanders’ 509 two years ago, and Gainwell is right around that pace.

Gainwell is one of only four rookies with two or more TDs this year.

In Smith and Gainwell, the Eagles have a couple exciting young weapons who should be making plays for this team for years.

The future is bright. At least on one side of the ball.

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/eagles-rookies-devonta-smith-and-kenny-gainwell-give-offense-hope

[UK_EaglesFan89]

Smith was brilliant on Sunday and he's been very good through 4 games so far. Don't get me wrong he's had his struggles but so has this offense and so has this QB. I'm not worried about Smith at all. He's going to be a stud.

Gainwell though... I thought he was just superb on Sunday. He can give this team so much over the next few years. I think he's going to be a good runner but it is his play as a receiver that's going to open up so much. 

[Outlaw]

Both of these guys are studs. Gainwell IMO at the time the pick was made, I said was a HUGE steal in the 5th. 

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, Outlaw said:

Both of these guys are studs. Gainwell IMO at the time the pick was made, I said was a HUGE steal in the 5th. 

Imagine how good Smith would be with a competent QB.

[time2rock]

4 hours ago, Outlaw said:

Both of these guys are studs. Gainwell IMO at the time the pick was made, I said was a HUGE steal in the 5th. 

Loved the Gainwell pick.  Made up for passing on Henderson a couple years ago (who I absolutely loved at the time). 

[UK_EaglesFan89]

10 hours ago, time2rock said:

Loved the Gainwell pick.  Made up for passing on Henderson a couple years ago (who I absolutely loved at the time). 

Yeah I mean we got Gainwell in the fifth because he missed last year due to covid right? Otherwise he goes higher there's little doubt about that I think. 

[nipples]

The best thing that could happen to this team honestly is for Hurts to play lights out along with Smith, Gainwell and Goedert having great years… yet they still lose in shoot outs.  
 

How huge would it be to go into next years draft with 3 top 15 picks, two of which would likely be top 10. And with Hurts and the young position players proving themselves you could legitimately draft two if not three difference makers on the defensive side of the ball with those picks. 

[Outlaw]

On 10/6/2021 at 12:03 PM, downundermike said:

Imagine how good Smith would be with a competent QB.

Man Mike, you know I got nothin but love for ya, but you’re like a broken record. Too early to make a call on this kid IMO. I see positives and negatives here. Not everyone is gonna be a stud like Justin Herbert and be lights out their first 16 games…nor will they all be Trevor Lawrence either. If I don’t see progression towards the end of this year when he’s got 16-20 starts under his belt, THEN I’ll be ready to make a judgment. Before that, it’s like Bobeph with the missus…premature. 

On 10/6/2021 at 4:46 PM, time2rock said:

Loved the Gainwell pick.  Made up for passing on Henderson a couple years ago (who I absolutely loved at the time). 

The last three RBs out of Memphis…I’ve loved them all. Gibson, Henderson and Gainwell. 

14 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Yeah I mean we got Gainwell in the fifth because he missed last year due to covid right? Otherwise he goes higher there's little doubt about that I think. 

Agreed. I had him going late 3-early 4…think Howie got possibly the steal of the draft. 

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Outlaw said:

Man Mike, you know I got nothin but love for ya, but you’re like a broken record. Too early to make a call on this kid IMO. I see positives and negatives here. Not everyone is gonna be a stud like Justin Herbert and be lights out their first 16 games…not will they all be Trevor Lawrence either. If I don’t see progression towards the end of this year when he’s got 16-20 starts under his belt, THEN I’ll be ready to make a judgment. Before that, it’s like Bobeph with the missus…premature. 

I still have seen no progression from him in regards to going through reads.  He gets antsy to fast and takes off running at the first sign of his initial read not being open.  He should be at least staying in the pocket and going through reads before running after 8 starts.

[Outlaw]

3 minutes ago, downundermike said:

I still have seen no progression from him in regards to going through reads.  He gets antsy to fast and takes off running at the first sign of his initial read not being open.  He should be at least staying in the pocket and going through reads before running after 8 starts.

Plenty of rookie QBs who don’t go through their progressions. Especially behind what is once again a patchwork oline. I feel a lot of his shortcomings are personnel and scheme, neither of which I blame him for. I LOVE his touch on sideline routes (see first TD to Smith week 1), but I feel he needs to stop taking too much off of it leading to underthrows. I’m ok with him not being a rocket arm but I need to see his placement improve. Is he the long term answer? I doubt it. But I do also know that (despite being an Oklahoma fan) I’m not in love with next years QB class including Rattler and I don’t want Watson. So odds are Hurts is the guy in 22 and we get our guy in 23. 

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, Outlaw said:

Plenty of rookie QBs who don’t go through their progressions. Especially behind what is once again a patchwork oline. I feel a lot of his shortcomings are personnel and scheme, neither of which I blame him for. I LOVE his touch on sideline routes (see first TD to Smith week 1), but I feel he needs to stop taking too much off of it leading to underthrows. I’m ok with him not being a rocket arm but I need to see his placement improve. Is he the long term answer? I doubt it. But I do also know that (despite being an Oklahoma fan) I’m not in love with next years QB class including Rattler and I don’t want Watson. So odds are Hurts is the guy in 22 and we get our guy in 23. 

He may turn into a good to decent NFL QB, but I do not think he is the answer, and will never be good enough to win a ring.  I do not think he is as good as Lamar Jackson or Kyler Murray, and I don't think either of them will ever win a ring.

[Cochis_Calhoun]

On 10/5/2021 at 12:59 PM, time2rock said:

Rookies DeVonta Smith and Kenny Gainwell give offense hope

 

Only five rookies in Eagles history had ever caught 13 passes in the first four games of their career.

 

The Eagles really have some intriguing young talent on offense. Jalen Reagor is also 22, and Quez Watkins and Jalen Reagor are 23.

 

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/eagles-rookies-devonta-smith-and-kenny-gainwell-give-offense-hope

 

🤨