Eagles' Josh Huff thinking positive in second season
The wide receiver believes his rookie struggles are a thing of the past.
JOSH HUFF had one of those telling pauses while answering a question about his strength as a wide receiver.
"I feel like once I have the ball in my hands, I'm one of the best receivers in the game," the Eagles' second-year receiver said yesterday, "but . . . , I mean, I've got to get it in my hands first."
I'm not sure what the high side of expectations was for Huff's rookie year. After all, even though the 2014 draft was considered deep in talent at wideout, Huff was still on the board when the Eagles drafted him in the third round, 86th overall, out of the University of Oregon. He was the 13th wideout taken.
Nobody thought Huff was going to be as productive as Giants rookie Odell Beckham Jr., the consensus NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Nobody expected Huff to have as big an impact as Jordan Matthews, his fellow rookie receiver on the Eagles who was selected 44 spots before him.
Everyone, however, anticipated more than eight catches for 98 yards. It wasn't just Huff's lack of production. It was the shoulder injury in training camp that put him behind, and then there were the costly mistakes, like the fumble against Arizona and the tipped ball that led to an interception against Tennessee.
But more than anything, it was the drops - four, when he was targeted just 18 times.
Considering those things, it makes you wonder why Huff is being viewed as a potential breakout receiver in 2015.
The Eagles used the 20th overall pick in the past draft on University of Southern California wide receiver Nelson Agholor, but Huff will be given an opportunity to become an impact receiver. Pro Bowl receiver Jeremy Maclin, the Eagles' leading receiver who also served as a mentor for Huff, left for big free-agent dollars to join the Kansas City Chiefs.
Maclin's production likely will have to be compensated by a combination of receivers instead of just one. Huff is a candidate to be one of those.
"I feel great," Huff said as the Eagles continued OTAs at the NovaCare Complex. "I'm excited for a huge year coming up.
"I try not to focus on what other people are saying, just the things that I can control. I can come out here every day and leave my all on the field.
"The mistakes I make out here, I go into the film room and watch so I can correct them. I have to keep moving forward and keep working on the things that will help me become the best player that I can be."
Obviously, a receiver who drops balls isn't going to remain long in the NFL, but at Oregon Huff had 144 catches for 2,366 yards and 24 touchdowns. In his senior season, he set a single-season school receiving record with 1,140 yards (12 TDs).
His 4.51-second time in the 40-yard dash isn't rocket-burning speed but should be good enough to get him some yards after the catch. And he was fast enough to return the opening kickoff against Tennessee a team-record 107 yards.
"Last year is what it is," Huff said. "I was a beginner with a lot of rookie mistakes. There were some ups, more downs.
"The limited opportunities I got last year I did not make the most of them. I was too tense at moments. I wasn't playing my game. But last year is last year. It's in the back of my head and I'm focusing on this year and moving forward."
The coaching staff has said repeatedly that Huff, 5 feet 11 inches tall and 206 pounds, has the physical tools necessary to be successful in the offense.
"It's nothing like I don't belong in the NFL," Huff said. "It was more that the injury set me back, and then I tried to rush things back to try and get back on the field.
"I was just moving too fast. I didn't kind of sit back and let the game come to me. I was trying to force things, and that led to me making mental mistakes and so on and so forth.
"My whole focus coming into this season is to be more mentally prepared. I know what to expect now. People outside the building don't see the amount of work we are putting in every day."
Huff said that means not just working against the defensive backs but also quizzing them after practice about what they saw from him - what he did right and especially things that he may have done wrong.
"It's all about what can I do to get better?" Huff said. "All of the receivers are holding each other accountable for the mistakes we make. Our main focus is to become the best group we can be.
"We do have something to prove. We know that even though we don't have that big name, we do have players who are willing to go out and work for each other and make plays."
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