Will Josh Huff get enough chances in passing game?

Josh Huff wrote down his individual goals for the season on a piece of paper.

The Eagles wide receiver rattled them off: He wants to have no more than 10 drops in 16 games. He wants to catch every catchable pass. And he wants to finish the season with at least 50 catches for 800 yards and six touchdowns.

Those aren't modest goals considering Huff's output in his rookie season. He caught eight passes for 98 yards and no touchdowns and dropped four of 17 targeted throws in 2014. But Huff, who has been a more consistent practice player this year, believes those numbers are attainable.

"When I set my mind to something and that goal is written down, I'm more than likely to crush that, in my opinion," Huff said Tuesday. "But then again, I may not because of the depth we have at receiver. We have a lot of playmakers. You have only so many snaps to spread the ball around."

Case in point: Huff started in the Eagles' preseason opener Sunday against the Colts. The former Oregon star played 14 snaps, but he was targeted only once, and Matt Barkley's pass was tipped and intercepted.

When Huff was on the field earlier with the first team, quarterback Mark Sanchez went elsewhere. And when rookie Nelson Agholor subbed into his spot, two of Sanchez's seven passes went to Huff's replacement.

It was a small sample of plays, but it was also a likely indication that Huff's objectives for his second season may be unfeasible. Chip Kelly said the Eagles made a concerted effort to improve the depth so that he could distribute playing time more evenly and not be as reliant on one or two receivers to take the majority of snaps.

Huff and Riley Cooper have been the starting outside receivers throughout most of training camp, but Agholor and veteran Miles Austin have rotated onto the first team regularly.

And then there's Jordan Matthews. He's the slot receiver, and last year he was third behind Jeremy Maclin and Cooper in snaps. But it has become increasingly clear in training camp that Matthews is the Eagles' best receiving option and that the team plans on making him the focal point of the passing offense.

While Huff said he doesn't yet know his role, he knows his place.

"Whatever that role is, I'm not trying to be some guy that wants the ball each and every down," Huff said. "Of course, I'm going to want the ball during certain segments of the game. But I know that Jordan's the most experienced receiver that we have besides Riley and Miles. Everything is pretty much going to be around him. And I'm just playing off him."

Playing time and targets can be predicated on down, distance, or defense. Many of the Eagles' package plays give the quarterback several options after the snap. It's his job to go where the defense is most susceptible. But there are still many passing plays in which there is a first read, and Matthews is likely to be that read more times than not.

Matthews should play more than he did as a rookie (65 percent of the snaps), but he may not match DeSean Jackson (89 percent in 2013) or Maclin (87 percent in 2014). Still, Kelly seems more intent on splitting up snaps on the outside, where he has more flexibility with Agholor, Cooper, Austin, and Huff.

"That was kind of our thoughts, to spread it around," Kelly said, "because we asked our guys to run so much in what we do, that you need more bodies to do it."

Huff is still a bit of an unknown. It was mildly surprising that he was yanked early in Sunday's game with the rest of the first-team offense. Last year, he injured his shoulder in the second preseason game and didn't play until Week 5. When he did return, turnovers, drops, and mistakes marred his play.

But there were glimpses of goodness: a 107-yard kick return for a touchdown and a 44-yard catch-and-run in which he broke several tackles. There have been more than glimpses in camp. Cornerback Byron Maxwell has been matched up against Huff repeatedly and has come away convinced that he has what it takes to be a top-flight receiver.

Maxwell said his message to the 5-foot-11, 206-pound Huff has been one of encouragement.

"Just go and do it. Be who they think you are. Be who you think you are," Maxwell said last week. "That's really what I'm trying to get to him because he's got all the tools. He can do it."

Huff will get his chances, but they could come sparingly, especially if Agholor continues on his upward arc.

"I'll get plenty of opportunities come the season, and that's really just what I'm waiting on," Huff said. "Whether that happens in the preseason and y'all see everything of me, or it happens in the regular season, I plan on doing some big things this year."

@Jeff_McLane