Eagles' Bryce Treggs hopes to find a place in crowded receiving corps

In Week 9 of last season against the Giants, Bryce Treggs blazed past Janoris Jenkins and Nat Berhe for a 58-yard catch-and-run from quarterback Carson Wentz. The Eagles scored a few plays later on a Ryan Mathews touchdown.

That was Treggs' chance, finding his way onto the field as a rookie among a struggling assortment of Eagles receivers — and producing the team's second-longest passing play of the season. The Cal product did what he does best: run.

"It was nice for a sense of confidence," Treggs said. "It made me feel like I belonged. 'Like OK, I can take these guys deep; I belong in this league.' After that, the sky's the limit for me. I'm going into Year 2 and I'm very excited to be a part of this organization."

Treggs' catch, although garnering postgame attention as a possible solution to the Eagles' passing game, did not amount to what he hoped. The speedy 5-foot-10 wideout recorded just three catches in his rookie campaign.

"Absolutely not," Treggs said of his satisfaction from last season. "I'm definitely not satisfied with last year at all. I'm very hungry to make a jump this year in terms of production, my role on the team, everything."

The Eagles have since added numerous reinforcements to bolster their weapons for Wentz. Veteran wideouts Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith signed in the offseason, and the organization selected Mack Hollins and Shelton Gibson in the early rounds of April's draft. There are now 11 receivers on Doug Pederson's off-season roster, and NFL teams tend to keep six on the 53-man roster, at most. So landing a roster spot again, much less bumping up his production, got even tougher.

"I was motivated before that," Treggs said of the acquisitions. "I'm a blinders guy — I just focus on myself. If I'm the best Bryce Treggs that I can possibly be, it's not a matter of who they bring in. I'll let the chips fall where they may."

This time around, Treggs will benefit from a full off-season in Philadelphia. After Treggs went undrafted in 2016, the Eagles claimed him from San Francisco a week before the season opener. He appeared in his first game in November and was targeted 12 times as a rookie.

"It helps a lot," Treggs said. "Once you have a full off-season in this system, you're not out there thinking anymore. You're just out there playing, reacting instead of figuring out what you have when you line up. Now you can see the defense, and that makes you a better football player."

Treggs hopes to increase his chemistry with Wentz, who is suddenly surrounded by the wingspan of Jeffery and experience of Smith. The fact remains: Treggs is one of the quickest weapons Wentz has.

"I think he's a great player," Treggs said of Wentz. "This off-season, I'm just trying to earn his trust throughout training camp. If the quarterback doesn't trust you, the production is not going to be there. Whenever we have a miscommunication on the field, we talk it out."

"Bryce has been great," Wentz said. "He's been coming along and growing as a receiver. Every one of our receivers has gotten better this spring. There's been some real competition at that position, and it's making everyone better. Bryce is definitely one of those guys."

Starting July 24, Treggs' spot will be up for grabs as the Eagles start to finalize their 2017 roster during training camp. You can find him in Los Angeles until then, improving his 4.39 40-yard dash time with former NFL veteran receiver Curtis Conway — and working with Wentz in North Dakota.

"After I retire, that's when I can go on vacation," Treggs said.