There has been a lot of talk recently surrounding Riley Cooper and his future in Philadelphia. The main argument being that the WR position is so stacked that he is no longer needed. His one saving grace has always been Cooper’s ability to block and play physically..that and it would make no financial sense for the Eagles to cut him.
But, long term…the Eagles could get away with losing no money after next year, letting him go or trading him and already having a replacement sorted.
The replacement comes in the way of 23 year old tight end Trey Burton. Now I know what you’re thinking..Burton is a tight end..how would this work? Let us explain. First of all, there’s this.
Height 40-yard dash weight (pounds)
Burton 6’3 4.50 235
Cooper 6’3 4.63 222
The two have very similar characteristics, there’s no denying it..but here’s where the wizardry comes in. Burton is currently sat in behind Celek and Ertz at tight end. But against the Packers he ended up catching two touchdowns and looking very precise when running his routes. He also played as a Wide Receiver back in 2013 for Florida, receiving for over 400 yards and a touchdown.
Burton has already showed how explosive he can be and is already showing all the signs needed to become more than just a special teams specialist. Last year he made the NFL All-Rookie team on special teams, but has shown incredible athleticism over the course of his short career in Philadelphia.
This could either go one of two ways, depending on what the Eagles wanted to do. Celek could well become a blocking receiver and a successful one, allowing Burton and Ertz to become a lethal pairing at tight end. Or, Burton could potentially be the perfect replacement for Cooper if the Eagles didn’t want to spend big or use a draft pick. Burton has the skills, he has the potential and he has now shown he has the vision and ability.
A lot of if anything like this actually came to fruition is largely going to depend on this year. If Cooper takes less snaps, drops some easy passes or sees a decrease in efficiency then the Eagles would seek to move on from the blocking Wide Receiver. But if for whatever reason, Ertz or Celek were to miss a game or two it would give Burton the perfect stage to establish himself as a front runner for a starting role in seasons to come. Chip loves guys who can play in more than one role and with Burton’s physique being so similar to that of Cooper’s, it’s almost a no-brainer to at least try lining him up in the slot to see how he gets on. It means the Eagles Tight End core remains constant whilst giving a much more dynamic receiver who can not only offer what Cooper can, but a lot more and at a fraction of the price.
