The Philadelphia Eagles have seen enough of the JJAW experiment at tight end.
According to reports, the team has traded JJ Arcega-Whiteside to Seattle for defensive back Ugo Amadi.
Arcega-Whiteside was a second-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft selected ahead of current wide receivers like DK Metcalf, Diontae Johnson, and Terry McLaurin.
The Stanford product caught just 16 passes in three years for the Eagles for 290 yards and one touchdown catch. Arcega-Whiteside also recovered a fumble for a touchdown in the 2020 season.
Marred by an inability to get open, Arcega-Whiteside was best known for being a blocking wide receiver. After trying to make the 53-man roster at the tight end position, it appears the experiment wasn’t bearing enough fruit for the Eagles.
The Eagles were able to find some trade value for the former second-round selection though. Ugo Amadi was a waiver candidate recently for the Seahawks and joins a very crowded defensive back group.
The fourth-round pick in 2019 recorded an interception and forced a fumble in seven starts last season for Seattle. Like Arcega-Whiteside, Amadi is in the final year of his rookie contract.
The trade for Arcega-Whiteside closes the book on what was a very tumultuous few years for the Eagle’s scouting department where certain traits were valued over other important factors for prospects.
While the Eagles have clearly turned the page on a failed second-round pick, the residual effects of missing on JJAW will be felt for years to come as long as players like Terry McLaurin continue to make them pay in their own division.
Luckily, the Eagles traded for WR AJ Brown, who was a part of the same draft class, during the 2022 NFL Draft. While the Eagles whiffed on JJAW, the trade for Brown should make up the miss on the pick.
AP Photo/Matt Rourke
