As A.J. Brown shines as Eagles' top receiver, Jalen Reagor says he's facing a new role

PHILADELPHIA − A.J. Brown peeled back a little bit of what makes him such a good wide receiver.

Sure, Brown, the Eagles' star receiver, will show some diva, as he did Tuesday when he was asked about his diving catch in the end zone Sunday night at Lincoln Financial Field in front of a crowd estimated at nearly 30,000.

"I don’t dive in practice," Brown said. "That’s the rule. You never dive in practice. But it felt so game-like with the fans in there. They were showing love, and I was feeling the energy. I felt like I was in game mode."

MAJOR SETBACKEagles' Jason Kelce having elbow surgery, but will he be back for season opener?

ON THE BLOCK?Eagles could trade these players before the season starts, but here's why they shouldn't

Brown gave a glimpse of himself as a technician, constantly working to get better. After all, the Eagles gave Brown a four-year contract worth as much as $100 million shortly after trading for him on draft night, giving up their first-round pick and a fourth-rounder.

The Eagles are seeing the attention to detail. At 6-foot-1, 226 pounds, Brown is more like a running back playing wide receiver. So he values yards after the catch, and he actually works on it, whether it's during the offseason or even in individual drills at camp.

Brown was among the NFL leaders in yards after the catch (YAC) in each of his first two seasons with the Tennessee Titans, in 2019 and 2020. Brown surpassed 1,000 yards receiving each season. Brown tailed off a bit last season after injuries forced him out of four games.

"I think any time the ball’s in my hands, it can be an explosive play," Brown said. "That’s how I think. Whenever I got the ball in my hands, how can I turn this play to get 10 extra yards? That’s my first initial thought whenever I get the ball. I gotta get 10 (yards) every time I touch it. If I actually get 10, I can make it go for like 30."

So Brown works on that with quarterback Jalen Hurts, who has been his best friend for years. Brown also works on what he calls "late hands," when he doesn't show the defensive back covering him that the ball is coming until the last second when he puts up his hands to catch it.

Brown did this Wednesday in practice with James Bradberry, who had his back to the ball as Hurts dropped a pass right into Brown's stomach for a touchdown. Bradberry never turned around because Brown never let on that the pass was coming.

Brown's matchups with Bradberry and Darius Slay have been intense. On Tuesday, Bradberry stuck with Brown on a down-and-out. As the ball came to Brown, Bradberry managed to knock it away at the last second.

Brown tapped Bradberry on the helmet and said, "Good play, baby."

Of course, much of Hurts', and thus the Eagles', success this season will hinge upon how well he and Brown work together. Through two weeks of training camp, it's clear that the Eagles are making that connection a priority. Hurts has targeted Brown often, so much so that Eagles coach Nick Sirianni was asked if it's becoming detrimental to the other receivers.

Sirianni began his answer by saying: "That's who the offense runs through. That's no secret. We run the offense through (Brown)."

Then he caught himself, and added: "Now we have three guys (DeVonta Smith and Quez Watkins are the others) to really run the offense through, and we're excited about that."

Added Hurts: "I know we have a ton of great playmakers on the offensive side of the ball. AJ’s just making plays. That’s what he does. We just want to go out there and execute what’s called and make plays."

Both Slay and Bradberry have described how challenging it is to cover Brown.

"He’s making all the tough catches," Slay said. "He turns 50-50 balls to 70-30. He’s very challenging. He’s getting me better every day, and I’m going to continue to try to get him better."

But Brown said the feeling is mutual.

"Whenever I’m going against Slay, I know I gotta be precise," Brown said. "Every step matters. Pads level matters. And I gotta be clean out of the break. If I don’t, it’s going to go the other way. Bradberry’s the same. He’s a longer corner. He does a great job with his hands.

"Going against these guys in practice, it just helps us for who we’re playing against. I really get my best work each and every day in practice."

Reagor gains perspective

It's no secret that wide receiver Jalen Reagor has been through some tough times, both on the field and off, since the Eagles made him their first-round pick in 2020.

On the field, he hasn't lived up to expectations, with just 695 yards receiving in two seasons. Since then, the Eagles have drafted DeVonta Smith in the first round in 2021, then traded for A.J. Brown, who should be the Eagles' top receiver.

Off the field, one friend of his was murdered last summer, another died in January, as did his grandmother.

"I'm not all the way through it," Reagor said Wednesday, speaking to the media for the first time since Jan. 5. "But I know I have a job to do."

While Reagor said he is more physically fit and mentally focused than he has been in three seasons, he's still mostly with the second team in practice.

"Me personally, I love a good challenge," Reagor said about his status. "So it's a humbling experience because you go from being a first rounder to battling. But I like challenges."

Sirianni recently said that Reagor will have to get used to getting maybe three touches a game instead of 11 that he got in college. Reagor made that work Wednesday, stretching to catch a sideline pass from Hurts.

"I'm just gonna make them three a damn good three," Reagor said about the remark.

Camp observations

∎ Sirianni said the plan is to play the starters for a series or two in the Eagles' preseason opener Friday night against the Jets, but added that it's not definite. But that pretty much rules out WR DeVonta Smith, who has missed the last five practices with a groin strain. Left tackles Jordan Mailata and Andre Dillard should play after they went through a full practice Wednesday for the first time since each suffered a concussion last week.

∎ Rookie Cam Jurgens took all the first-team reps at center after Jason Kelce had elbow surgery Tuesday. That will be the case for the next few weeks at least. Sirianni wouldn't put a timetable on Kelce's return, but did add that Kelce has a consecutive-games-started streak of 122, the longest among active NFL centers. "If he's close, his track record is that he'll be ready to go," Sirianni said.

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: As A.J. Brown shines for Eagles, Jalen Reagor battling for a spot