Thumbs up or down: Eagles beat reporters weigh in on Zach Pascal signing

Without hearing how the Eagles plan to utilize Zach Pascal, it’s hard to know how to feel about this signing.

If Sirianni views Pascal as a rotational slot receiver who brings some value as a special-teams ace and a blocker, there’s no reason to quibble with the signing. If the expectation is that he’ll be the team’s third receiver in the rotation and play a majority of the snaps, there’s some valid questions to ask.

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Pascal played 84% of the Colts snaps last season and caught 38 passes for 384 yards and three touchdowns. Pro Football Focus graded Pascal as one of the worst receivers in the league last year and his advanced metrics aren’t much better. He ranked 93rd out of 94 qualifying receivers in yards per route run. The only receiver who was worse than Pascal last season? Jalen Reagor.

This would suggest Pascal is due for a bit of a smaller role next season. He does have value as a tough slot receiver who can be an asset in the run game and on screens. Considering how much the Eagles’ offense leaned on the run game last season, a receiver who can be a plus blocker in receiver-heavy formations has real value. Still, a trio of DeVonta Smith, Quez Watkins and Pascal in 11-personnel leaves something to be desired.

The Eagles are high on Watkins, but Howie Roseman’s thwarted pursuits of Christian Kirk and Calvin Ridley suggests he is looking to add a difference-maker to pair with Smith and Watkins.

If the Eagles take a receiver in the first few rounds of the draft or trade for an impact player at the position, the addition of Pascal makes plenty of sense. If he was signed in lieu of a difference-maker, the Eagles could have done better.

Zach Pascal may be the least surprising Eagles free agent signing in years. During his very first news conference as head coach, Nick Sirianni cited the Colts wide receiver as one of players he had built a lasting relationship with in his previous NFL stops. Several months later, Sirianni used Pascal as an example to his team of a bubble roster player who made the 53-man roster based upon his performance in a preseason finale. And the receiver played an integral part in Sirianni adopting “DAWG mentality” as a catchphrase for the culture he tried to establish in Philadelphia.

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But it wasn’t just Pascal’s relationship with Sirianni that made him an obvious target this offseason. He can play in the slot, which would allow for Quez Watkins to move to his more natural outside position. He can play multiple roles on special teams, which he would likely have to do as a reserve receiver. He’s an able and willing blocker in the run game and his physicality would complement DeVonta Smith and Watkins. And he wouldn’t cost much. Details weren’t yet available on the one-year deal Pascal agreed to, but it’s likely only in the few million dollar range. My guess is the Eagles would have signed him no matter what else they did at the receiver position this offseason.

They reportedly tried to trade for Calvin Ridley and Robert Woods. They had interest in Christian Kirk and Allen Robinson. Those are starting-caliber receivers. Pascal is a role player, although there is an opportunity for him to play more if Jalen Reagor’s struggles continue. He averaged 42.5 catches for 618 yards (14.5 average) and five touchdowns from 2019-20. But his numbers dipped last season: 38 catches for 384 yards (10.1 avg.) and three touchdowns. Receiver Michael Pittman took a jump in Year 2, which took some targets away, but Colts quarterback Carson Wentz seemed to be lacking chemistry with Pascal.

Still, only Reagor (0.62) finished with a lower yards per route run than Pascal (0.78) among NFL receivers with more than 46 targets in 2021, per Pro Football Focus. Both played in run-based offenses, which had something to do with the lack of production. But the numbers don’t lie. Both receivers struggled last season. Sirianni loves Pascal, as do other coaches in Indy, but the Colts still allowed him to walk. Without knowing what else the Eagles plan to do at receiver, it’s an underwhelming signing. Jalen Hurts, if he is to remain the starting quarterback, needs ball catchers who can help make him better, not the other way around. It’s probable that in some cases Hurts, a run-heavy offense, and the Eagles’ middling roster likely dissuaded receivers from wanting to come to Philly if they had more attractive options.

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If Pascal ends up as the fourth receiver – the Eagles could still make a trade or draft a receiver early next month – I don’t see the harm. He’s an upgrade over Greg Ward or JJ Arcega-Whiteside. He should also be a leader in the receiver room and a culture setter in the locker room. But if that’s the only significant move the Eagles make at the position, a thumbs up becomes a thumbs down.

Pascal is coming off a down season, in which he recorded just three touchdowns and 384 yards. But when he was starring under then-Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni, Pascal tallied 10 touchdowns from 2019-20.

While this exactly isn’t the splashy signing or trade many hoped for, Pascal’s production and veteran leadership will be welcomed. Last season, DeVonta Smith was the No. 1 WR and the de facto leader for a group that didn’t have a single player older than 25. Pascal’s yards per route run is concerning, but Sirianni knows how he fits best and will be eager to implement the 6-foot-2 slot receiver into his scheme.

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I’d expect Pascal’s presence to be felt most inside the red zone. The Eagles already had a fine red zone scoring percentage, ranked eighth in the NFL at 62.9%. The team was dependent on rushing, and more specifically, Jalen Hurts. Of Hurts’ franchise-record 10 rushing touchdowns, seven of them occurred from inside the 5-yard line. Pascal should provide another dynamic to the passing game, and Sirianni’s admiration for his former pupil is obvious.

If the receiver corps remains the same, the team might be in trouble. But the extended reports of Howie Roseman pursuing Calvin Ridley and other receivers should indicate the team’s level of concern. There’s still plenty of work to be done.

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