You can be forgiven if you have little interest in Rueben Randle this year. That's what the free agent market said, too. The Giants didn't have any interest in bringing him back, and he signed with the Eagles for a one-year deal that has only $500,000 in guarantees -- chump change in today's NFL.
But one thing you can't say is that there a lot of receivers clearly ahead of him in Philadelphia. Jordan Matthews is the top receiver, best-suited to line up in the slot. The No. 2 will be either Randle, last year's first-round pick Nelson Agholor (also a disappointment a year ago), or some even lesser light.
Josh Huff? Chris Givens? Those are the other players Randle would need to get past. It's not an imposing list.
Granted, Randle himself has done little to prove worthy of a second-round pick. He had ample opportunity working as a starter with a better quarterback the last couple of years and Victor Cruz's injury, and although his final numbers look OK (within 62 yards of 1,000 in 2014, and then 8 TDs last season) he never struck anyone as a player you'd want to be starting in lineups.
Philadelphia will also be throwing to Zach Ertz plenty; he's probably a more likely No. 2 option in the passing game.
That being said, no reason not to monitor him in the preseason. Things didn't work out in New York, but stranger things have happened than a new lease on life in a new city. If nothing else, at least there's the angle of him facing the team that gave up on him twice.
--Andy Richardson