Thursday, March 28

Eagles agree to terms with WR Zach Pascal


Pascal has come a long way from the borderline roster player in 2018. Pascal made his first impact as a dominating special teams player and then earned playing time. Pascal caught 27 passes and scored two touchdowns for the Colts in 2018, then improved those numbers to 41 receptions for 607 yards (averaging a healthy 14.8 yards per catch) and scoring five touchdowns in 2019. The next season, Pascal grabbed 44 passes for 629 yards and another five touchdowns. Last year, Pascal caught 38 passes for 384 yards and three touchdowns. He started 40 games in the last three seasons and brings excellent size at 6-foot-2, 214 pounds, outstanding blocking skills, and a knack for finding the end zone.

And, of course, the “Dawg Mentality.”

“It’s just my story of how I got to where I’m at right now,” Pascal said last year to reporters in Indianapolis. “I’ve had to grind, I’ve had to overcome obstacles and things people said I wouldn’t do or wouldn’t be capable of doing, I’ve had to fight around things.”

It’s important, though, to understand that Pascal isn’t just a “blue-collar” receiver who loves doing all the “dirty work” on special teams and as a wide receiver. He has shown a strong skill set and can play in the slot or on the outside – per Pro Football Focus, Pascal has played in 1,869 snaps in the slot in his career and 1,467 snaps outside. Last season, per PFF, Pascal played 656 snaps in the slot, 210 snaps wide, and 40 snaps inline. That versatility will be key for the role Sirianni and Offensive Coordinator Shane Steichen put in place.

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Pascal was also known as “essentially the leader” of the wide receiver room with the Colts, said Indianapolis Offensive Coordinator Marcus Brady last year, who is an “all-around player” who “does everything right.”

Bringing Pascal on board gives the Eagles another receiver who can move around the formation and team with the likes of DeVonta Smith, Quez Watkins, Jalen Reagor, Greg Ward, JJ Arcega-Whiteside, John Hightower, and Deon Cain. Of course, there is a long way to go in free agency before the focus fully turns to the April 28-30 NFL Draft. And the early word from the draft experts is that this year’s class is loaded with talented receivers who have great speed and project as strong prospects in the league.

Clearly, the Eagles are following a disciplined structure in free agency. They landed Haason Reddick, one of the premier pass rushers in the NFL, as the 2022 League Year opened, and then aggressively kept tabs on a large handful of players on their list. Since Friday, the team announced that they brought back defensive tackle Fletcher Cox on a new contract after he had been released – the two sides mutually understood the big picture and the plan – along with safety Anthony Harris and running back Boston Scott.

Now it’s Pascal, with more to come. And the common thread is that all of those players fit the mold of what Sirianni wants in his players – love of the game, production, talent, toughness, competitiveness, and leadership. This, as we know, is just the start. The roster-building process has a long way to go and the Eagles have the opportunity to address the roster in a variety of ways. They have resisted over-extending themselves with commitments, and flexibility will be so vitally important as the Eagles enter the second week of free agency pleased with the progress they’ve made to date.

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