Jalen Reagor Could Really be Missed if Eagles Can't Find a Punt Returner

Head coach Nick Sirianni said the team has options, but the best one seems to be UDFA Britain Covey who is on the practice squad

PHILADELPHIA – Jalen Reagor is gone, traded to the Minnesota Vikings, but not yet forgotten by teammates.

“I mean, shoot, it was tough,” said CB Darius Slay. “But it’s a fresh start for him, I’m hoping for nothing but the best for him because that’s my guy. When I got traded, he got drafted here.

“So, I’m looking forward to him being at a high ceiling. A fresh start for him, a new thing. I’m looking forward to it, to see what he do, man. I don’t need him to be good Week 2 (when the Eagles host the Vikings). He can be good every other week after that.”

Added QB Jalen Hurts: “Just sending him my love, sending him best wishes, wishing nothing but the best for him. We know he has a lot of talent. We just wish him the best moving forward.”

Reagor’s departure via a Wednesday trade left a hole not so much in the receiver room but at punt returner.

Who handles that role now?

Nick Sirianni didn’t shed much light on it prior to Thursday’s practice.

“We have 70 guys at our disposal,” the coach said. “We feel like we have good options. We still have a player left to be able to pick up on our team, so there are options there. We're not playing tomorrow, so we don't have to make that decision quite yet.

“When you work a guy, just like at any position, you get multiple guys ready throughout not just the week of the game but throughout an entire training camp, throughout OTAs. We feel like we have some good options there.”

The Eagles filled their final 53-man roster spot with running back Trey Sermon, claiming the former third-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, so that means the answer may have to come from within.

One of the in-house possibilities is Britain Covey.

Though the undrafted free agent didn’t show much explosion in the return game during training camp, the Eagles brought him back to the practice squad after cutdown day and he is at last reliable in catching punts, even if he hasn’t shown much burst once he catches them.

It's also risky because any team can claim Covey and put him on their 53-man roster.

Then what?

The Eagles don’t have much else in the return game, regardless of what Sirianni said.

Maybe WR Quez Watkins can do it. RB Boston Scott was used a few times in the Doug Pederson regime, but he never quite took to the role.

The last thing Sirianni and GM Howie Roseman want is another repeat opening day like the one the Eagles had in 2007.

The Eagles released Jeremy Bloom, who was trying to make the transition from Olympic skier to football after playing the game at Colorado.

They went with WR Greg Lewis, whose muff led to a Green Bay touchdown in the first quarter.

Then, with 59 seconds left, Andy Reid put safety J.R. Reed back to field a punt in a 13-13 game. He stepped up into traffic and bobbled it before dropping it. The Packers recovered. With two seconds left, Mason Crosby hit a 42-yard field goal to give Green Bay a 16-13 win.

Neither Lewis nor Reed had returned punts in a live game previously.

If the Eagles don’t get it figured out, they may really end up missing Reagor.

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.