PHILADELPHIA – The perceived battle at WR3 for the Eagles hasn’t really ramped up through six practices with incumbent Quez Watkins keeping free-agent acquisition Olamide Zaccheaus at arm’s length.
Watkins continued to excel at Friday’s practice, most notably high-pointing a 50/50 ball in individual drills. Zaccheaus, a South Jersey native and St. Joe’s Prep product, had his own shining moment when he dusted rookie speedster Kelee Ringo with a double move en route to a TD of his own.
Zaccheaus, though, hasn’t been consistent enough and has struggled with drops at times. Coming into camp, Zacchaeus would have been the bet on consistency over Watkins and there is still time to turn things around.
“I feel good,” Zaccheaus said after Friday’s practice. “I think just keep going and trying to improve each day is the goal for me and just try to get more comfortable in the offense and learning the ins and outs of it. I just try to get better each day.”
And that part of things isn’t measured against what Watkins is doing for the veteran affectionately known as OZ.
“I don’t think it’s a competition against him,” Zacchaeus said. “We’re competing with each other. We’re on the same team. We’re building together to win. I’m not on social media a lot, but people send me stuff, but I’m not competing against him. “I’m competing with him and everybody else on the team to reach a common goal.”
That common goal is winning.
“That’s the perception that I have,” said Zaccheaus. “It may be different for other people, but the reality of it is that’s the reality of the situation. “We’re feeding off each other, just lifting each other up to win. We’re competing with each other and that’s to win. That’s the main goal here is to win.”
The early betting line on the Eagles’ WRs after A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith remains Watkins, Zaccheaus, and Britain Covey, who also serves as the team’s punt returner. Undrafted rookie Joseph Ngata is opening some eyes, however, as was Deon Cain before missing the last three practices with an ankle injury.
If Zaccheaus is feeling the pressure, it’s not obvious.
“I’m confident in what I can do,” he said. “I have things to work on myself, but, overall, I’m just trying to be a complete receiver. I guess statistically or physically you may look at me as a slot receiver, but I want to be a complete receiver. I want to play every position and that’s something I know I can do. There are things I need to work on, but I have the utmost confidence in myself to get those things done.”
