Reggie Brown was an instant hit with the Eagles after he was drafted in the second round of the 2005 NFL draft. Brown had 43 catches for 573 yards as a rookie. Those numbers increased to 46 for 816 the following year, and Brown followed that with a stellar 2007. But after a 2008 season that was marked with injury and a drop in production, Brown spent the season opener against the Carolina Panthers on the inactive list.
For a player with 43 regular season starts in four seasons, fighting for playing time amid a wide receiver depth chart that includes between six and seven players can be frustrating.
"I just want to play," Brown said. "I'm just trying to go out there and work hard every day and make the best of my situation. I can't sit around and hope and wish. I just have to go out there and make something happen."
Brown was also inactive for the NFC Championship game against the Arizona Cardinals last January, but he followed that up with a superlative off-season in which the coaches raved about his play.
"That was May and June, this is September," Brown said.
The current depth at wide receiver includes DeSean Jackson, Kevin Curtis, Jason Avant, first-round pick Jeremy Maclin, Brandon Gibson and Brown. Hank Baskett was released on Tuesday.
"You just try to stay positive," Brown said about the lack of playing time. "Try as hard as you can and keep working hard."
Brown said that wondering week-to-week whether he will get any game action has made this the most difficult time in his NFL career.
"I think they're going to give me a chance to play sooner or later," he said. "So I'll go out there and try to do the best I can and help this team as much as possible, whether it's on special teams or anything. I just want to go out there and play."
Head coach Andy Reid sang Brown's praises earlier this week when he talked about Brown's experience as a starting wide receiver. Reid said that if anything were to happen to one of the starting receivers, Curtis and Jackson, then Brown would be the one to step in.
"I just do my job whatever that is," Brown said.
Brown will find out this Sunday whether that includes seeing the field or not.
-- Posted by Bo Wulf, 2:00 p.m., September 17
