Philadelphia Eagles News

The Eagles entered this year’s free agency period with a checklist of items they wanted to add to the roster. They filled the need for a starting guard by signing Brandon Brooks. They found their safety to play alongside Malcolm Jenkins in Rodney McLeod. On Wednesday, the Eagles crossed another item off of their free agency grocery list, adding deep-threat wide receiver on a one-year contract. Givens reportedly visited at least one other team - the New York Jets – but choosing Philadelphia became an easy decision once the wide receiver stepped inside the NovaCare Complex. “The organization itself is going in a positive direction,” Givens said. “(The Eagles have) great coach in Doug Pederson and (Greg Lewis) and (Frank Reich). It just seemed like a great place for me to be and grow. They wanted me bad, and then when I get here the vibe is just amazing. All of the people are great, and when you feel something that’s right, it’s just right.” One of the other primary reasons why Givens chose the Eagles was that he’ll have the opportunity to reunite with Sam Bradford, whom he was teammates with in St. Louis from 2012-14. Givens’ ability to stretch the field goes hand-in-hand with Bradford’s ability to air the ball out down the field. “It played a lot into it because I feel like our talents match up pretty well,” Givens said about his relationship with Bradford. “That was one of the deciding factors. “We had really good chemistry. We would work together every day after practice, and it was one of those things where the coaches and everybody else saw that we had a connection, so everybody did everything they could do to work on it and make it better.” Givens has totaled 1,779 receiving yards in his four-year NFL career. The former Wake Forest Demon Deacon has been a dangerous threat to burn defenses over the top, as he’s averaged 16.6 yards per catch. According to Givens, his ability to accelerate even quicker when the ball is in the air is what has made him such a strong vertical receiver. “I’m way faster than my 40 time on the football field,” Givens said. “I feel like that’s what separates me, because once the ball is in the air, there’s just another gear that I kick in. I feel like I’ve had that gear since I was little and I feel like I’ll always have it.” Givens adds that vertical element to the Eagles’ current receiving corps, but he also brings another valuable tool – experience. At just 26 years old, Givens is currently the oldest wide receiver under contract, and he’s ready to see what this young, dynamic group can accomplish together in 2016. “I know it’s a talented group,” Givens explained. “Everyone is pretty young. I’m the old guy in the room, but I’m pretty young, myself. It’s a talented group and we all have things that we can bring to the table and we’re all going to work together to be one of the better groups in the NFL. That’s the goal from Day One. We have to set the bar high to be one of the better groups. If we don’t expect that out of ourselves, than no one else will and we won’t accomplish it. That’s my mindset going into the room, and I know Jordan feels that way and that we’re on the same page.” One player in particular who Givens is looking forward to lining up next to is Jordan Matthews. The two have actually worked out with each other in the offseason, and now they’ll both be donning midnight green. “I talked to him earlier and we’ve been texting for most of the day,” Givens said. “Just pretty much, ‘Come join the wave. We’re trying to do special things here,’ and I agree with him. We’re (the kind of guys) who want a lot from our careers, so it just seems like the right fit for me.”

Philadelphia Eagles News

Chemistry Led Givens To Eagles Green