Jeremy Maclin has posted impressive stats during his four seasons with the Eagles, before he was hurt. Photo by Todd Bauders/ contrastphotogrpahy.com

All the football conversation by Eagles fans and observers since DeSean Jackson was jettisoned from the Birds roster on March 28, 2014 seems to be about the numbers he put up in 2013 – 16 games, 82 catches, 1,332 yards, nine TDs.

Also endlessly brought up is about the way he stretched the field and made it possible for other players to have great seasons including Riley Cooper and LeSean McCoy.

All of the above is true, no question.

But what has not been discussed much, if at all, is the idea that maybe Jackson was the leading receiver on the Eagles in 2013 because, well, what other choice did head coach Chip Kelly and the quarterbacks have?

In 2012, Maclin played in 15 games, caught 69 passes for 857 yards and scored seven TDs on a 4-12 team.

Those numbers dwarfed Jackson’s 45 catches for 700 yards and just two TDs in 11 games.

And that was after Jackson agreed to a five-year deal with a base value of $47 million with $15 million fully guaranteed.

That one-year body of work would qualify as under-performing the worth of a contract by any definition.

To give the impression Maclin was not the top receiver when he and Jackson were playing together just doesn’t add up.

Over the four season’s Maclin and Jackson shared the field, Maclin had an edge over Jackson in many key statistics: Games Played – Maclin 59, Jackson 55; Catches – Maclin 258, Jackson 212; Touchdowns – Maclin 26, Jackson 21 and first downs Maclin 158, Jackson 142. Jackson’s numbers were better in total yards – Jackson 3,873. Maclin 3,453 and yards per game – Jackson 70.5, Maclin 58.5.

We will never know what kind of numbers Jackson would have put up if he had to share the ball again with Maclin in 2013.

I do not think it is a stretch he would have not achieved stats-wide what he did last season.

What we do know is Maclin is back, seemingly as good as new.

And even though he had virtually nothing to do with Jackson’s being cut – that we know of – Maclin was peppered with questions on the subject last week at a small gathering of media at the NovaCare Complex where the Eagles are taking part in voluntary workouts.

“At the end of the day we’re going to go out there and play football,” Maclin said responding to a question about being ask about Jackson so much. “You guys want to ask about him…he is in Washington now, so I suggest you go to Washington and ask about it.”

Maclin said he had not spoken to Jackson since he was cut and his relationship with his former teammate was private.

Maclin did talk about how he believes in Kelly’s system and that it will never be about one player.

“I’ve got faith in our offense and I’ve got faith in the guys we have in the locker room and the guys we have out on the football field,” Maclin said. “Chip said it himself, the offense is not built around one guy. We have multiple guys who can go out there and make plays. So I am looking forward to seeing what we can do.”

Maclin did give a slight glimmer of a view into what may have been going on with this team over the last few years with reports surfacing that Jackson was a major distraction in the locker room.

Maclin did that by simply saying what he believed all the players should be striving for if the team is to achieve success.

“It’s all about doing the right things, at the end of the day” Maclin said. “You come up and you show up to work, do the right things, be positive and things are going to work out in your favor. It all comes down to doing the right things.”

Maclin dismissed the idea that Kelly was trying to send a message when he cut Jackson.

“I don’t think it was for that,” Maclin said. “I don’t think you release a guy to send a message. We’re not in high school anymore. I don’t think you do it like that.”

Maclin said the Eagles, as a team as well as Jackson have moved on.

“It’s part of the game,” Maclin said. “Stuff like that happens. Each and every year with different teams. These guys are out here working. There is nobody that is not here, everybody is working. Guys are on the right path and guys are on the same mission. Obviously DeSean is one of the better play-makers in this league. But we’re moving forward. I think we’ll be just fine.”

Maclin did talk about the status of his knee and he said he ready to go.

“I feel good,” Maclin said. “I may not get as many reps in OTA s as I normally would but if this was training camp I’d be cleared to go out there and train. The knee is strong. By training camp I’ll be fully cleared to do everything.”

Maclin, who suffered the same injury in the same knee seven years ago while playing for the Missouri Tigers, said said the medical advances have made recovery better than ever.

Maclin was asked if the trusting his knee was the toughest part of rehabbing.

“Absolutely,” He said. “A lot of it is mental. Obviously with the surgeries nowadays, and with your rehab process, you come back a lot stronger than you were initially. I’m happy to just be out there running around. I am really really really excited about where I am.”

Maclin had to sit and watch Kelly’s first season as head coach and one of the first NFL coaches to be all in with sports science. The Eagles to a man said they never felt so refreshed and energized at the end of a season once they bought into his philosophies on sleep, diet and monitoring the body’s peaks and valleys and building a practice and training schedule around that data.

Even though he did not experience it physically, Maclin claims he got as much out of that knowledge as he could.

“I got to experience it,” said Maclin, who turns 26 on May 11. “I wasn’t playing but I was still part of the same process. I tried to stay on course as much as I could throughout of the season even thought I wasn’t playing. I am looking forward to it. I definitely think it keeps our bodies fresh. It gives guys that extra edge they need.”

The statistics show Maclin, in his four NFL seasons had a 70-yard TD pass in 2012, a 59-yard catch in 2011, an 83 yard TD strike in 2010 and a 56-yard catch his rookie year to go with 26 career touchdowns.

Maclin was asked if he was underrated as a deep threat and will he look to be used more in that role now that Jackson is gone.

“I think I will be doing a little bit of everything,” Maclin said. “I am looking forward to first get out there and play football. I am looking forward to seeing the way he (Kelly) expects to use me and help me be successful.

“I’ve done everything they’ve asked me to do,” Maclin continued. “When they ask me to go deep, I went deep. When they asked me to go on short routes, I did that was well. I’m willing to do anything they want me to do.”

Will he be in more of a leadership role?

“Outside of Brad Smith, I am the oldest guy in the (locker) room, “Maclin said, “I have always been kind of a vocal guy in the locker room and encourage teammates, pick the team up a little bit. I think you’ll see (leadership) filled in from a bunch of guys…not by preaching, but by going out there and showing guys how to win.”

Eagles fans will be counting on it.

Email: the.magazine2@footballstories.com