I've given you the positives about Jeremy Maclin, now here are the negatives.
I like Maclin as a playmaker but he's got a ways to go as a route runner. DeSean Jackson knew how to read defenses when he was drafted last year, but that's not case with Maclin.
The spread offense which he played in during his college career isn't a good teacher for the NFL. They don't have to teach the kids how to read defenses and run NFL routes.
Jackson knew how to sit down in the seam when he recognized a zone coverage. DeSean also knew how to run away from the defender who was chasing him, when he recognized man to man.
It will likely take Maclin a while to learn these nuances.
Jackson was a much more polished receiver than Maclin. This kid has a lot to learn when it comes to running routes.
The good thing about the situation he's coming into, is that he doesn't have to be the feature guy. He won't be double-teamed with Jackson and Kevin Curtis on the field.
Most of the time on third down, teams will have to declare that they're going to double Jackson or maybe Curtis and that will leave the kid in a simple situation where he's man to man.
You'll see Andy Reid get the ball into his hands by running screens to him. He'll run short delay get open routes.
This is a strength of Reid as a game planner to get the ball into the hands of playmakers.
His problem has been refusing to get enough playmakers on the roster. I think Jackson's success last year have changed his mind.
