Eagles Bears

Philadelphia Eagles and former Oregon wide receiver Josh Huff said he is determined to improve his production during the 2015 season. Huff caught eight passes for 98 yards during his disappointing 2014 season.

(Associated Press)

Josh Huff possesses the ability to make big plays, he has a 44-yard reception as proof.

The problem for the former Oregon Ducks star wide receiver was catching the ball during his rookie season with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2014. His four drops were four less than his total number of receptions (eight) in 2014. Those drops represented more than 20 percent of total number of times he was targeted (18) during the season.

"I feel like once I have the ball in my hands, I'm one of the best receivers in the game," Huff told Philly.com. "but . . . , I mean, I've got to get it in my hands first."

The 44-yard reception occurred during the Eagles 38-27 loss to Dallas. Huff broke several tackles after the catch, turning a short pass play into a big gain.

favorite part of yesterday http://t.co/mBWNZ1fd6d — Sugarkorn Ferries (@OhWowHmm) December 15, 2014

That was the highlight of Huff's season. There were lowlights, such as his fumble at Arizona 2-yard line in the 24-20 loss to the Cardinals and the dropped passes. Huff is determined to not to dwell on 2014 and is looking toward 2015.

"Last year is what it is. There were some ups, more downs," Huff said. "The limited opportunities I got last year I did not make the most of them. I wasn't playing my game. But last year is last year. It's in the back of my head and I'm focusing on this year and moving forward."

Huff figures to get his opportunities. Leading receiver Jeremy Maclin signed with Kansas City, taking his 85 receptions for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns with him. Second-receiver Jordan Matthews and rookie Nelson Agholor are expected to start in 2015.

Huff is working hard to produce a better 2015.

"He is shredded. Shredded," Rischad Whitfield, Huff's trainer, told phillymag.com. "Weight-wise, he is still around the same weight, but he is a lot more explosive."

With Maclin in Kansas City, all of the Eagles receivers have something to prove and must work hard to connect with new quarterback Sam Bradford.

"My whole focus coming into this season is to be more mentally prepared," Huff said. "I know what to expect now."

* Part of the debate about whether Russell Wilson should be the NFL's highest-paid player focuses on whether his production would be the same absent a great defense and running game.

However, Wilson's agent, Mark Rodgers, says those factors doesn't eliminate the most important issue regarding Wilson. He wins games.

"He's unconventional in size. People argue that he's a game manager or say it's the defense or Marshawn Lynch -- or all of the above," Rodgers told tcpalm.com. "At the end of the day, it's about winning and what he's asked to do and he does it very, very well."

Wilson has won games at an impressive pace in his three NFL seasons. Wilson is 36-12 as the Seahawks starting quarterback. He's 6-2 during the postseason, with two Super Bowl appearances and a NFL title. Say what you want about whether he would be as successful without the defense and Lynch, but the other side is would the Seahawks be as good without Wilson.

* Jacksonville quarterback Blake Bortles struggled throughout his rookie season in 2014, but the problems intensified during the final games of the season. Bortles wasn't throwing the football very well and general manager Dave Caldwell said Bortles' arm was "dead."

"People don't realize that as you look later in the season, he was on injury report," Caldwell told USA Today. "You've just got to do what you've got to do to survive. It wasn't anything that was ingrained in him (mechanically). But in order to drive the ball 15 yards, there were some things that he needed to do to get the velocity on the ball."

Bortles passed for more than 200 yards in six of his first eight games of the regular season. He threw for more than 200 yards in just two of his final six games. He threw for season-lows (115, 117 yards) in his final two games and averaged a season-low 3.55 yards per completion in his final game of the season.

Bortles suffered through shoulder problems in his throwing arm during the latter part of the season. He says he's healthy now and is oozing confidence after working on his mechanics during the offseason.

* New applicants for a employee position with the San Diego Chargers must be willing to move to...Los Angeles.

A job posting for a position within the franchise includes a clause to possibly relocate to Los Angeles, according to footballjobs.com.

Negotiations between the Chargers and the city of San Diego for a new stadium (replacing Qualcomm Stadium, which opened in 1967) have gone nowhere. The Chargers and Oakland Raiders have proposed to build a joint-use stadium in Carson, California. The stadium would be ready for use in 2019.

-- Geoffrey C. Arnold | @geoffreyCarnold