Riley Cooper all but invisible in preseason

During the preseason thus far, 19 players have caught passes for the Eagles. In keeping with the need to have all things in perspective at this time of year, it's worth noting that the leading receiver, with nine catches, is rookie Nelson Agholor, who might be the top receiver during the regular season, too, and the second-leading receiver, with eight catches, is undrafted local Rasheed Bailey, who almost certainly will not make the 53-man roster.

Reading a lot into snaps, touches and stats during the exhibition season is perilous business, so keep that in mind as you read this column about one guy's snaps, touches, and stats during the exhibition season.

Of those 19 receivers who have caught passes, none have been named Riley Cooper, whose presence on the field has been barely noticeable. Cooper, who caught more combined passes in 2013 and 2014 than any Eagles receiver, has appeared to be more of a forgotten thought than even an afterthought in the passing game.

Agholor and second-year receiver Jordan Matthews bring speed and athleticism, Darren Sproles brings an elusiveness out of the backfield or in the slot, and the Eagles also have Josh Huff and possession receiver Miles Austin to blend into the mix.

It's reasonable to wonder where that leaves Cooper, and whether the sixth-year veteran, best known for his willingness to block downfield and do the dirty work, will struggle to find a role this season. Given his liabilities with speed and getting separation on defenders, the question of when the Eagles will move past Cooper, might have been answered. If the unreliable preseason does become an indication, they already have.

"I haven't played that much, but, no, it doesn't concern me," Cooper said Monday. "I really don't know what it is. I've gotten one target. It's not like I'm not making plays. That's just the way it's been and I'm good with it."

Not only hasn't Cooper caught a pass, but, as he indicated, there was only one thrown in his direction, an overthrow by Sam Bradford against Baltimore. In the preseason opener, Cooper played eight snaps and was not targeted. (By comparison, Matthews had 12 snaps and five targets.) He was limited by a slight thumb injury in the next game, and then got just 16 snaps against the Packers, again without a pass being thrown to him. (Matthews got a similar workload, 19 snaps, but had three targets and three catches.)

"I think that's just the way it's gone when he's out there," Chip Kelly said Monday. "We haven't scripted or game-planned for any of the first three opponents. We're just calling plays, and however they express themselves, they express themselves."

Cooper's biggest contribution in the Green Bay game came when he picked off Trey Burton's defender as the two ran over-and-under crossing patterns on Burton's first touchdown catch. It is the kind of play in which he can be very effective, and maybe that will keep him on the field in some situations.

"I knew who was guarding Trey. If I make the defender have to run the hump and play that style and play smart, those things go completely unnoticed, but that's great," Cooper said. "If we win, everyone will have jobs a lot longer and it doesn't matter if your name is out there making 15 touchdowns a year. If you're consistent and grading out great, doing your job, you're good."

That might even be the way it works out, but if tight end Zach Ertz, who has greatly improved as a downfield blocker, returns soundly from his sports hernia surgery, Cooper will have competition in the dirty work division. And he would have it from a talented receiver who usually gets mismatches in coverage. Tight end Brent Celek is a great help in pass protection blocking, but he's not as useful downfield. Ertz is another matter entirely. Also, if the preseason is an indication, the Eagles are intent on splitting Matthews and Agholor wide in some packages and using Sproles in the slot. That would keep Cooper on the sideline as well.

Those are mysteries that will unfold this season and perhaps beyond. The five-year contract extension Kelly gave Cooper before the 2014 season is only guaranteed through this year. His base salary in 2016 would be $4.5 million which is a lot to spend for a wide receiver who doesn't specialize in receiving.

"You've got to have big, physical, tough players on the outside in order to make stuff happen, or it's going nowhere. In this offense, it's huge," said Cooper, who didn't practice Monday because of a slight groin strain but expects to practice Tuesday. "I've honestly never thought [about the lack of touches so far]. It's preseason, dude. We're 3-0. We're killing people, and I've played like two quarters the whole time. I won't have any targets in this game, either. I won't play."

What he didn't say was that it won't be easy to tell the difference.

@bobfordsports