Eagles Maclin Ready for Breakout Season

Jeremy Maclin knows a thing or two about scary moments during training camp.

Maclin was placed on the active/non-football illness list on August 3, 2011 and missed all of last offseason when it was revealed on August 17  that he had symptoms of lymphoma.  An inflammatory virus was determined as the cause of the symptoms he showed and he did not have cancer.  He finally was able to report to 2011 training camp but significantly underweight.

Maclin was on pace for 88 receptions and 1,212 yards at mid-season last year, only to be hampered by shoulder and hamstring injuries in the second half.

Fast forward to the Eagles preseason game this season when Maclin had to sit out.  Eagles coach Andy Reid revealed following the game that Jeremy Maclin is dealing with a strained hamstring.  Maclin suffered the injury in pre-game warmups and was a late scratch.

Just like in 2011, however, Maclin has received good news. He was able to get back to work during individual drills a few days ahead of the Eagles' second preseason game.

Maclin practiced fully at Eagles camp Sunday after straining his hamstring in warmups ahead of Thursday's preseason opener.

“It was frustrating," Maclin said about missing the opener.  "Obviously, you always want to play in the game, but at the same time, you know you want to be safe. It was frustrating. To miss the first action against somebody else, you know, is kind of frustrating."

While the wide receiver admitted that it was hard for him to miss the game he knows that being out there is key to the teams success this season.

“I think it’s just good to build that chemistry on both sides of the ball, to get everybody out there, the guys that are going to be out there during the regular season, get that extra work in,' Maclin explained.   "This game coming up is going to be our game that we kind of simulate as being the real season, so to get everybody back out there will be key for us.” the field, you want to go 100-percent so it's always hard to kind of turn it down and play under control."

It's a reminder that Maclin is 100 percent for the first time in a couple of years at this stage of the season and many are predicting big things for him.