It seemed like every year there was a guy who earned the nickname 'Mr. Lehigh'.

The phrase was commonly used to describe a player who was a stand-out at training camp, when held at Lehigh University, but wasn't expected to contribute once the regular season started.

You can add Trey Burton having a strong training camp to the list.

Burton signed with the Eagles as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Florida before the 2014 season and has been a special teams ace his first two seasons.  He's caught just three passes for 54 yards during his first two seasons on offense, but this could be the year the former undrafted rookie free agent out is poised for big things.

The 24-year-old is a tremendous athlete, while at Florida he started out as a quarterback, then moved to wide receiver before ending his career at tight end.

"Trey [Burton] is like a wide receiver out there," Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich explained. "You get him out there and he’s got the speed, he’s got natural instinctive moves for a tight end."

So, here he has been, catching the ball, showing great hands, and consistently standing out on the practice field - and has once again shown he has value.

"Trey really has [stood out]," Reich added. "He has made so many big plays out here. That’s what you look for."

And really, therein lies the problem for Burton. As productive as he has been during camp and perhaps could be, he will have a hard time taking snaps away from Brent Celek and Zach Ertz.

So while he may very well be a solid contributor on any other team, for the Eagles, he's going to have to find creative ways to get on the field, but Reich says he thinks the team can create some mismatches with the three tight ends.

“Yeah, I mean, we do," Reich admitted.  "We feel like Zach [Ertz] has a great feel in route running. He just knows how to create leverage; he knows how to use his body; he has a big catch radius.

"Trey [Burton] is like a wide receiver out there, and you get him out there and he’s got the speed, he’s got natural instinctive moves for a tight end."

"The one that surprises me though has been Brent [Celek]. I came in here thinking, ‘Hey, Brent is our blocking tight end.’ But the guy knows how to run routes. He’s a really smart route runner, and I have a lot of confidence in him, and I know the quarterbacks do as well. So, that’s a really good thing for us."

While Burton might not be fighting for a job on a team that boasts ridiculous depth at his position, good days in camp are necessary if he wants the team to find ways to get him in the game plan - but right now it seems he has done that and caught the eye of his offensive coordinator.

"I love Trey Burton," admitted Reich.

"He's a football player now. That guy understands the game. He's very athletic, he’s got good size. Some guys just know how to play. You can put them on the field and put them in any position it seems like. He really impressed me in OTAs. There were times he was running routes outside [and] on the tape it looks like it's a receiver, and yet he's 245, 250 pounds, and plays tight end. I'm very impressed with him and looking for some good production from him."

 

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