This is the second in a series of Philadelphia Eagles' Positional Breakdowns
Here’s Part I on the quarterbacks
Just how much has the Eagles running back picture changed since last season? Consider this: Their leading rusher may not even make the team.
That would be Josh Adams, the undrafted free agent from Notre Dame, who actually was cut at the end of the pre-season, then re-signed to the practice squad, activated and eventually thrust into the starting lineup due to injuries to Jay Ajayi and Corey Clement.
To his credit Adams responded, rumbling for 511 yards on 120 carries and three touchdowns, as the 9-7 Eagles scraped themselves off the deck to win their last three games and squeeze into the playoffs as a wild card. But then he completely disappeared in the post-season, getting just one two-yard carry, with Darren Sproles—who missed the first 12 games of the season—and Wendell Smallwood sharing the load.
By then it seemed clear the 2019 Eagles needed something more at running back, especially when you consider their NFC East rival Cowboys and Giants seem set for the foreseeable future with Ezekiel Elliott and Saquon Barkley respectively.
But when free agency passed with LeVeon Bell, Tevin Coleman and Latavius Murray all going elsewhere it appeared as if the Eagles had lost out on a potential difference maker. That fear proved premature when general manager Howie Roseman sent a 2020 sixth round pick which could become a fifth-rounder depending on his performance to the Bears for Jordan Howard, who seemed to have lost favor in Chicago despite amassing 3,370 yards rushing with 24 touchdowns in his first three seasons.
Then, to further cover his bases—especially since the 24-year-old Jordan is in the final year of his contract, the Eagles did something unusual. They used a second-round draft pick on Miles Sanders, Barkley’s former backup at Penn State, who rushed for 1,274 yards and nine touchdowns this past season for the Nittany Lions.
That’s the highest they’ve gone for a back since Pitt’s LeSean McCoy in 2009, who turned out pretty well.
As a result, a position of apparent weakness might now be a strength between newcomers Howard and Sanders to go with holdovers Adams, Smallwood and Clement, who should be healthy after missing the last seven games with a bum knee. And that’s without even knowing the status of Sproles, who’s contemplating retirement despite looking strong once he returned from a hamstring injury late in the season.
So how will the backfield picture play out between now—as Sanders, who just came to contractual terms last night on a four-year, $5.35 deal and undrafted free agent Nico Evans of Wyoming prepare for today's start of rookie camp--and Sept. 8 when the regular season gets underway? Assuming Howard and Sanders are locks, who else will be joining them?
An educated guess would be to start with the versatile Clement--assuming he’s healthy--who’ll provide a blend of quickness and power, plus the ability to get yards after the catch. After that, it all could come down to a choice between Adams and four-year veteran Smallwood, who trailed only Adams in rushing with 364 yards on 87 carries, plus 230 yards receiving. The salary difference between them is negligible, so that shouldn't factor into the decision. More likely it will be which of them coach Doug Pederson and Roseman feel can contribute more, especially should someone else go down
The variable in all this is the 35-year-old Sproles, who's indicated he won't make a decision on retirement until the start of training camp. Should he decide to give it another go, it's hard to imagine the Eagles turning him down, if only because of his value as kick returner. While Clement and Smallwood have had flashes of brilliance in that role, neither has displayed the kind of consistency as the little man, who's amassed 11,227 return yards and seven touchdowns throughout his 13-year career.
The final longshot would be Ajayi, still a free agent at this point, after tearing his ACL last season. In limited action, the best back on their Super Bowl-winning team did run for 184 yards and three touchdowns on 49 carries, before going down. And don’t forget Donnell Pumphrey, the 2017 fourth-round pick, who’s been easy to forget. Following that draft, the Eagles originally said he would be groomed to replace Sproles, though the only thing they seem to have in common is being short.
So’s that’s how the Eagles’ running back picture looks. And while there’s no Elliott or Barkley in it, remember the Eagles haven’t relied on a workhorse back since Chip Kelly shipped McCoy out of town. Ideally, they’ll shuffle their backs in and out depending on down and distance, using them as much as receivers or blocking backs as toting the ball.
Bottom line, though, whoever it is should run for a lot more than 511 yards.
Next: The Receivers
