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Tag: D’Andre Swift

  • Jake Moody kicks game-winning field goal in first appearance with Bears

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    A wet and wild Monday night game between the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders turned into a thriller between two of the NFL’s oldest franchises.

    Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels fumbled a handoff late in the fourth quarter and allowed the Bears’ defense to recover. Caleb Williams and D’Andre Swift led the offense down the field to set up a Jake Moody field goal attempt. It was Moody’s first day on the roster as the team signed him to replace an injured Cairo Santos.

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    Chicago Bears kicker Jake Moody (16) celebrates the game-winning field goal with punter Tory Taylor (19) after an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Landover, Maryland. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

    Moody, with three seconds left and a steady mist coming down, nailed a 38-yard field goal to give the Bears the 25-24 win. Chicago improved to 3-2 with the win and the Commanders fell to 3-3.

    The Bears jumped out to an early 13-0 lead in the first half. Moody was seemingly in good form. He nailed two field goals and Caleb Williams ran for a touchdown to start the second quarter.

    The Commanders cut into the Bears’ lead when Daniels threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Chris Moore. Washington got more points on the board after an eight-play, 25-yard drive in the third quarter, which ended with a Matt Gay field goal.

    After Moody hit his third field goal of the night, the Bears’ offense went quiet.

    Daniels led back-to-back scoring drives at the end of the third quarter and to start the fourth. He found Luke McCaffrey for a 33-yard touchdown pass and then fired a 6-yard touchdown to Zach Ertz.

    Williams and the Bears didn’t stay down too long. The second-year quarterback hit Swift on a short pass. Swift made a few Commanders defenders miss and scampered for a 55-yard touchdown. Chicago missed out on a 2-point conversion and was down two points.

    Caleb Williams runs from Daron Payne

    Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) runs away from Washington Commanders nose tackle Daron Payne (94) during the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Landover, Maryland. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

    FALCONS STUN BILLS BEHIND BRILLIANT OFFENSIVE PERFORMANCES FROM BIJAN ROBINSON AND DRAKE LONDON

    Moody was on point with his field-goal tries, despite one getting blocked.

    He was cut by the San Francisco 49ers only a few weeks into the 2025 season, despite having a place in the record books during Super Bowl LVIII.

    Moody turned around and etched his name into the Bears’ record books, making the most field goals in a Bears debut with four, according to ESPN.

    Chris Moore celebrates a touchdown

    Washington Commanders wide receiver Chris Moore (19) celebrates his touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Landover, Maryland. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

    “It’s always good to have a fresh start. I always believed in myself, believed in my teammates. Shoutout to (long snapper Scott Daly) and (holder Tory Taylor). They made the operation really easy on me. The same with the (offensive) line up front, protecting great on that last one. You can’t draw it up any better,” he told ESPN’s Lisa Salters.

    Williams was 17-of-29 with 252 passing yards and a touchdown pass. He completed passes to eight different receivers. Swift led the team with two catches for 67 yards. Luther Burden III had four catches for 51 yards.

    Swift had 14 carries for 108 yards as well.

    De'Andre Swift runs between the tacklers

    Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu (4) tackles Chicago Bears running back D’Andre Swift (4) during the first half of an NFL football game Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Landover, Maryland. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

    Jayden Daniels throws the football

    Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) throws a pass in front of Chicago Bears defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo (55) during the first half of an NFL football game Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Landover, Maryland. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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    Daniels finished 19-of-26 with 211 passing yards, three touchdown passes and an interception. The Bears’ defense had three takeaways.

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    Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

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  • Will Saquon Barkley Be The Eagles Next 1,000 Yard Rusher? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Will Saquon Barkley Be The Eagles Next 1,000 Yard Rusher? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Since LeSean McCoy did it in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014. It took the Eagles 8 years to have another 1,000 yard running back. And they did it with 2 different backs in back-to-back seasons.

    Once they got that 1,000 yard season from Miles Sanders, he was on his way to Carolina with a $25.4M/4-year contract. And after Sanders’ departure, the Eagles were able to hit a home run in trading for D’Andre Swift, who put up 1,049 rushing yards in his single season with the Eagles, before signing a $24.5/3-year deal in Chicago.

    The Eagles have seen both of their last rushers leave the year after setting careers highs. Now the 7th(Swift) and 12th(Sanders) highest paid running backs in the league. The Eagles decided to go a different route.

     

    New Face In The Backfield

    Back in March, the Eagles signed their new RB1 to a massive $37.5M/3-year deal.

    The Eagles made a move for a running back that rivals the 49ers acquisition (and now extension) of Christian McCaffrey.

    Now, the 6-year Giant makes his way to Philly, as the 4th highest paid running back. Soon to play behind what was the #1 ranked Offensive Line in 2023 (per PFF). While the question still remains of how well the Eagles offensive line may be in 2024 without Jason Kelce at Center. Even ProFootballNetwork had the Eagles still at the top spot in their offensive line rankings back in April.

     

    Giants Offensive Line Woes

    While PFN had the Giants listed at 23rd following the 1st round of the 2024 NFL Draft, PFF had them ranked dead last at 32nd following the 2023 season, and had them ranked 29th this time last year.

    Even with some of the worst ranked OL’s in the league, that hasn’t stopped Saquon Barkley from putting up the following rushing stats

    2023 – 962 yards in 14 games
    2022 – 1,312 yards in 16 games
    2021 – 593 yards in 13 games

    With these rushing numbers, Saquon was also putting up plenty of receiving yards, even with the following QBs behind those previously mentioned bottom of the league OL’s

    2023 – 280 Rec yards – Tommy DeVito(6) / Tyrod Taylor(5) / Daniel Jones(6)
    2022 – 338 Rec yards – Daniel Jones(16) / Davis Webb(1)
    2021 – 263 Rec yards – Daniel Jones(11) / Mike Glennon(4) / Jake Fromm(2)

     

    Saquon’s Future

    On a new team that already has some of the best talent in the league, Saquon will have plenty of opportunity over the next three season with the Eagles. Finally providing Jalen Hurts a reliable receiving back under a new offensive coordinator with Kellen Moore will give the Eagles another player capable of ending up with an Offensive Player of the Year award.

     

    With training camp and pre-season just a few weeks away, how many yards do you think Saquon will put up in his first year with the Eagles?

     

     

     

    Photo Credit: Monica Herndon / Philadelphia Inquirer

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    Tyler L’Heureux

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  • Eagles Cornerback Carousel: Who Will Make the Final Cut? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Eagles Cornerback Carousel: Who Will Make the Final Cut? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    The Eagles wrapped up their third and final day of minicamp today. The team will hold a training camp closer to the end of July.
    Final 53-man rosters won’t be due until August 29th, but an overcrowded position noticeably stuck out throughout the week.

    How Many Corners Are Too Many Corners?

    The Eagles announced this morning that they have finally signed Quinyon Mitchell to his rookie contract.

    Quinyon was the final rookie of the Eagles 2024 draft class to be signed.

    With 14 Corners under contract and over 2 months before any final roster decisions, the Eagles will have a deep secondary. But who will make the cut?

    Similar to the last few seasons at defensive tackle, the Eagles have made acquisition after acquisition in the secondary to revamp a defense that gave up 252.7 passing yards a game, ranking 31st in Passing Yards against.

    Even with the draft picks, the Eagles will have most of the same secondary they did last season, with the following players returning.

    • Darius Slay
    • James Bradberry
    • Avonte Maddox
    • Kelee Ringo
    • Zech McPhearson
    • Eli Ricks
    • Josh Jobe

    With the additions of Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and Isaiah Rodgers, there will be a few odd men out unless something changes with those already under contract.

    Having too much depth isn’t a bad thing.

    During the last training camp, the Eagles had 5 options at running back before only using 3 throughout the entire season. (We’ll still never know why Swift didn’t play week 1)

    But for the Eagles’ corners, things changed throughout the last 3 days, as we’ve seen Kelee Ringo and Isaiah Rodgers at CB2 already. With Mitchell, DeJean, and Rodgers sharing 2nd team throughout the week, the Eagles might finally have the depth if multiple injuries occur once the season picks up.

    So, Who’s Out?

    During the Eagles minicamp, multiple things came up.

    The Eagles seemed to already have assessed the Safety position this offseason, bringing back C.J. Gardner-Johnson on a three-year deal. And if Maddox is ‘learning the safety position,’ that will end up being another depth piece behind those penciled-in starters.

    If Bradberry is also getting a change of scenery on the field, perhaps this is the end of the road before getting traded or cut. We’ll have to wait and see, as Bradberry went to the medical tent at the start of the minicamp and wasn’t a participant for the rest of the week.

    While I’m sure, there are plenty who may want Bradberry off the team as soon as possible. The Eagles have the cap space committed to the player, and he was a ‘part of the plans‘ (12:04) during the Combine. If there’s a team in desperate need of a corner, Bradberry might be on the block to make room for the new additions to the Eagles.

    With another month plus break before more Eagles football. Who do you have making the roster in the secondary?

    PHOTO: Philadelphia Eagles

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  • The Draft Is Coming… Will The Eagles Make Another Draft Day Trade? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Draft Is Coming… Will The Eagles Make Another Draft Day Trade? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    We’re just under a month away from the 2024 NFL Draft.

    Starting on April 25th, the Eagles will have the following picks after a fully loaded free agency.

    After signing 13 players over the last few weeks the Eagles have found the solution to most of their 20 free agents this off-season.

    Spotrac has the Eagles at a projected $10.5M in cap space, so they might be done spending as they’ll still have to sign all their rookies following the draft. If they’re looking to open up more cap space, the Eagles have yet to make any decisions on Josh Sweat or Haason Reddick.

    Even after their shopping spree on the open market. The Eagles still have 8 picks in the upcoming draft, including 3 in the first 2 rounds.

    The Eagles have already traded  #98 and two 2025 5th round picks for Kenny Pickett and #120. Moving down 22 spots and acquiring a QB with term.

    And for a team that’s always active during the draft. Don’t expect them to be quiet.

     

    Previous Draft Trades

    Below are the past 3 years of Draft Pick trades the Eagles have made

    2023 Draft

    • Eagles trade 10th pick and a 2024 4th to the Bears in exchange for 9th overall (Jalen Carter)
    • Eagles trade 62nd pick to the Texans in exchange for picks #65(Tyler Steen), #188(Tanner McKee) and #230
    • Eagles trade a 2024 3rd to the Texans in exchange for #105 (Kelee Ringo)
    • Eagles trade a 2025 4th to the Lions for D’Andre Swift and #249
    • Eagles trade #230 and #248 to the Texans for #191
    • Eagles trade #191 to Tampa Bay for a 2024 5th

     

    2022 Draft

    • (Pre-Draft) Eagles traded #16, #19 and #194 to New Orleans for #18, #101, #237, a 2023 1st and 2024 2nd
    • Eagles trade #15, #124, #162 and #166 to the Texans for #13 (Jordan Davis)
    • Eagles trade #18 and #101 to the Titans for A.J. Brown
    • Eagles trade #154 to Jacksonville for #188 and #198
    • Eagles trade #188 and #237 to Detroit for #181

    2021 Draft

    • (Pre-Draft) Eagles trade Carson Wentz for #84 and 2022 #16
    • (Pre-Draft) Eagles trade #6 and #156 to Miami for #12 and a 2022 1st
    • Eagles trade #12 and #84 to Dallas for #10 (DeVonta Smith)
    • Eagles trade #70 to Carolina for #73(Milton Williams) and #191(Tarron Jackson)
    • Eagles trade #225 and #240 to Washington for a 2022 5th

     

    Time and time again the Eagles have shown to be very active in the draft. Loading up on future picks and trading up to acquire the guys they want.

    It’ll be no surprise by the end of April if the Eagles have traded more of their picks. Whether it’s to acquire players or future picks we’ll have to wait to find out.

     

    Photo Credit: Philadelphia Eagles

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    Tyler L’Heureux

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  • Hurts, McKee, Pickett & Grier! The QB Factory Is Back! – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Hurts, McKee, Pickett & Grier! The QB Factory Is Back! – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    The Eagles have acquired their 2nd Quarterback of the free agency period.

    While they had to trade a pair of 2025 7th round picks and drop from 98th to the 120th pick in this years draft when acquiring Pickett from Pittsburgh last week.

    It was only a day later when the Steelers announced they had traded a 2025 6th round pick for Bears QB Justin Fields. Some had wanted the Eagles to pursue Fields as an Eagles backup. However, with only 1 year under contract before a $25.6M 5th-year option (which the Eagles would most likely not pick up).

    Going after Pickett for 2 years with only $4.6M guaranteed is very similar to when they traded a 2022 6th round pick for 2 years of Gardner Minshew, who only cost the Eagles $3.39M.

    With the following Quarterbacks under contract for multiple years

    • Jalen Hurts (2029)
    • Tanner McKee (2027)
    • Kenny Pickett (2027)

    You’d think they’d be done with the QB market.

     

    Until the QB factory opened its doors.

     

    4th QB On The Roster

     

    There’s nothing to blow out of proportion with the Eagles signing Will Grier. Who will most likely be the 4th QB on the depth chart.

    After Grier spent 2 seasons in Dallas he found himself signed to the Chargers practice squad last December, ending up with Eagles new OC Kellen Moore again. Moore is probably the biggest reason why the Eagles made this move. Bringing in a familiar face for a new system, and will bring competition to both Tanner McKee and Kenny Pickett.

     

    Long Way Till Final Roster Cuts

    Much like the Eagles signing of DeVante Parker, there’s no guarantee we’ll see Grier make it through 53-man roster cuts and could end up on the practice squad. So there’s no reason to overreact to the Eagles weekend signing. We’re a long way from the August deadline.

     

    With the additions of LB Oren Burks, DT P.J. Mustipher, CB Tyler Hall, WR Parris Campbell, between the QB moves this week. The Eagles depth chart is being rounded out with over a month until the 2024 Draft, where the Eagles still hold three picks in the top 55. And have previously made outstanding moves in the draft, including last years Day 3 trade for D’Andre Swift.

     

    As we inch closer and closer to April 25th, who do you expect the Eagles to announce with the 22nd overall pick?

     

     

    Photo Credit: Tim Heitman / USA Today Sports

     

     

     

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    Tyler L’Heureux

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  • The Eagles Free Agent Frenzy – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Eagles Free Agent Frenzy – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    The Eagles had another grocery list of positions to fill this off-season.

    • Safety (or 2)
    • Linebackers (multiple)
    • Wide Receivers (multiple)
    • Running Back (or 2)
    • OL Depth

    They had already made a few moves to shore up some depth and competition in the roster. See more of the previous moves like Okwara and Kinnard here.

    If you had told me that the Eagles would cross off most of that list within the first week of free agency. I would assume most of the players were cheap acquisitions who might not even make the 53 man roster. But by end of day Thursday, the Eagles have started the off-season impressively.

    Let’s recap the moves they’ve made since Wednesday.

     

    Division Rival Betrayal

    The Eagles began the legal tampering period with some of the best news. And later finalized a 3-year, $37.75M deal with Saquon Barkley.

    This should be the 3rd year in a row Eagles end up with a 1,000+ yard player in the backfield. From Sanders, to Swift and now Barkley, who put up 962 rushing yards in only 14 games with the Giants this past season. While the Giants had started Tyrod Taylor, Daniel Jones and Tommy DeVito for equal amounts of the season. Saquon was in a similar situation to Christian McCaffrey, and should now make as much an impact on the Eagles as McCaffrey has to the 49ers offense.

    With only a $3,950,000 cap hit in 2024. Barely costing the team as they continued to spend their available cap space…

     

     

    Shopping From Both Sides Of MetLife

    There was one more stop the Eagles had to make while they were scooping players from MetLife Stadium.

    Signing Bryce Huff to a 3-year, $51M contract is a big price to pay for a defensive end who only played 42% of the defensive snaps. Compared to Sweat at $13.3M and Reddick at $15M, who both played over 70% of the Eagles defensive snaps. But with Huff putting up 10 Sacks last year for the Jets, this signing feels similar to when they signed Haason Reddick 2 seasons ago.

    So could this be a signing to replace one of the expiring Sweat or Reddick deals? Or utilizing the $30M jump in cap space to re-invest on the defensive line? We won’t know for now, but this Josh Sweat instagram comment might be a hint of what could still be to come.

     

    Addressing The OL

    Every year, there’s plenty of people online who scream into the void “The Eagles should use their Day 1 pick on an offensive lineman”

    I’m here to tell you they probably won’t do that, again.

    The Eagles had plenty of players depart from the Offensive Line. From Kelce’s retirement to no news on Sua Opeta or Jack Driscoll. But they’ve already gone and signed Darian Kinnard, and now Matt Hennessy.

    With 20 starts in Atlanta over the last 3 years, the former Temple Owl will make his way back to Philadelphia. Having played center and left guard in Atlanta. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Hennessy is viewed as a backup piece, but can bring competition for both Cam Jurgens and Tyler Steen during training camp.

    While this is only a 1 year deal, it probably keeps the Eagles from using a high round pick in the draft on the offensive line. If they’re truly building for the future they could use a 2nd or 3rd round pick, like they have in the last two drafts.

     

     

     

    Finally, Some Linebackers!

    There’s one position the Eagles desperately needed to invest in this off-season. And it took awhile for these moves to come through but they’ve made them.

    Adding 2 linebackers in the opening week of free agency is steps ahead of the linebackers the Eagles were acquiring last year.

    Nicholas Morrow was the only free agent move in March for a LB, and Zach Cunningham and Myles Jack weren’t signed until August.

    Devin White, a former Pro-Bowler and All-Pro had 83 tackles last year, including 2.5 Sacks and 2 Interceptions.

    While Zack Baun had 30 tackles, 2 Sacks and 1 Interception.

    Many may not approve of the White deal, but with plenty of time to make final roster decisions and the draft still a month away. White and Baun are better moves than the Eagles have seen at LB in some time. (We all remember Nate Gerry, right?)

     

    A Reunion In Philly

    Maybe this is what was missing from the Eagles secondary in 2023.

    C.J. Gardner-Johnson didn’t see plenty of playing time in Detroit, With a Week 2 injury that saw C.J. out until week 18. The reacquainted Safety still had 2 Interceptions across his 6 total games in Detroit, 3 in the regular season and 3 in the playoffs.

    Some wanted Justin Simmons to fill the void in the secondary left by Byard, but after some apologies, many are on board with this addition.

     

    The New WR3 In Town

    With Quez Watkins and Olamide Zaccheaus set to be free agents, the Eagles had to bring in multiple new faces for new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.

    And they did.

    While DeVante Parker’s separation numbers are the worst in the league. The Former Patriot still had 539 and 394 yards during his 2-year stint with Mac Jones at QB (And Matt Patricia at OC).

    Not bad numbers to fill in a WR3 role that Watkins and Zaccheaus didn’t come close to last year. Sure the offense struggled under Brian Johnson, there’s still bright things to expect with new faces on this team with new coordinators and schemes being put in place this off-season.

    There’s still 1 more open WR spot on the roster that could be addressed in the draft or re-signing Zaccheaus. And with the Eagles only paying $1.2M of Parker’s deal, there’s no guarantee he makes the final roster cut in August either.

     

     

     

     

    The Eagles have already made plenty of moves signing new faces to the team, who are you hoping they’re still able to add before the draft?

     

    Go Birds!

     

     

    Photo Credit: Matt Rourke / AP Photo

     

     

     

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  • Eagles’ Top 5 Running Back Options – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Eagles’ Top 5 Running Back Options – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Eagles fans should get ready for their next jersey, with the team at risk of losing three of four running backs to free agency.

    D’Andre Swift (25-years-old), Boston Scott (29), and Rashaad Penny (28) can sign with any team, and while Howie Roseman is no stranger to re-signing a reliable back, the odds he outsources some of these roster spots is all but certain. Only Kenneth Gainwell (25) is set to return, hitting the final year of his four-year rookie deal.

    The good news? That means the current depth chart at the position costs just $1.055M. That leaves plenty of wiggle room, and Philadelphia is sure to address one of these openings in the draft. That leaves two open spots beside Kenny G and this unnamed rookie sensation – so the question stands: Who do the Eagles sign?

    Here are the top five options the Eagles should consider, in ascending order:

    5. AJ Dillon

    AJ “Quadfather” Dillon — how he got the nickname, no one knows

    This would be one of two VERY Howie Roseman moves – find a high-value guy who hasn’t been a lead back, pay him a million or so, and toss him in a committee with three other guys. AJ Dillon has been splitting carries with Aaron Jones his entire career, having never hit more than 187 carries in a season. In a list with some grizzled veterans, Dillon would represent an option with a ton of tread still on the tires.

    Additionally, Dillon has only had fewer than 4.1 yards per carry once in his four-year career. Benefiting from fresh legs as an RB2 certainly helps, but he would arrive to a familiar scene in that sense. If Howie wants to find an affordable guy to get consistent, strong yards, Dillon would be a buy-low candidate.

    4. Derrick Henry

    Number FOUR? It’s difficult to imagine three running backs who are better than King Henry AND a free agent. Hell, it’s tough to name three better backs in the game at all!

    Derrick Henry has been the face of the Tennessee Titans since 2016, landing signature stiff-arms and carrying caravans of defenders with him across the goal line. The Alabama alum is a four-time Pro Bowler with 9,502 yards and 90 touchdowns to his name. His career-worst 4.2 yards per attempt was 18th in the NFL last season – but 8th when limited to backs who crested 1,000+ rushing yards.

    His downfall? Age. Henry just turned 30 in January, famously the age we see running backs drop off (except, of course, Philly legend Frank Gore).

    The reason Henry still fits in the Eagles’ running back plans are their historic approach to the position. In Philadelphia, Henry would see a massive drop in total carries. For example, last season D’Andre Swift carried the ball 229 times, 51 fewer than league-leader Derrick Henry with 280. The year before that, Miles Sanders led the team with 259, well behind Josh Jacobs at … 340! Throw in Jalen Hurts’ rushes and Henry might pull a Joe Flacco and fall asleep on the sideline.

    3. Joe MixonRunning Back Busts for 2021 Fantasy Football

    Unlike Dillon, Mixon is NOT known for his efficiency, clearing 4.1 yards per carry just once in his career (2018). The other thing he isn’t known for is fumbling – he has only dropped the ball 6 times over 1,854 touches in 7 seasons. Insanity. He is also a sneaky-good receiver, with 154 catches in the last three seasons. In 2023 he had the 9th most receptions by a running back, and in 2022 he was No. 5 in the NFL in this category.

    What’s more, the Bengals have also boasted a dreadful offensive line throughout Mixon’s career. For the Oklahoma product to even be a Pro Bowler is a testament to the powers of individual effort. Four of five healthy seasons, Mixon has rushed for over 1,000 yards. If Philly wants a workhorse who can get the job done, this could be the guy.

    2. D’Andre Swift

    Howie still has Swift’s number, and giving the back a ring might be his best option. Swift has been an affordable solution to the running back question his entire career, never costing more than $1.7M while cresting 4.1 yards per carry every season. His efforts earned him a Pro Bowl appearance this year, the first of what could be an illustrious career.

    In Detroit Swift established himself as one of the position’s best receivers, catching 156 passes in three seasons. He finished fourth in catches in 2021 and 12th in rushes in 2023, demonstrating his utility as a dual-threat. I don’t need to waste by breath telling Philly what it already knows, but in his first full season as an RB1 this year he accrued his first 1,000+ yard season. Bringing back Swift represents an affordable option that keeps things consistent after a rocky end to the year.

    1. JK DobbinsJ.K. Dobbins: “Whenever they want to let me out the cage, it'll be the right time” - Baltimore Beatdown

    There’s no joking when it comes to Dobbins’ talent. The oft-injured running back has started just 10 games and only played in 24 over four seasons. He missed the entire 2021 season with a torn ACL and only played a single game last year, rushing for 22 yards and a TD. So what’s the hype?

    Check out the efficiency: JK Dobbins has a massive 5.8 yards per attempt over his entire career. Derrick Henry’s best season saw just 5.5 yards per attempt. Sure, Dobbins hasn’t shown an ability to stay healthy, but the Eagles have one of the best fitness staffs in the league. Philadelphia’s has been one of the healthiest rosters in the NFL the last two seasons – if the team can get a full season out of Dobbins?

    Watch out.

    Photo via Sports Illustrated

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  • Eagles Should Prioritize Running Backs in 2024 Offseason – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Eagles Should Prioritize Running Backs in 2024 Offseason – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    If any team knows the importance of depth at the running back position, the Philadelphia Eagles might be first on that list.
    Their 7,414 regular season rushing yards in the three-season Nick Sirianni era rank third to only the Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears, while the Birds rode that wave into Super Bowl LVII with a league-leading 531 rushing yards that playoff.

    With that being said, the Eagles are now in a predicament that could leave them without their lead back in D’Andre Swift and third- and fourth-stringers Boston Scott and Rashaad Penny — all three of them being unrestricted free agents.

    In addition, potentially losing Jason Kelce to retirement is a crushing blow, even at his 36-year-old age.

    The Eagles’ bread-and-butter rushing offense could take a massive hit in the 2024 season if they aren’t careful.

    With some good money to spare and high-end draft picks at their disposal, there should be no reason why they avoid the running back market; this time, it’s a necessity.

    A Somewhat Regressing Rushing Attack

    In 2023, the Eagles’ rushing attack ranked eighth with 2,190 overall yards and tied for eighth at 4.3 yards per attempt. Those are still solid numbers, but for how fantastic their offensive line is, it’s not good enough. While Swift became just the tenth back in team history to reach the illustrious 1,000-yard total in his first season with the Birds, he did so with -65 rushing yards above expected (RYOE), suggesting he was one of the less effective high-end rushers in the NFL.

    Among backs with 100 or more carries, he ranked 40th of 49 in the category — just the 18th percentile. When adjusting for RYOE per attempt, he was not much better at the 24th percentile. This is not a point to rip on Swift but to highlight some of the inefficiencies in Philadelphia’s backfield as a whole. With how good their offensive line is, they could have been better.

    Even Jalen Hurts saw his worst season as a rusher, with 3.9 yards per carry despite having a career average of 4.8. Hopefully, getting a new offensive mind will start to fix this, but whether Kliff Kingsbury, Kellen Moore, or anyone else gets the job, they will need some help.

    The Eagles have issues all over the field that they will need to address, but an offense that scored just nine points in their early-playoff exit to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has to become more explosive on the offensive side of the ball. If anything, it was their defense that kept them in that game, though the 32-9 final would suggest otherwise.

    All season long, the Eagles have struggled to truly incorporate their rushing attack like they have in years past under Sirianni. The last time it truly felt as though they did this properly was in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings, way back on Sept. 14. In fact, that feeling is backed up by the stats. From Oct. 1 until the end of the season on Jan. 15 — a 15-game span — the Birds did not have a single player reach 100 rushing yards in a single game.

    Having 100 rushing yards is no small feat, as the Eagles only had a player reach this total four times in 2022, but their passing attack was also one of the best in the league. They didn’t have the duel threat in 2023, with Hurts regressing a bit stats-wise from his 2022 campaign, making it something they arguably should have leaned on more. At times, it felt as though they were not a threat at all on offense despite their elite talent on that front.

    What a Move Could Entail

    Whether or not General Manager (GM) Howie Roseman can land — or even afford — a game-altering back this offseason, it should be something he pushes for. It’s not always the best use of assets, but he and the Eagles know all too well what Christian McCaffrey has done for the San Francisco 49ers. Leading the NFL with 349 RYOE, it’s no surprise that he has made the NFC Championship with his new squad in each of his first two campaigns.

     Photo: Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

    It’s very rare for a younger, talented back like McCaffrey to be on the market, but it’s not like the Eagles won’t have options. The Pittsburgh Steelers had two positive RYOE, 100-attempt backs in Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris. Meanwhile, the lowly 6-11 Tennessee Titans could be shopping Derrick Henry, who finished with 84 RYOE and 0.31 RYOE per attempt. There are options that should be available, but sacrifices will have to be made.

    If Swift doesn’t re-sign to become the lead back and the Eagles can’t land one of the top available players, they might be in some trouble. While Kenny Gainwell is still under contract and got a decent workload with 84 carries in the regular season and 4.3 yards per attempt, he really isn’t in a place to see a massive uptick in his involvement in the offense. Between Hurts and him, there will need to be another body mixed in there, if not multiple, that can be heavily involved in the rushing attack.

    In his Jan. 24 end-of-season press conference, Sirianni preached “fresh ideas.” While this might not have been referring to his back, it’s very clear that a shakeup is necessary.
    If the Birds can put more faith in them and have it be a staple of their offense, it might be the first step in returning to the Super Bowl. They have a few months to figure out how they want to attack this dilemma.

    Photo: Philadelphia Eagles

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    Justin Giampietro

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