Getty Eagles running back Miles Sanders. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Miles Sanders will enter Eagles’ training camp as the undisputed starter. Even as rumors abound about Carlos Hyde and Devonta Freeman, Sanders will be the feature back.
It’s something he slowly began to realize about midway through his rookie campaign. Jordan Howard suffered a shoulder injury in Week 9 and was never heard from again. Meanwhile, Sanders ratcheted up his already historic 2019 season by gaining 482 of his 818 total rushing yards with Howard on the shelf. His 1,327 yards from scrimmage and 1,641 all-purpose yards led all NFL rookies.
Sanders, who previously said he wants to emulate Christian McCaffrey, told SiriusXM NFL Radio that he’s ready to be the bell cow in Philly. The “switch” was triggered last year after Howard went down.
“Absolutely, I believe that’s why they drafted me in the first place,” Sanders told the station. “The switch, it was really just a switch honestly that just turned on. All of a sudden I was a starting running back and I didn’t start at the beginning of the season, so I just looked at the opportunity, and I just attacked it.”
After getting a taste last season, @Eagles second year RB Miles Sanders tells us he’s ready to be the main ball carrier in Philly…
“I believe that’s why they drafted me in the first place” #FlyEaglesFly
LISTEN⬇️⬇️
Later in the day, Sanders showed how hard he’s been working this offseason in a training video. He teased his sophomore season could lead to some serious hardware and possible “MVP Year.”
Miles Sanders gearing up for a Year 2 Breakout 🤯 “MVP Year” 🔥 @BoobieMilesXXIV @210ths @Eagles @brgridiron @BleacherReport @overtime @NFL @nflnetwork @SportsCenter @espn @thecheckdown
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Sanders Looking Forward to ‘Aggressive’ Offense
Doug Pederson attempted to taper expectations about how different the Eagles’ offense would look in 2020. The head coach told reporters that there would be small tweaks but he didn’t want to reinvent the wheel, not for a franchise three years removed from a Super Bowl championship.
However, the excitement has been mounting in the building ever since the Eagles drafted Jalen Hurts. The younger guys know that a creative play-caller like Pederson has been licking his chops at the big-play potential. The team made speed — legit sprinter speed across the board — their top priority in the offseason. Sanders seemed smitten with the team’s depth and explosiveness, especially at the quarterback position.
“The sky’s through the roof on what we can do this year with those two [Carson Wentz and Jalen Hurts] and with the other guys that we got on this team,” Sanders said. “We’re faster … got more depth and more explosive and more aggressive, too. That’s what I liked, too, so we’re definitely gonna be aggressive. I can see us being aggressive this year, the amount of talent that we have, and Jalen’s definitely going to be a part of that, I feel like.”
Eagles’ Depth at Running Back Moving Forward
The rumors are flying about Carlos Hyde or Devonta Freeman joining the Eagles’ running back rotation. According to NFL Insider Adam Caplan, they would take either player at the veteran minimum (around $1 million per year) to work behind Sanders. Those guys would fill the power back role and get five to eight carries a game, particularly in goal-line situations.
Imagine having Elijah Holyfield running at you 🤯🤯🤯
But the roster already has a few in-house candidates that could steal touches away from Sanders. The Eagles are reportedly high on 217-pound bruiser Elijah Holyfield and 5-foot-7 change-of-pace back Boston Scott.
They also went out and signed former Cincinnati phenom Michael Warren III who earned the nickname “The Tank” in college as well as speed demon Adrian Killins Jr. as undrafted rookie free agents. Don’t be surprised if the Eagles stand pat and see what the rookies can do in training camp.
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