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The Philadelphia Eagles could be a potential landing spot for a running back they’re very familiar with.
A possible option in free agency could be none other than the New York Giants‘ Saquon Barkley. Barkley is due to be a free agent after being franchise tagged for the 2023 season. While the Giants could very well go with that option again, they could also let him hit free agency.
According to betting odds from Bookies.com’s Adam Thompson, the Eagles have +700 odds of signing Barkley — the fourth-best betting odds of any team. Thompson also mentions the Dallas Cowboys — who are not among the betting favorites to land Barkley — as a possible option for the Giants running back.
“The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles are each in the market for a new RB, and each has changes to make after disastrous ends to their seasons,” writes Thompson. “The Eagles are in far better of a cap spot, but the Cowboys have been known to make things work when it doesn’t look as though they should. A desperate Jerry Jones finds a way.”
Why the Eagles Could Sign a Running Back in Free Agency
As the Eagles enter the 2024 offseason, they could potentially be on the lookout for a new running back. Starter D’Andre Swift along with the team’s other running backs — Boston Scott and Rashaad Penny — will be free agents, leaving Kenneth Gainwell as the lone back under contract for the 2024 season.
Barkley is obviously one of the top running backs in the NFL. The 26-year-old posted his second Pro Bowl campaign in 2022, posting a career-high 1,312 yards on 4.4 yards per carry and 10 touchdowns. His stellar play was arguably the biggest reason why New York clinched a surprising playoff berth and won a game last season.
However, Daniel Jones’ decline in play and his season-ending injury led to a quarterback carousel in New York during the 2023 season — Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito both started games — and Barkley’s play suffered as a result. The sixth-year back rushed for just 962 yards on 3.9 yards per carry.
Despite his drastic decline in statistics, the advanced analytics paint a different picture. While Barkley’s play wasn’t as strong as the 2022 season, he did post an above average offensive grade of 70.2, according to Pro Football Focus.
According to Spotrac, Barkley’s market value is $6.6 million per season across three years for a total of slightly under $20 million. That would make him the 11th-highest paid running back in the league and is a decline from the $10.1 million he earned under the franchise tag in 2023.
Why Eagles Signing Saquon Barkley is an Unlikely One
Swift — who had a career-best season and a Pro Bowl campaign in 2023 — rushed for 1,049 yards on 4.6 yards per carry. Spotrac projects Swift’s market value to be a shade lower than Barkley’s market value at $5.6 million per season across four years at a total of $22.7 million.
The Eagles probably don’t want to sign Swift to a long-term deal, but if they can formulate a contract where there’s an early opt-out with a small dead cap hit, they could consider signing him to a multi-year deal.
If Philadelphia can sign Swift to a smaller deal than Barkley, they’ll do it in a heartbeat. Swift is already familiar with the system, has less of an injury history, is two years younger than Barkley and is coming off of a better year than the latter.
The idea of the Eagles signing Barkley only becomes a reality if Swift finds a team willing to pay him more money.
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