It’s been a nightmare season for the Philadelphia Eagles, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand why.
They now have just a 0.8% chance to make the playoffs, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index. And their All-Pro running back hasn’t been himself either.
Saquon Barkley suffered a hamstring injury on his second carry in a Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, and he’s been dealing with back issues since returning. The 29-year-old was limited to just 10 snaps against the Dallas Cowboys, then had 14 touches for 54 yards and a touchdown against Washington on a limited workload.
The Eagles have made it clear Barkley isn’t going anywhere, telling him he won’t be traded before the Nov. 10 deadline. However, that doesn’t mean Philly can’t add some help behind him.
Eagles Could Acquire More RB Depth Behind Barkley
With Barkley banged up and the backfield behind him thin, ESPN’s Seth Walder tabbed New York Jets running back Isaiah Davis as a player Philadelphia should have interest in.
“Who should they target? Jets RB Isaiah Davis,” Walder wrote. “Even if the Eagles aren’t going to trade running back Saquon Barkley before the trade deadline (and I think they should), they could use some depth behind him. In Davis, the Eagles would get a player who is the Jets’ third running back but has shown some promise.
“He has posted 1.0 rush yards over expected per carry over his career, per NFL Next Gen Stats. If the Eagles are going to play out an uncompetitive season, they might as well play some young players and find out whether they can offer value going forward.”
Right now, the depth chart behind Barkley is Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley. Bigsby carried 14 times for 55 yards after Barkley went down against the Rams, but he also suffered a lower-body injury late in that game.
A player like Davis, who’s been relegated to third-string duties behind Breece Hall and Braelon Allen, could benefit from a change of scenery.
Davis Could Give Eagles Much-Needed RB Relief
Davis has 10 carries for 29 yards and five catches for 68 yards in seven games this season. Last year, he totaled 422 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on 64 touches.
But he knows a thing or two about winning.
Davis was the lead back on South Dakota State’s back-to-back FCS national championship teams, scoring a touchdown in both title games. He ran for 119 yards in the Jackrabbits’ 45-21 rout of North Dakota State to win the program’s first national title.
He’s also cheap. The 24-year-old is on a four-year, $4.27 million rookie deal that runs through 2027. He’d be more than just a rental for a team that plans to compete again next season.
The Jets have just a 0.3% chance to make the playoffs. ESPN’s Rich Cimini doesn’t expect them to be particularly active, but they’ll listen on deals that bring back draft capital. A Day 3 pick for their third-string running back might be too enticing to turn down.
Eagles Trade Pitch Lands Ex-National Champion RB Amid Saquon Barkley Injury