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The Philadelphia Eagles ended the 2021 campaign with the top-ranked rushing attack in football. They ran for 2,715 yards on the ground, or 159.7 per game – and kept hitting refresh on the running back depth chart with multiple injuries to Miles Sanders.
Sanders has been electric when healthy, but his constant ailments are starting to become an issue. The former second-rounder has two years left on his rookie deal so it’s time for the Eagles and Sanders to hit the negotiating table. Will Howie Roseman hand the injury-prone starter a long-term extension? Maybe. It’s definitely something to monitor this summer.
Or perhaps the team starts looking elsewhere. Jordan Howard and Boston Scott are both free agents and neither player is a lock to return in 2022. Kenny Gainwell is here to stay, thanks to a fifth-round investment in last year’s draft. All four of those guys contributed in a big way last season.
“Really excited to be able to have them all hands-on deck,” Sirianni told reporters on January 14. “I was just saying to the team after practice, what great contribution we have gotten from so many different people this year, and I really talked about the running back group. What other teams can say they have gotten contributions from four different running backs?”
Jason Huntley is another intriguing name to watch, especially since the 2020 fifth-rounder remains under contract through 2023. If those five players aren’t good enough, there are options galore in free agency where Philly is expected to be very active.
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Eagles Free Agency: Top 5 Running Backs
1. Melvin Gordon: The Eagles obviously like the two-time Pro Bowler since they attempted to trade for him not too long ago. He’ll turn 29 in April which is pretty old for a running back, although a four-game holdout in 2019 saved some tread on those balding tires. Gordon rushed for 918 yards and eight touchdowns last season to bring his career total to 6,144 yards and 53 touchdowns. Definitely worth a phone call.
2. David Johnson: The one-time All-Pro has fallen off a cliff since leaving Arizona in 2020. And, honestly, he was already in decline prior to that non-sensical trade. But the 30-year-old has size (6-foot-1, 225 pounds) and would come cheap. He has 4,047 yards and 39 touchdowns in seven seasons. Johnson could be the perfect goal-line back if Jordan Howard is shown the door.
3. Cordarelle Patterson: Arguably the best running back on the market, Patterson could have teams swooning at his feet and backing up the Brinks truck to his door. He’s a four-time All-Pro, plus a four-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion – yet the ultimate hybrid weapon never gets mentioned with the greats at the position. That’s about to change. If Patterson could be had for two years at $12 million as Pro Football Focus speculated, the Eagles would be insane not to sign him. They should offer more than that.
4. Raheem Mostert: This could be an opportunity to right a previous wrong. Remember, the Eagles released Mostert coming out of training camp in 2015. He burst on the scene for the San Francisco 49ers during their 2019 Super Bowl run, including 220 rushing yards and four touchdowns in the NFC Championship Game. Unfortunately, he has battled injury after injury over the last two seasons. Maybe the high school track-and-field star has something left to prove in familiar area code.
5. Rashaad Penny: Another guy who has struggled mightily with injuries in recent years is primed for a decent pay day. Penny (5-foot-11, 220 pounds) rushed for a career-high 749 yards and six touchdowns in 2021 while serving as the lead back in Seattle. There is some talk of the Seahawks slapping the franchise tag on him. If not, the former first-rounder would be a great insurance policy for Miles Sanders.
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