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The Philadelphia Eagles will come to regret their biggest move in free agency, according to one analyst.
The Eagles made a major splash by signing former New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley to a three-year, $37.75 million deal. Barkley was arguably the top back available on the market and he’s easily a more prolific player than Philadelphia’s previous two starting running backs, D’Andre Swift and Miles Sanders.
However, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report argued that the Eagles could have gone with a more “budget-friendly” running back and still received good production.
“The reality is that Philly probably could have gone with a much more budget-friendly running back and gotten good results,” Knox wrote on May 26. “They went the bargain route with Miles Sanders and D’Andre Swift over the past two years and saw each make the Pro Bowl.”
Saquon Barkley Earning Substantially More Than Previous Eagles RBs
It’s hard to argue Knox’s point. Both Swift and Sanders had banner years and clinched Pro Bowl bids during their final years as starters for the Eagles. In Swift’s case, he was playing under an average annual salary of just $2.1 million per year during his rookie contract. In Sanders’ case, he was playing at an average annual salary of just $1.3 million while also still under his rookie contract.
In Barkley’s case, he was able to cash in during a time when not many running backs sign big contracts. Barkley’s average annual salary is nearly $12.6 million per year, ranking fourth among all running backs in the NFL. It’s also the biggest contract (on an average annual basis) signed by any running back in free agency.
There’s little doubt that Barkley is among the most productive backs when healthy. It was as recently as the 2022 season when Barkley ran for a career-high 1,312 yards and 4.4 yards per carry with 10 touchdowns, ranking fourth in the league in rushing yards. Barkley also ran for 1,307 yards during his rookie season in 2018, ranking second in the league in rushing yards.
However, the problem with Barkley is his lack of durability and history of injuries. Barkley suffered a torn ACL during the 2020 season and missed three games during the 2023 season. Furthermore, he has been inconsistent during his career, averaging 3.9 yards per carry in 2023 and just 3.7 yards per carry during the 2021 season.
“Barkley’s history of injuries and inconsistent results makes him a significant risk, and he isn’t an ideal long-term fit,” Knox wrote. “He’s struggled to stay on the field, he logged 640 touches over the past two seasons, and he’ll be 30 years old if he makes it to the end of his new contract.”
Why Saquon Barkley Struggled During 2023 Season
In Barkley’s defense, it is worth noting that he was playing behind arguably the worst offensive line in the NFL last season. The Giants allowed 85 sacks last season, the worst mark in the league and the second-worst mark in a single season in NFL history. The lack of stability at the quarterback position, with three different starters — Daniel Jones, Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito — also didn’t help matters.
The Eagles are only two years removed from playing in the Super Bowl and they feature one of the most stacked offensive supporting casts in Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. As long as Barkley can stay healthy, there’s no reason why he can’t emerge as the best running back in the NFL. Furthermore, there’s definitely the potential that Barkley lifts the Eagles’ offense to a whole another level as an upgrade over previous starters, Swift and Sanders.
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