Getty Eagles QB Jalen Hurts set the Super Bowl record for most rushing yards and most rushing TDs in a Super Bowl.
The Philadelphia Eagles appear to be loaded from top to bottom, especially on the offensive side where they return nine starters from last year’s Super Bowl team. That’s one reason why so many pundits believe they are primed to defend their NFC championship crown and, assuming the turf doesn’t stop them, win the Super Bowl.
Sorry, Micah Parsons, you might have to wait another year. The Eagles are the team to beat. But, in true underdog fashion, they bring a fair number of flaws to the fight. Slot receiver remains the biggest offensive question mark on the roster, with just enough doubt at another position to pump the brakes.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell called running back the “weak link” in an article exploring every team’s supporting cast, then he ranked them from No. 1 to No. 32. Philadelphia boasted the third-best group of skill players around Jalen Hurts, even with their talented-yet-unproven backfield.
The weak link is at running back, but even the options there are interesting. In addition to holdovers Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott, the Eagles imported two new options. D’Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny have both been efficient when healthy, but neither has managed to stay on the field often as a pro. It’s tough to count on them to suit up for 17 games, but not relying on either should allow the Eagles to keep their snap counts low and give them the best chance of lasting the entire season.
The D’Andre Swift addition isn’t getting enough attention.
The Eagles had a top-three unit last year and that was without a pass-catching threat out of the backfield.
Defenses couldn’t slow down last years offense. Now they need to account for Swift’s versatility? Sheesh…
Barnwell’s evaluation is pretty dead-on accurate. Swift and Penny have major upside if they can stay healthy and (finally) hit their pre-draft ceilings. Remember, both players were Top-35 picks before expectations — and freak injuries — bogged them down.
Eagles Plan to Use Swift ‘Even More So’
D’Andre Swift has hauled in 156 career passes for 1,198 and 7 touchdowns over his first three NFL seasons. His 68.3 targets per year is significantly higher than the 43.7 per year that Miles Sanders averaged in Philadelphia. To be fair, Sanders wasn’t very reliable out of the backfield due to drops and fumbles.
Meanwhile, Swift has legitimate receiving chops and the Eagles plan to show them off. According to NFL Network’s James Palmer, Nick Sirianni wants to utilize the former Detroit Lions rusher a lot more in the passing game.
“When they saw him in OTAs, they had their hands on him at those practices, I’m told that they are now going to utilize that part of his skillset even more so,” Palmer said. “They saw it. They knew it was there. Now that they have seen it on their field, it’s something that they would like to use quite a bit out of this backfield.”
D’Andre Swift has averaged 16.54 fantasy PPG when playing 50%+of the snaps through his career
He lands in Philly, his HOMETOWN, with a massive chip on his shoulder
Injuries have been frustrating. The talent is absolutely there. Dream landing spot.
Look for Swift’s name to quickly start rising up fantasy football draft boards based on this new information. Sirianni has never owned a weapon quite like this before.
Jason Kelce’s Beach Bash Raises $380,000
The Eagles Autism Foundation announced that Jason Kelce’s Beach Bash raised $380,000 for autism research, education, and advocacy. The third-annual celebrity bartending event took place on June 28 at the Ocean Drive bar in Sea Isle City. Brandon Graham, Jake Elliott, Landon Dickerson, Dallas Goedert, and Fletcher Cox — along with special alumni like Connor Barwin, Todd Herremans, and Trent Cole — showed up to support Kelce and sling drinks to thirsty fans. Kelce just keeps winning at life.
A record-breaking day for Team 62 with 100% of proceeds going to our Eagles autism community!
Comments
NFL Insider Reveals ‘Weak Link’ in Ranking of Eagles’ Supporting Cast