The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the more talented backfields in the NFL after trading for Jordan Howard and drafting Miles Sanders. Regardless of the talent or what the depth chart says, in Philadelphia, as many as four back per game can have an influence on the outcome in the Eagles system.
The team that hasn’t a true lead back since LeSean McCoy, will continue to utilize the running back by committee approach, even after acquiring so much talent according to Duce Staley. Staley, the teams running back coach and run game coordinator, has the last say on which running back is in the game at particular times.
Even with so much talent at his disposal, Staley told Zach Rosenblatt of NJ Advance Media, that the running back by committee is still the approach.
“We haven’t had that one guy since (LeSean McCoy). To have the type of backfield we have now, we’re going to share the ball and these guys understand that. We talk about if you’re going out there and your number is called, you just go out there and do the best you can during that play. Don’t worry about the course of the game … just take advantage of your number being called during that time … These guys understand. It’s something we’ve been doing for a while.”
Now if one of these guys just happens to play lights out and adds a dynamic playmaking ability along the lines of Shady McCoy, then that guy will probably get the bulk of the carries.
Last season, the Eagles averaged 98.1 yards per game, the franchises lowest total since the 2009 season (when the Eagles finished 22nd in rush yards per game). That has to change if the Birds want to challenge for a Super Bowl.
