Generally speaking, the Philadelphia Eagles under general manager Howie Roseman have not put big money into running backs. D’Andre Swift, who led the team in rushing yards last season, did so on a small one-year deal, and that’s been par for the course.
So, what do we make of the fact that former New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley has agreed to terms with the Eagles on a new contract… and on this new contract?
Former Giants RB Saquon Barkley reached agreement with the Philadelphia Eagles on a three-year, $37.75 million contract that could be worth up to $46.75M and includes $26M fully guaranteed at signing, per sources.
Barkley now beats the franchise tag number and has a maximum… pic.twitter.com/d2TnEWhaQ0
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 11, 2024
Barkley, selected second overall out of Penn State in the 2018 draft, won Offensive Rookie of the Year with a league-high 2,028 yards from scrimmage. Last season for the Giants, behind an offensive line that was… well, interesting, Barkley totaled 1,242 yards from scrimmage. He ran 247 times for 962 yards and six touchdowns, forcing 31 missed tackles and gaining more than 15 yards on running plays 12 times. Add in his value as a receiver, and if Barkley can stay healthy, this is a pretty big win for the Eagles.
And when you factor in Barkley’s ability to create explosive run plays out of read-option and RPO looks, this becomes a highly interesting fit, because Jalen Hurts forces defenses to go every which way as a runner on those types of plays.
Eagles running backs gained -164 rush yards over expected on rushes between the tackles last season, fewest in the NFL.#FlyEaglesFly https://t.co/DdmjIco7Rq
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) March 11, 2024
Watching Saquon Barkley on option runs… yeah, I could talk myself into this. pic.twitter.com/EDspOMb7kg
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 11, 2024
