The Eagles had a dynamic ground attack last season, and you could argue it is shaping up to be even better in 2023.
After losing Miles Sanders in free agency to the Panthers, the Eagles have responded by signing Rashaad Penny and – more recently and notably – trading for D’Andre Swift.
A dynamic back who can contribute in both the rushing and passing games, Swift had 542 yards rushing with five touchdowns last season, catching 48 of his 70 targets for 389 yards with three scores. With his addition, the Eagles boast a deep and talented running back room that features Swift and Penny, as well as returning backs Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman raved about Smith during an appearance Tuesday on the 94 WIP Morning Show.
“I think that guy, you just watch his big play ability in the run and pass game, you see his ability to make people miss,” Roseman said. “We obviously lost Miles, who had a tremendous year for us rushing, over 1200 yards, (but) the best part about (Swift) is also who he is.
“He’s a Philly kid, comes from a great family, and this guy was in our facility when he was in high school because of the relationships he had here, especially with Big Dom (vice president of team security/chief security officer Dom DiSandro). We know the person watching the player, all you’ve got to do … is look how he played against us. Every time he had the ball it was like lightning in a bottle, and really excited to get him here.
“We like our running back room … but we thought this was a great opportunity to bring him in here to help us score a lot of points and win a lot of games.
Replacing 1,200 rushing yards is no small task, and it’s probably unreasonable to expect any Eagles rusher to put up those kinds of numbers this season. However, the variety and versatility that they have at the position makes them a matchup nightmare, especially with Jalen Hurts’ mobility. That very well might make the retooling of the running back room worth it.
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