The Eagles are in need of a running back, and that’s why the trade rumors are currently in full swing.
Jay Ajayi suffered a torn ACL in the loss to the Vikings, leaving the team without a physical, downhill-running featured back. Corey Clement has been banged up, as has Darren Sproles, and both are fairly undersized. Wendell Smallwood is 200 pounds even, and is best utilized as a change-of-pace back.
So it’s clear that the Eagles need a physical back who can pass protect — especially on third down — and also move the chains on short-yardage downs. And some home-run potential wouldn’t hurt as well. The team understands how small championship windows are, and it will likely do all it can in an attempt to repeat as world champions this season.
Enter Le’Veon Bell and Lamar Miller, two running backs in two completely different situations.
Le’Veon Bell has been holding out, and he hasn’t played for the Steelers since January. He’s indicated he’s going to report to the team during the bye week, but the Steelers have refuted that report. A number of Steelers players have been upset with Bell, and it’s possible that the team won’t want him back, as it could disrupt their chemistry on the field and in the locker room. As such, Bell is on the trade block. Not only that, CBS Sports insider believes that the Eagles have the best chance of any NFL team to land Bell, per this report:
They were the team that made the most calls on Le’Veon Bell, before they even knew about the back problem with Jay Ajayi. So I understand not wanting to get expectations too high,
If the Eagles don’t want to give up at least a first-round pick for Bell, which is the current asking price, they could get a bit creative and find someone a bit cheaper. Texans running back Lamar Miller has fallen victim to Bill O’Brien’s “running back by committee,” and he’s received only 39 carries in the past three games, even though he’s healthy. The Texans have been getting Alfred Blue more and more involved in the offense each week, and not only that, D’Onta Foreman could be activated for Sunday’s game against the Jaguars. The Texans drafted Foreman in the third round last year, and they want to see how their investment is paying off — in the form of reps, which could take make Miller even more limited. Miller never really meshed with the Texans coaching staff, and a change of scenery could be exactly what he needs. He’s never really played for a winning team, and we think the Eagles could get 110 percent from him, which makes him an intriguing trade possibility, as he’d require much less in return than Bell.
The Eagles had depth at the running back position before the season began, but injuries have devastated them, and head coach Doug Pederson will likely want to revert running the football more, leading to a more balanced offense, and some pressure off Carson Wentz — who’s still coming back from knee surgery. We believe the Eagles will trade for a featured back, it’s just a matter of who it will be. Oct. 30 is just around the corner, so stay tuned.
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