Eagles Add a Big Back

Posted: May 10th, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | Comments Off on Eagles Add a Big Back

Forget about Terrance West.

Let’s talk about Jones. He lists at 6-2, 239. The Eagles lost LeGarrette Blount in the offseason so adding a big back to the mix makes some sense. Jones is only 25-years old. He’s got three seasons under his belt, but only 275 career touches. He’s got a lot of tread left on the tire.

Put on the tape and you can see why some coaches and scouts just love this guy. At his best, Jones is a downhill runner with a good combination of size and speed. He does an excellent job of using his blockers when he’s out in space. Jones will be patient, wait for a hole to develop  and then use a good burst to get up the field. He is an effective receiver and looks good on screens.

So what’s the downside? Fumbles are the big issue. He fumbles the ball once every 31 carries. That’s not good, to put it mildly. Jones isn’t the most elusive runner. He’s not going to make a lot of guys miss. He averages 3.9 yards per carry for his short career. A guy with his ability should average more. The Skins O-line wasn’t the greatest in 2015 and 2016 so that has to be taken into account.

I mentioned that some people really love Jones.

Scot McCloughan is considered one of the best talent evaluators in the NFL. He was the GM of the Skins when Jones was drafted in the 3rd round back in 2015. McCloughan was let go prior to the 2017 season, but continued to profess his belief in Jones as a good NFL player.

The Skins cut Jones and he played for the Colts last year. No team had serious interest in him for the first two months of free agency. Obviously not everyone is all that high on Jones.

The Eagles are getting a young, talented runner for a cheap deal. This is a huge opportunity for Jones. His career might be on the line. He needs to hold onto the ball and to work his butt off. This is the first time in his career that Jones will be part of a really talented offense with a good line.

The Eagles have Jay Ajayi, Darren Sproles and Corey Clement as locks to make the team. Jones can win a roster spot, but it sure won’t be given to him. Wendell Smallwood and Donnel Pumphrey are also under tremendous pressure in terms of keeping their careers going. That should be one motivated trio of RBs.

Doug Pederson preached competition all last year and it brought out the best in his team. The addition of Jones means serious competition for final RB spot (or two). It will be interesting to see which of these players steps it up. Could be one, or even two of them. Or none. The pressure is on.

*****

No surprise here. Rookies have slotted salaries these days.

No more wasted time worrying about holdouts.

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