The Philadelphia Eagles have been one of the most prolific rushing teams in the NFL – finishing first in rushing yards in 2021 and fifth in 2022. But the organization never seems fully satisfied with its running game and made some big moves in the offseason.
Miles Sanders was coming off the best season of his career with 1,269 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, but he was allowed to leave via free agency. He was replaced in free agency with the signing of Rashaad Penny, and then the Eagles cut a trade with Detroit to acquire D’Andre Swift.
Both of the new acquisitions have significant injury histories, but the talent runs deep in Philly with holdovers Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott proving to be reliable role players.
D'Andre Swift
Swift has been an impressive dual threat in three NFL seasons, rushing 364 times for 1,680 yards, catching 156 passes for 1,198 yards, and scoring 25 touchdowns. He has done that despite missing 20 percent of his team’s games (10 of 50).
There is no denying Swift’s talent, but he has never proved able to be the featured back for very long. He has averaged just nine carries and four receptions a game throughout his career, but he has never scored less than seven touchdowns in any season and averaged 5.5 yards a carry and 8.1 yards per reception last year.
Swift is a talented player who might be able to get his chance in Philly to live up to the promise he showed in spurts but was never able to sustain in Detroit.
Rashaad Penny
Penny has elite skills, but his durability is a gigantic red flag that comes with a siren. In five NFL seasons, he has missed almost as many games (40) and he has played (42) and it’s even worse over the last four – playing in just 28 of 66 games (42 percent).
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His big-play talent is clear. He has averaged 5.7 yards a carry over his career and, in 15 games over the last two seasons, rushed 176 times for 1,095 yards – an incredible 6.2-yard average.
Being part of a running back-by-committee may improve Penny’s value and increase the odds of him staying healthy, but there will always be questions about his use over a full season because he’s never been able to play an entire year without missing time.
Kenneth Gainwell
Gainwell has been a solid role player for the Eagles offense. In two seasons (33 games), he has rushed 121 times for 531 yards, caught 56 passes for 422 yards, and scored 10 touchdowns.
He hasn’t been given the chance to be the featured back, but it should be noted he was the most productive back in the postseason, rushing 33 times for a team-high 181 yards, catching seven passes for 55 yards, and scoring a touchdown. The Eagles have put two new players in front of him, but both are injury prone, so you can’t sleep on Gainwell eventually getting his opportunity.
Boston Scott
Scott has carved out a role for himself in five seasons with the Eagles, highlighted by scoring seven touchdowns in 2021, but his role has been limited. He has never rushed more than 87 times in a season, and his receptions have dropped sharply over the last three years (25-13-5).
Scott has filled in multiple roles for the Eagles offense, but his primary value is as a core special teams player – which rarely gets fantasy attention.
Fantasy football outlook
With Sanders out of the picture, there will be a lot of competition for playing time in the new-look backfield. The elephant in the room remains quarterback Jalen Hurts, who rushed for 18 touchdowns last season (13 in the regular season and five in the postseason). Unless the Eagles vastly change their offensive style, when they get near the goal line, Hurts will likely remain the first option, not one of the running backs.
The additions of Penny and Swift were a strong investment for a team that consistently is near the top of the league in rushing. However, given their injury histories, both are likely to be devalued on draft day. Swift is a very late RB2 fantasy prospect, with Penny being worth taking as a RB4, and Gainwell a solid hedge bet to injury as a RB5.
Many fantasy managers will devalue Penny because of his inability to ever stay healthy, but the Eagles are likely to be one of the top rushing teams again this year and someone is going to have to get those carries. If Swift and Penny can avoid injury, they could both be solid value picks, but there is a lot of risk associated with the reward they may bring.
