Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny has agreed to a deal with the Eagles in free agency and will leave Seattle after five seasons according to Ian Rapoport.
It’ll be a one-year deal for the former first-round pick who has been limited to 28 games over the past four seasons, including ten games missed in 2022.
In short stints, Rashaad Penny has been one of the best backs in football, averaging over 6 yards per carry. Philly lands a back with big-time upside. https://t.co/jYY8SHjzKd
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 14, 2023
When healthy, Penny is one of the most productive running backs in the NFL, averaging 5.7 yards per carry for his career, and 6 yards per carry over the past two years.
With the new league year just hours away, here is some instant analysis of the move.
Miles Sanders is likely gone
Sanders earned his first Pro Bowl in 2022 after a 1,200+ yard rushing season and 10+ rushing touchdowns this season.
Sanders was also the team’s first running back to record 1,000-plus rushing yards since 2014, and we’ll now wait and see which teams he lands with.
What to know about Rashaad Penny
A first-round pick of the Seahawks in 2018, Penny played college football at San Diego State, where, in 2017, he led the nation with 2,248 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns on 289 carries, finishing fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting and garnering first-team All-American and All-Mountain West honors.
Penny had the best season of his career in 2021, rushing for 749 yards and six touchdowns, but he was limited to only 10 games, and he hasn’t played over 10 since his rookie season.
Eagles depth chart
With Penny on the roster, the usage rates shouldn’t change, with the hard running tailback handling the early down work, mixed in with Kenneth Gainwell on third down, obvious passing downs, and change of pace downs.
Former Ohio State star and 49ers draftee Trey Sermon is also on the roster along with Kennedy Brooks.
Rashaad Penny headed for breakout season
Penny has been productive running behind some pretty average offensive lines, so imagine what the hard running, one-cut-and-go tailback will do behind the NFL’s top offensive line.
Philadelphia believes in using the rushing attack to knock teams out in the second half and Penny will fit the role well.
Eagles are very familiar with Penny
Rashaad Penny played against the Eagles once in his career — 2019, when he opened the game as a backup and finished with 14 carries for 129 yards, including a 58-yard TD. That TD broke open the game in the 4th quarter.
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) March 14, 2023
Penny had 129 yards against the Eagles in 2019, including this knockout blow late in the contest.
