Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is ready to take off this season. He has a chip on his shoulder and has a lot of people to prove wrong. Barkley was drafted by the New York Giants in 2018 as the second overall pick out of Penn State. There were many people who thought he could be a Hall of Fame kind of player when he was coming into the league.
The Giants fanbase can not wait until they see Barkley stuff in the backfield this season, but the Eagles offensive line hopes he gets big gains. If he went anywhere else, the fanbase would not be mad at him. Saquon Barkley will be replacing D’Andre Swift this year in the backfield. Swift signed with the Chicago Bears this offseason.
Kenneth Gainwell will be Barkley’s backup running back this season, but rookie Will Shipley is another running back to watch for in training camp in Philadelphia. Barkley is one of the most talented running backs in the NFL.
Pro Football Network Ranks Philadelphia Eagles Running Back Saquon Barkley Number 5 Entering the 2024 Season
Dakota Randall of Pro Football Network ranked Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley at number five in his running back rankings entering the 2024 NFL season. The only running backs who are ranked ahead of him are Bijan Robinson of the Atlanta Falcons, Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns, Derrick Henry of the Baltimore Ravens, and Christia McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers.
Randall said about Barkley being ranked the fifth-best running back on his list entering the 2024 NFL season:
“Should the Philadelphia Eagles have given Saquon Barkey $26 million guaranteed in free agency? Probably not. Paying running backs is bad business in the NFL, especially those with lengthy injury histories.
But Barkley is a rare breed. He’s good for at least a few missed games per season, but he never misses a beat once he returns to the field. And he deserves credit for posting great numbers throughout his career despite usually playing in a bad New York Giants offense. He’s a perfect fit for the Eagles, and a career season could be in store.”
The New York Giants didn’t bring him back and general manager Joe Schoen may have underestimated the running back market, but it was smart in the long term to not give him that money. Barkley has not stayed healthy throughout his career.
The Philadelphia Eagles better hope Barkley stays healthy this year. If not, the contract will become regrettable because running backs have a different shell life in the NFL also.
