The Philadelphia Eagles were happy to sign running back Saquon Barkley this offseason and wide receiver Parris Campbell also signed with the Eagles in the offseason. They both played for the New York Giants last season. Campbell saw what Barkley was able to do up close in action with New York.
He praised Barkley and had some strong words about him. Parris Campbell told Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer by saying:
“I think he’s going to show people why he’s the best running back in the league. I know there’s a bunch of debate between him and Christian McCaffrey. And don’t get me wrong, McCaffrey’s by far one of the best running backs in the league. But being able to see Saquon up close and personal, being in the same locker room, on the same team, man, he’s a different guy when he’s on that field, honestly.
And running behind that offensive line that we have, I think it’s going to be pretty scary for defenses. You pair that with Jalen (Hurts) and the things he can do with his feet, just as far as extending plays, getting outside the pocket, I’m sure there will be some type of read-option game that we go on and RPO stuff that’ll happen. So just the possibilities of it are endless.”
Barkley played his first six seasons of his NFL career with the New York Giants. He was the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Penn State and that is one of the reasons why Saquon Barkley decided to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Last year, he rushed for 962 yards on 247 carries and six touchdowns, along with averaging 3.9 yards per carry. Saquon Barkley also caught 41 passes for 280 yards receiving and four touchdowns, along with averaging 6.8 yards per reception. He was targeted 60 times in 14 games a season ago.
A lot of New York Giants fans had mixed reactions when Barkley bolted for the Eagles. A lot of them were upset that he decided to play for Philadelphia because it is an NFC East rival. Had he gone to any other NFL team, they would not have given him a hard time. Saquon Barkley will have a chip on his shoulder next season to prove his haters wrong.
Philadelphia Eagles Running Back Saquon Barkley Being Praised By Teammate Wide Receiver Parris Campbell Is a Bold Statement
There is nothing wrong with Campbell backing Barkley, who have been teammates with each other for the past couple of seasons. However, Christain McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers, Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns, and Derrick Henry of the Baltimore Ravens are three running backs off the bat who are better than Saquon Barkley of the Eagles.
Is Barkley one of the top five running backs in the league? It is possible that he is. Also, Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs is also elite at the position. The running back position talent pool is not deep, but Barkley is very good but not the best running back.