Back fire: With so many good running backs, do the Philadelphia Eagles have too much of a good thing?

The Philadelphia Eagles will have no shortage of running backs on the roster next season. After years of LeSean McCoy receiving the majority of carries, the Eagles will now be able to choose from a group that includes Darren Sproles, Chris Polk, Ryan Mathews, and DeMarco Murray. (Then again, based on the way things have gone, who knows what the roster will look like in September?)

Ryan Mathews is just one of the talented running backs on the Eagles’ roster. Image Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

During his time at Oregon, Chip Kelly didn’t usually have one featured running back, but instead preferred more of a committee system. It appears that he’s going to use a similar rotation with the Eagles.

This seems like a sound approach. A smaller workload will keep all of the backs fresher and less likely to wear down as the season progresses. Plus, the different running styles utilized by the backs will help keep defenses guessing.

In theory, this should make the Eagles running game – and offense as a whole – more dangerous than it has been during Kelly’s first two years. But as anyone who lived through the 2011 cornerback situation can attest, sometimes you can have too much of a good thing.

The 2011 Eagles had three top (or so it seemed at the time) cornerbacks on the roster. This should have allowed them to stifle even the most dangerous passing games. In reality, the coaches never found a way to use all three together, and the defense ended up being a disorganized mess.

Nnamdi Asomugha

and his fellow corners never met expectations. Image Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Obviously, much of the blame for that debacle can be laid at the feet of unqualified defensive coordinator Juan Castillo. Surely with an offensive genius like Chip Kelly running the offense, the Eagles offense will be able to avoid a similar fate.

Based on last year’s results, I’m not so sure.

Before the 2014 season, many people dreamed of seeing McCoy and Sproles in the backfield together. Having two dangerous weapons on the field should have created a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. And while both backs were heavily featured early on, as the season progressed, Sproles’ role on offense became noticeably diminished.

When questioned about it, here’s what offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur had to say:

"“When you have two halfbacks out there, you’ve got to do the math. Who do you take out? Do you take out one of our tight ends? Do you take out Jordan Matthews? Do you take out one of our outside receivers?”"

I think most Eagles fans would have had no qualms about sitting Riley Cooper down in favor of Sproles. Or maybe if you’ve got both McCoy and Sproles in there, then Jordan Matthews probably could afford to sit a play or two out.

I’ve heard a lot of talk about how the Eagles don’t need elite skill position talent because Kelly’s scheme is good enough to succeed without it. (Then again, many of the people who took that stance were elated after the Eagles signed the reigning rushing champion. Go figure.) Considering the Eagles are hoping to “outscheme” opponents, it is a bit worrisome that the coaches couldn’t figure out a way to use two talented backs in tandem.

Remember that both Murray and Mathews are accustomed to being featured running backs and being given the ball on a regular basis. It’s worth wondering if they’ll be able to adjust to a lesser role. Be on the lookout for quotes that show displeasure with the situation like “I wasn’t able to find a good rhythm out there,” or “I felt I could have done some things had I been given the ball.”

Sure, both men said all the right things at their introductory press conferences, but just about everyone is happy right after signing a multi-million dollar contract. We’ll see if that happiness lasts when one of them finds themselves on the sidelines for stretches at a time.

Even if the backs do stay happy and effective, that doesn’t mean that it was wise to sign both Murray and Mathews. The Eagles still seem to have some holes on their roster. Would it have been better to spend some of that running back money on the defensive secondary or offensive line instead?

Hopefully, it all works out as planned: All of the backs will be utilized properly, everyone stays fresh and healthy, and the Eagles will dominate their opponents on the ground.

But if discontent starts to arise or the rest of the roster performs poorly, the Eagles may find that it is indeed possible to have too much of a good thing.

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