Philadelphia Eagles’ running back by committee model may work
By Pete Sawan
While not having the largest sample size, the Philadelphia Eagles may have figured out the best way to utilize their backfield.
Of all the spots on the Philadelphia Eagles roster, many would argue that the running back spot lacks depth. Yes, you have five running backs on the roster, but this depth has run dry fairly quickly. First, rookie Donnel Pumphrey was placed on the injured reserve list with a hamstring injury. Then, Darren Sproles tore his ACL and broke his arm (on the same play, no less).
Thus, the team is down to three running backs. Now, you’re probably thinking: “Don’t most teams only keep three running backs? This isn’t THAT big of a deal”. Well, the Eagles are fairly unique. They don’t have the traditional running back depth chart. In their case, the Birds run a running back by committee scheme.
This model dictates that most if not all the backs on the roster will see snaps in a given game. Ideally, this model works when a team lacks a featured back like Ezekiel Elliott or Le’Veon Bell. For the most part, the Eagles haven’t found that type of player. However, they do have a power back in LeGarrette Blount, who can certainly carry the load if given the opportunity. Last week against the New York Giants, Blount ran 12 times for 67 yards and a touchdown. Certainly, he’s capable if given the opportunity.
Outside of Blount the Eagles have second-year back Wendell Smallwood and rookie Corey Clement. Smallwood came alive last week, running 12 times for 71 yards. Given that he only ran for eight yards over the first two games of the season, Smallwood had himself a day. Yes, it’s one game, but there really wasn’t anything positive going for him up to this point.
Unlike Blount, Smallwood has the ability to run East-West. This means that he can take the ball to the outside instead of between the tackles. The key here lies in a huge burst of speed. Blount is a battering ram, in a sense. Smallwood’s more of a three-down back in this case. Regardless, he’s only had one good game, so I’d hold off on calling him the answer here.
Finally, we have the rookie. Corey Clement certainly took advantage of his opportunity. As an undrafted rookie, Clement was more likely to make the practice squad than the 53-man roster. Nevertheless, through a very good preseason and lack of solid competition, he made the team.
Beyond that, one could make the argument that Clement would not get many snaps beyond special teams. Well, similar to his run in preseason, when injuries occur, the “next-man-up” mantra holds true. Clement came up big in Sunday’s game against the Giants. He ran six times for 22 yards and a touchdown. It was the game-tying touchdown, too. With that in mind and the fact that the Eagles are down two running backs already, Clement will likely get more reps.
So, the Philadelphia Eagles could maintain this model. Rotating their running backs may be the best option going forward. While they may stick to giving the ball to the hot hand, the case for week three was slightly different. Everybody had the hot hand, and running the ball should make Wentz’s life easier too. Ultimately, giving everyone a piece of the rock seems like the best move. Hopefully, the success trickles down from one back to the next.