Philadelphia Eagles: Five under the radar available free agents
56. . Running Back. Cincinnati Bengals. Jeremy Hill. 1. player
Jeremy Hill came into the NFL as a second-round pick to the Cincinnati Bengals out of LSU. At just 25 years of age, Hill enters free agency as a second-tier running back that could add value to a team as their second running back. Hill is coming off an ankle injury in which he suffered early in the 2017 season leaving his fourth NFL season as essentially a wash.
Hill was never given the opportunity to be a true lead back running back in Cincinnati, splitting carries with Giovani Bernard and Joe Mixon. Hill brings size and speed to the running back position and has the ability to take the ball to the house on any given play, as a player that has scored 30 touchdowns in just 54 games while splitting carries, and has a career 4.1 yards per rush.
How he fits with the Philadelphia Eagles
Hill should garner a contract in the neighborhood of $2-4 million this year, a contract the Eagles should be able to work with. As he enters an Eagles backfield with Jay Ajayi and Corey Clement, Hill could be relied on to essentially be another starting running back. A similar back to Ajayi, as they both will be used as first and second down backs, Hill could be leaned on to carry the bulk of the carries or simply be a pure back up for Ajayi in 2018.
Signing Hill to a one-year, prove-it type deal would not only benefits the Eagles, getting the team a top 32 running back on the cheap coming off an injury, but could also give Hill the opportunity to show he’s not only healthy but can continue to be the type of player he was at his heights in Cincinnati.
One way or another, the Eagles will be adding another running back to their roster before training camp, whether it’s via free agency or through the draft and Hill could be a great value signing. With just one selection in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft, the Eagles must keep in mind they will be missing out on the top-tier running backs and will be forced to look at a list of draft-eligible players in the later portion of the draft. Signing Hill would benefit both the player and the team for the 2018 season and gives both parties an opportunity to survey the landscape again in 2019.