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Philadelphia Eagles: Jay Ajayi still has a lot to prove to be top running back on offense

By Dan Parzych

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 01: Jay Ajayi #36 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs a drill during Super Bowl LII practice on February 1, 2018 at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Philadelphia Eagles will face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII on February 4th. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 01: Jay Ajayi #36 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs a drill during Super Bowl LII practice on February 1, 2018 at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Philadelphia Eagles will face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII on February 4th. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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Jay Ajayi has a lot to prove if he wants to be the No. 1 running back on offense for the Philadelphia Eagles.

To say acquiring Jay Ajayi in the middle of last season was a steal for the Philadelphia Eagles would be one of the biggest understatements since the running back was easily worth the mid-round draft pick.

In fact, Ajayi along with LeGarrette Blount and Corey Clement was one of the  main reasons why the Eagles were able to win the Super Bowl the way they did after taking a page out of the book of the New England Patriots.

Instead of focusing on one running back receiving a majority of the carries, Doug Pederson would end up riding the hot hand on a weekly basis, which ended up working wonders.

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Blount may no longer be in the picture after signing with the Detroit Lions in free agency, but with Ajayi and Clement still around along with Darren Sproles returning to full strength, chances are the Eagles will take the same approach again in 2018.

With that being said, Ajayi may be putting a little extra pressure on himself this upcoming season since he will be entering the final year of his contract, and there’s nothing he would love more than to earn a hefty payday down the road when the time comes.

Jeff McLane of Philly.com recently discussed how Ajayi would love nothing more than to return to his old ways of being a workhorse at running back for Philadelphia. And while there’s certainly a strong chance of him starting off the year as the No. 1 running back, that’s always easier said than done.

Keep in mind that once Ajayi joined the Eagles in the middle of the regular season last year, the most carries he received in a game was 15 (Ajayi did record 18 carries in the NFC Championship, however).

So while Ajayi deserves credit for having the proper mindset for wanting to carry a heavy workload, that’s always easier said than done.

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From Ajayi’s perspective, it’s up to the running back to prove to Philadelphia that it was alright to move on from Blount in the offseason, and the group at running back is capable of picking up the slack. Ajayi may still have a lot to prove when it comes to showing he can be the No. 1 running back needs with a potential future contract on the line, but at least he seems ready for the challenge.

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