Philadelphia Eagles: Is Josh Adams’ roster spot still guaranteed?

After adding Miles Sanders and Jordan Howard this offseason, is Josh Adams’ roster spot with the Philadelphia Eagles still guaranteed?

The 2018 Philadelphia Eagles were a weird, weird team.

Fielding a team that actually got better with their backup quarterback under center, and having the most prolific receiving season by a tight end in NFL history, the Birds fielded a masterclass in remaining a good team despite suffering injury after injury, but none of these developments were more bizarre than their running backs situation.

Initially starting off the season with four on the roster; incumbent starter Jay Ajayi, the age-less wonder Darren Sproles, Super Bowl 52 hero Corey Clement, and the ever-present Wendell Smallwood, the Eagles looked primed to have another balanced offense comfortable with getting out to an early lead, and then pounding down the clock in the second half.

More from Philadelphia Eagles

• 4 Eagles on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots
• Best Pennsylvania Sportsbook Promos: Win $650 GUARANTEED Bonus PLUS $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket
• 3 Punters the Eagles Must Target to Replace Arryn Siposs
• Cowboys Trey Lance Trade Proves How Screwed They Are With Dak Prescott
• Devon Allen Took Britain Covey’s Job on Eagles

However, that idea quickly went out the window.

With Ajayi suffering a season-ending ACL-tear in Week 5, Sproles missing the better part of three months with a hamstring injury and Clement suffering through near-constant injury, the team really didn’t have a consistent lead back for much of the season.

And in maybe the weirdest twist of all, the team’s lead rusher wasn’t even on their active roster until Week 3.

That’s right, after being limited for much of training camp, Adams, who was once considered a dark horse candidate to win the Heisman Trophy, was released in the trim down to 53, and eventually signed onto the practice squad.

From there, he was signed to fill Sproles’ rotational spot and remained with the team ever since; earning 22 carries for 84 yards against the New York Giants in November and eventually taking over the starting role full-time down the stretch (five starts in total).

However, it wasn’t always smooth sailing for Adams.

One game removed from a 50 yards on 11 rushes outing in Week 17, Adams was effectively benched in the postseason, earning one carry for two yards against the Chicago Bears and zero in the team’s eventual loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Needless to say, finishing out the season with a lead rusher who only earned 511 yards was a pretty glaring flaw in the Eagles’ armor; a flaw they quickly remedied by adding not one, but two high-profile, starting caliber former Big 10 rushers in Miles Sanders and Jordan Howard.

But what does that mean for Adams moving forward?

Well, that’s a bit of a loaded question.

Will Adams production drop considerably now that Howard is on the roster? Most certainly, as the duo have a very similar rushing style and Howard is far and away the better player right now, but the ex-Bear is playing out the final season of his rookie deal and will be in the market for a big money deal once he hits free agency in 2020.

Now could Howard become an indispensable part of the Eagles’ backfield, becoming the team’s first rusher to eclipse the century mark since LeSean McCoy accomplished the feat back in 2014 (seriously)? Totally, but after selecting Sanders 53rd overall, it would appear Howie Roseman and company are all in on utilizing the Penn State rusher as their lead rusher for the foreseeable future.

If that were to pass, Adams would again have an obvious role on the team, logging snaps around the goal line and serving as the Eagles’ short-yardage back moving forward. With a full summer to get his body right following an offseason shoulder surgery, it seems like there’s a better than not chance Josh Adams will be on the Philadelphia Eagles roster come September of 2019, if for nothing else than his potential.