Philadelphia Eagles: What’s going on with Jay Ajayi?
After receiving some initial interest when free agency opened up, why is ex-Philadelphia Eagles running back Jay Ajayi still unsigned?
This time last year, the Philadelphia Eagles were riding high going into the 2018 NFL season knowing full well they’d finally found an unquestioned lead back: Jay Ajayi.
After joining the team mid-way through the 2017 season in a trade deadline deal with the Miami Dolphins, Ajayi assimilated very well into Doug Pederson‘s offensive scheme; forming a three-headed monster alongside LeGarrette Blount and Corey Clement.
And the rest is history.
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The Eagles ran that trio all the way to Super Bowl 52, where Ajayi ran the ball nine times for 57 yards in route to the biggest win in Philly sports history.
Did he lead the game or even the team in rushing yards? Nope, that honor goes to Blount, but Ajayi played well enough to make the former irreverent.
One month later, Blount was a member of the Detroit Lions, paired up with his former Patriots compatriot Matt Patricia, and Ajayi was in-line for his second career 1,000 yard rushing season.
And then he got hurt.
After amassing 184 yards on 45 carries over the better part of four games, Ajayi went down in the Birds’ eventual 21-23 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The diagnosis? A torn ACL; out for the season.
From there, the Eagles struggled along, failing yet again to have a running back finish out the season with a 1,000-yard rusher. Things got so bad that the team’s top rusher wasn’t even on the team’s initial 53-man roster in Josh Adams, a UDFA from Notre Dame.
Clearly, the Eagles’ rushing assault was worse off with Ajayi on the bench, but after trading for Jordan Howard, and drafting Miles Sanders in the second round, it’s clear an eventual reunion in any sort of expansive capacity wasn’t in the cards.
Unfortunately for Ajayi, he’s entered a very, very soft market.
While some teams have reached out to the former fifth-round pick from Boise State, with the Frank Reich-led Indianapolis Colts going so far as to bring him in for a visit on March 18th, but almost two months have gone by, and Ajayi is just as unemployed as he was on March 4th.
But why?
I mean sure, Ajayi is a somewhat limited player, as he’s not particularly useful as a pass catcher, pass blocker, or as a home run hitter, but he’s established an ability to attack defenses between the tackles, and pick up tough yards.
Is he injury-prone? Most definitely, as questions about Ajayi’s long-term career perspective played a part in his initial trade to Philly, but on a one-year deal, what is the downside?
Maybe it’s Ajayi himself?
After expressing some initial displeasure with his initial role, Ajayi clearly isn’t the type of player who thrives in a platoon situation; instead envisioning himself as a throwback, bell cow-style lead back like the days of yore.
Is this lead dog demeanor the best bet for Ajayi’s long-term prospects? Most definitely not, as limiting his carries could optimize his long-term durability, but with Ajayi’s charisma, aggressive running style, and international appeal, it may be better to burn out as a star than to fade away in a lesser role.
dark. Next. Do the Philadelphia Eagles have a (backup) plan at QB?
No, to land in a more expansive role, Jay Ajayi will in all likelyhood remain unsigned deep into the summer, hoping for a starting spot to open up with an opportunistic injury (kind of ironic, no?). And hey, if not, he could always re-up with the Philadelphia Eagles on a one-year prove it deal a la Timmy Jernigan and hope for a stronger market next spring.