Philadelphia Eagles: Don’t let Gus Edwards leave the Linc
The Philadelphia Eagles shouldn’t let Gus Edwards leave the building.
In a weird twist of fate, both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Baltimore Ravens closed out their Week 6 game at Lincoln financial field without their starting running back.
For the Eagles, this move very well could have cost them the game, as the team only attempted four(!) more rushing attempts after losing Miles Sanders to an aggravated knee injury in the third quarter. Okay, sure, one of those attempts set up their late fourth-quarter touchdown, a play that looked eerily similar to Ray-Ray McCloud’s fake sweep reverse in Week 5, but honestly, I imagine the Ravens were so surprised to see an actual red zone running play that they didn’t know what to do.
And as for the Ravens? Well, their offense kept ticking along thanks to the impressive one-two punch of Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins in place of Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram.
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I know, crazy, right? Did you know NFL teams are allowed to have multiple good running backs? Or did you assume that when a starter gets hurt a team has to pivot to exclusively throwing the ball over wasting a carry on a back like Corey Clement? For a general manager heralded for his analytics expertise, you’d assume Howie Roseman would understand just how good of a running back a team can get on the cheap in the currently depreciated market.
You know, the Eagles could have just signed Le’Veon Be… I digress.
Had things remained copacetic, the Eagles in all likelihood would have continued on with their current running back collection for the remainder of this season, even though it’s clear Sanders hasn’t been at 100 percent since making his debut in Week 2.
Unfortunately – or fortunately, depending on your point of view – the Eagles’ hand may have been forced, as they’ll in all likelihood be rolling into a Thursday Night Week 7 contest against the hapless New York Giants without Sanders.
Could the Eagles simply roll with the three running backs they already have on their roster, Clement, Boston Scott, and Justin Huntley? Not only could they, but they probably will, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they should. If anything, Week 1 should serve as a reminder of just how important a valid running game is even when facing off against sub-par competition.
*sigh* if only there was a quality running back already in the building who could probably be had via trade… oh wait, there is: Gus Edwards.
Granted, it’s entirely possible the Ravens may not be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline this season, especially if Ingram is going to miss extended time due to injury, but if his recent track record as a general manager is of any indication, Eric DeCosta may be willing to ship out Edwards, who is midway through a one-year, $750,000 restricted free agent deal, for the right price.
Why? Because the Rutgers alum affectionately known as the #GusBus is a luxury the Ravens no longer need.
With Ingram slotted in as the Ravens’ top power rusher and Dobbins serving as a high-upside, potentially franchise-caliber elusive back, Edwards is at best Baltimore’s third-best option, sitting only above 2019 fourth-round pick Justice Hill on the depth chart. Barring an unlikely decision to waive Ingram outright before the final year of his three-year, $15 million deal, it would appear the Ravens will all but certainly let Edwards walk in free agency to potentially find a long-term home and a more consistent offensive role.
Even Bleacher Report identified Edwards as a player in desperate need of a change of scenery, though they opted to link the Staten Island product to the Minnesota Vikings as a short-term replacement for Dalvin Cook.
Whether the Eagles just want a short-term replacement for Sanders in the interim, or they finally understand that a one running back system just isn’t particularly viable in this weird, injury-laden 2020 season, Edwards is the type of player Roseman should be ‘actively shopping’ for at the trade deadline, as he’s an underutilized asset in Baltimore who could potentially pull a Travis Fulgham in the right scheme.
My goodness, could you even imagine landing not one but two young, ascending players to build the franchise around well into the next decade? Once more I ask if this is even allowed under league rules.
Measuring in at 6-foot-1, 238 pounds, Edwards is like a perfect mix of Josh Adams and LeGarrette Blount, in that he has a slightly upright running style and has little fear when it comes to running over a would-be tackler between the tackles. Though Edwards is far from a one-trick pony, as he’s deceptively slippery and has enough juice to rip off a 60-yard run when the opportunity presents itself, he’s at his best when he’s consistently getting double-digit carries week-in and week-out.
If tasked with filling a Jordan Howard-esque role behind Sanders, roughly a dozen carries a game, Edward could actually be a really good change of pace back – where his career 5.2 yards-per-carry could provide some much-needed parody to Doug Pederson’s pass-happy offensive attack.
dark. Next. Jordan Howard just runs better in midnight green
If the Philadelphia Eagles are going to right their ship and actually take a shot at the playoffs, they’ll need to admit once and for all that no team can be expected to win a game where they only run the ball six times in a half. Even if you discount Miles Sanders’ grossly inflated YPC average thanks to a pair of 70-plus yard runs, it’s clear the Eagles can’t reliably count on only one running back to move the chains with consistency. You wouldn’t count on one wide receiver – Travis Fulgham notwithstanding – to account for the bulk of a team’s offensive snaps, so why do so at a more physically demanding position? Gus Edwards is an underappreciated asset who could shine in an expanded role, he just needs to land on a team willing to use him correctly.