Philadelphia Eagles: Bo Scarbrough is a free lunch

Bo Scarbrough is a no-risk option for the Philadelphia Eagles.

There’s an old adage that goes a little something like this: “There’s no such thing as a free lunch”.

The phrase was initially used in relation to the practice of bars offering free, typically salty, foods with the purchase of a drink to encourage patrons to walk through the door and stick around a little longer. Now, some 80-plus years later, the phrase has morphed into a basic economics lesson taught in 100-level college courses to explain the concept of an opportunity cost.

Why is this relevant to the Philadelphia Eagles? Well, when you’re a 2-4-1 team somehow in the first of your division with an injured running back and limited options to get better in the short-term; if you see a free lunch, you’d better take it.

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Bo Scarbrough is a free lunch.

That’s right, for the third time this calendar year, the Detroit Lions have made a roster move that could benefit the Eagles moving forward. Despite making the team’s initial 53 man roster over 2020 fifth-round pick Jason Huntley, Scarbrough spent the majority of the 2020 season on IR with an undisclosed injury. Though he was eventually activated from IR in the leadup to Week 7, he was waived shortly thereafter in favor of returning slot cornerback Justin Coleman on Halloween.

For the Lions, the move made sense. Scarbrough had no guaranteed money left on his two-year, $1.08 million deal, and the team already had a slew of quality running backs in D’Andre Swift, Kerryon Johnson, and the ageless wonder Adrian Peterson. If Johnson, a former second-round pick out of Auburn, can’t get consistent snaps in Darrell Bevell’s offense, how could anyone expect his former Iron Bowl foe to fair any differently?

So now, for the fifth time in three seasons, Scarborough will be on the hunt for a new team to call his own – maybe one who will actually give him a few snaps a game on the offensive side of the ball.

Hm… do you know a running back-hungry team?

With Miles Sanders on the sidelines – presumably until after the Bye – the Eagles’ rushing offense has been kind of a mess. Sure, Boston Scott has stepped up admirably when tasked with starting, but he’s only amassed 81 yards on 21 carries over those two games, with only one (receiving) touchdown to show for his efforts. Factor in Huntley and Corey Clement effectively being non-factors as change-of-pace options – combining for 67 all-purpose yards on 19 overall touches – and the Eagles are rapidly approaching a 30-70 run-to-pass ratio that signifies either a really good offense or a really, really bad offense destined to fall apart when turnovers start rearing their ugly head.

This, shockingly enough, is a fairly obvious problem. If you comb through the web looking for potential trade scenarios, acquiring a 1b running back is right up there with linebacker and offensive line help as the Eagles’ biggest perceived needs.

While these potential moves are admirable, they are far from a guaranteed fix for the Eagles’ woes.

You see, sometimes, these mid-season trades can be just what the doctor ordered to push a team’s fortunes into overdrive. They can also fail to work, cost a team a third-round pick, and serve as a death knell in a promising campaign already falling apart.

For every Jay Ajayi, there is a Golden Tate or even a Genard Avery, who fails to move the needles either way.

The opportunity cost for acquiring Scarbrough, by contrast, is nothing more than a simple waiver claim and a willingness to take on the back-half of his $586,765 contract. If he works out, great, the Eagles have a promising number two back to pair up with Scott until Sanders returns. And if he fails, cut him just like they did to Hakeem Butler, another no-cost midseason addition who lasted only a few weeks as an injury replacement.

From a ceiling standpoint, there’s a lot to like about Scarbrough. He’s a big, imposing rusher who earned comps to Derek Henrey coming out of college but always reminded me more of another ex-Lions rusher, LeGarrette Blount. Though he’s only been active for six games as a pro, all of which came with Detroit in 2019, Scarbrough has averaged a pretty solid 4.24 yards-per-carry as a pro, including a pretty impressive pair of performances against Washington and Dallas that you can watch highlights of here.

Is he a better pure runner than Jordan Howard? No, but again, Jordan Howard would cost something to acquire and would account for $5ish million against the 2021 cap. Scarbrough, by contrast, wouldn’t be tied to the team whatsoever upon season’s end but could be retained on a bargain bin deal as a restricted free agent thanks to having three seasons of accrued service and an expiring contract.

Wait, so the Eagles could theoretically retain Scarbrough if he plays well on the cheap, wouldn’t owe him a dime if they decide to take things a different direction in 2021, and could theoretically cut him at any time if better options become available? My goodness, why wouldn’t Howie Roseman pick up the phone and put in a claim for Scarbrough’s services?

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Whether the Philadelphia Eagles decide to make a big splash, a small move, or pursue addition by subtraction at the 2020 NFL Trade Deadline, Howie Roseman and company need to make sure they’re optimizing their ceiling and mitigating the risk of blowing future assets for short-term disappointment. While there will certainly be better players available over the next few days, none are going to cost literally nothing to acquire, with the optionality Bo Scarbrough’s contract situation brings to the table. For that reason, putting in a claim for his services is the lowest-risk move imaginable and the sort of free lunch opportunity that rarely comes around in real life of hypothetical economics.

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