Philadelphia Eagles: 3 under the radar breakout candidates
By David Esser
Jason Huntley, RB
This one is a bit of a stretch, as I’m not all that confident in Jason Huntley‘s ability to make the 53-man roster, but if he does, then one can only assume that the Eagles new-look coaching staff has something in mind for the former fifth-round pick.
Another player whom the Eagles claimed off of waivers, Huntley was poached away from the Detroit Lions towards the end of training camp last year. A speedy running back who had experience in college as a kick returner, the initial expectation was that he would be the team’s go-to returner, while also offering up the ability to see some occasional backfield snaps.
In typical 2020 Eagles fashion, Huntley saw just six total offensive touches all season long and only managed to return two kicks. His role on the team made little to no sense, especially considering how weak Philadelphia ended up being at RB last year.
Howie Roseman made multiple moves to sure up the Eagles RB depth chart this offseason, but there could still be an avenue for Huntley to emerge as the team’s #1 kick returner. One can only assume that Howie initially claimed him due to his plus special teams ability, and that it was more so the coaching staff who was unwilling to pivot off Boston Scott as the main returner (for whatever reason).
Huntley is fighting an uphill battle to make the roster this summer, but if he does, keep an eye on him as someone who could breakout into a key special teams role.