3 Former Eagles Who Will Fail Miserably With Their New Teams After Free Agency
By Randy Gurzi
1. D'Andre Swift, RB, Chicago Bears
It took roughly 10 minutes for D'Andre Swift and the Chicago Bears to come to terms on a contract. Almost as quickly as the legal tampering period began, Swift and the Bears were said to have a three-year deal worth $23 million in place.
That's a lot of money for any running back but especially for one who has just one season with more than 1,000 yards rushing. And when he finally did top that mark, the team he played for wasn't willing to re-sign him.
Swift, a second-round pick out of Georgia in 2020, began his career with the Detroit Lions. He spent three seasons there and had 1,680 yards on the ground and 1,198 as a receiver with 25 total touchdowns. He was traded to the Eagles during the 2023 NFL Draft in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick and a swap of 2023 seventh-round picks. Swift, who averaged 4.6 yards per carry in Detroit, remained just as consistent, averaging 4.6 yards per carry in Philly.
He also received 229 attempts, which is more than double the carries he had in 2022. That led to a 1,045 yard campaign and he added 214 yards receiving — but had a career-low 5.5 yards per reception.
Overall, Swift was a solid back but he left a lot on the table. He often ran into trouble rather than taking the open hole. He was also guilty of disappearing often, especially early in games.
As if that wasn't enough reason for concern, the Bears also should have paid attention to Miles Sanders. The Penn State product spent four years with the Eagles and had 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2022 while averaging 4.9 yards per attempt. He signed a four-year, $25.4 million deal with the Carolina Panthers and they were rewarded with 432 yards and one touchdown.
The Eagles are a fantastic running team and they've elevated players more than other teams. The Bears are set to find that out in 2024.