When you have, arguably, the best player at their respective position in the entire league on your roster, there tend to be fewer opportunities available for those behind them on the depth chart.
This is the reality staring one member of the Philadelphia Eagles' roster in the face as we inch closer to the start of training camp and projections concerning what the 53-man roster will look like once the defending champions take the field against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1.
With Saquon Barkley set to receive the majority of the carries for the Eagles this coming season, those jobs backing him up will come at a premium, as three players seem to be battling it out for two spots on the roster.
Robinson is more return specialist than RB, and Avery Williams has been unable to practice in OTAs with an undisclosed injury.
— John McMullen (@JFMcMullen) June 6, 2025
Williams was working on a side field Wednesday and looks to be getting closer to returning. The #Eagles used Danny Gray and undrafted free agents Giles… https://t.co/B3Oz2r7bLM
Avery Williams's Days with Eagles Are Numbered Entering Training Camp
Barring some unforeseen performance during training camp and the preseason that puts Nick Sirianni and his staff in a position where they cannot afford to let him go, veteran running back Avery Williams seems like a long shot to beat out the players in front of him on the depth chart for the right to be Barkley's backup.
With Will Shipley and AJ Dillon already ahead of Williams on the depth chart, it would take something remarkable from the former fifth-round pick to make this team out of camp without his role being primarily on special teams.
The return game is where Williams will have a greater opportunity to show his worth than he will with whatever kind of reps he gets in the rushing attack. The path to making the roster for Williams comes with his ability to be a difference-maker as a punt and kickoff return specialist.
However, much like the competition he faces in the running back room, this will be no walk in the park for Williams. Cooper DeJean will be in the running to retain his role as the team's starting punt returner. The aforementioned Shipley will also have his opportunity to show what he can do as a kick returner, now that Kenneth Gainwell has moved on from the City of Brotherly Love.
If Williams plans on making this team out of camp, he is going to need to earn it with the work he puts in on the practice field, film room, and weight room. Opportunities aren't handed out when you're trying to defend a championship and the Eagles coaching staff knows that as well as anyone.