Among the various offseason needs for the Philadelphia Eagles, running back is not one of them, as they’re pretty much set with Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby, and Will Shipley. Despite having those options, the Eagles have still taken a couple of shots on goals to add to the RB room, which could threaten Shipley’s job security.
For starters, the Eagles signed Carson Steele to a futures deal in January. Then on Thursday, the team added Dameon Pierce on a one-year deal. Pierce spent last season with the Texans and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Between the two newly signed running backs, Pierce has the better chance to unseat Shipley for the RB3 job in the preseason and training camp.
Will Shipley’s Job Could Be in Jeopardy with Dameon Pierce’s Arrival
Pierce has not only shown that he can be a starter and effective on the ground, as shown by his first two years with the Houston Texans, but he can also contribute on special teams in the kick return game.
It also doesn’t help Shipley that the Eagles were reportedly interested in Pierce before he joined the Chiefs in November after his release from the Texans. Shipley, who was drafted in the fourth round in 2022, hasn’t done much on the ground through his first two years.
In his first year in the league, Shipley only had 117 scrimmage yards on 34 touches, as he spent most of his snaps on special teams. Shipley didn’t score his first career NFL touchdown until the NFC championship title game, which the Eagles won in a blowout.
Last season, there was hope that Shipley or A.J. Dillon would win the Eagles’ RB2 job behind Barkley with Kenny Gainwell’s departure. However, that didn’t happen, as Philadelphia made a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars for Tank Bigsby during the first month of the regular season.
It took a while for Bigsby to establish himself as the RB2, but once Philly realized what they had, there was no hope for Shipley or Dillon. However, Shipley was still given opportunities to show what he could do on special teams.
Shipley wasn’t terrible as a kick returner, averaging 26.8 yards per kick return, which was good for ninth in the NFL.
That being said, it wouldn’t hurt for the Eagles to look for another option on kick returns. Pierce could be that option, while also contributing on the ground, which could help if the Eagles were to suffer an injury. For his career, Pierce is averaging 4.0 yards per carry and 32.8 yards per kick return.
As we get closer to mandatory minicamp and eventually training camp, it will be interesting to see what Shipley can do in Year 3. This is a critical time for him, as the Eagles have Bigsby locked in as their RB2 behind Barkley. He brings a level of explosiveness that helps make his case on why he needs to be on this roster.
Shipley needs to look like the guy that we saw come out of Clemson, a versatile RB who could do damage on the ground, but also a receiver in the passing game. If he looks like that guy this summer, he’ll give Pierce a run for his money and salvage his spot on the 53-man roster.