The Philadelphia Eagles made a play to lock in insurance for Saquon Barkley before the Kansas City Chiefs swooped in.
According to well-respected NFL reporter Aaron Wilson, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman made an aggressive play to sign Dameon Pierce before he signed with the Chiefs on Monday.
The Eagles are averaging just 3.9 yards per carry, tied for 25th in the NFL. Tank Bigsby — who was acquired from the Jacksonville Jaguars — is averaging just 16 yards per game in 10 games, and Philadelphia has rushed for just 1,215 yards through 11 games.
The Eagles will take on the Chicago Bears on Friday at Lincoln Financial Field at 3 p.m. ET.
The Eagles Made An Aggressive Push For Dameon Pierce
Pierce, a fourth-round pick of the Houston Texans in the 2022 NFL Draft, rushed for 939 yards in his rookie season, but his production diminished every season thereafter. He was released by the Texans on Thursday ahead of their game against the Buffalo Bills.
The veteran running back had rushed for just 26 yards on 10 carries in four games this season. He hadn’t logged a carry since Oct. 5.
According to Wilson, the Eagles, Chiefs, Bears, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals were all in on signing Pierce. But KC landed the 25-year-old on a one-year deal for him to join its practice squad.
Despite the competition for Pierce’s services, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman went all out to try and land him, according to Wilson.
“General manager Howie Roseman made strong push for former #Texans running back Dameon Pierce, including personal call over weekend, per source,” Wilson posted on X (formerly Twitter). “[He] previously made [a] trade inquiry to Houston, but no deal got worked out.”
The Eagles Could Still Use A Running Back
Bigsby has shown flashes as both a kick returner and RB, but coach Nick Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo have shown a glaring lack of of trust in the backs on Philadelphia’s roster.
Only Barkley, Bigsby and quarterback Jalen Hurts recorded a carry in the Eagles’ 24-21 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Bigsby played only three snaps, and third-string RB Will Shipley played just eight, with Barkley earning 17 touches and rushing for 22 yards on 10 carries.
The Eagles have tried to incorporate Bigsby and veteran A.J. Dillon into their running game. But Dillon was again a healthy scratch Sunday in Dallas and has just 60 yards on 12 carries and has not logged a carry since losing a fumble in Philadelphia’s 34-17 loss to the New York Giants in Week 6 — a game that not only was a long time but feels like a lifetime ago.
Shipley at least can play special teams. But the Eagles need a back to spell Barkley, who has logged roughly 60 percent of their carries and is showing clear signs of wear.
Barkley has just one 100-plus-yard game this season — his 14-carry, 150-yard output which came against the Giants in Week 8 — and has just three touchdowns in Philadelphia’s past seven games, with two coming at home against New York.
The Eagles are trying to repeat yet are showing clear signs of cracking, especially offensively. Roseman knows his team’s window is open, which is why he went all out to land Pierce.
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