Eagles Rushing Attack Could Be Even Scarier Than Last Season

The Eagles running game didn’t go anywhere since last season ended. It didn’t leave the building when left guard Mekhi Becton exited for Los Angeles to play for the Chargers, or when running back Kenny Gainwell took off for Pittsburgh to play for the Steelers.

It’s alive and more than well. They ran at will against the Cleveland Browns, and they didn’t even use Mr. 2,000-yards himself, Saquon Barkley, on the second day of the teams’ joint practice on Thursday. He had a rest day.

He touched the ball 482 times last year. Can he absorb that workload again this year, as he enters Year 8 of career that could lead to the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

“You don’t feel the impact of last year, I think you just feel camp,” said Barkley. “That’s kind of how camp is supposed to be. You get your bumps and bruises. You have to work through some things. It’s supposed to be hard. Football’s supposed to be hard. It helps get your body into condition for the season; it callouses your body up. I feel really good. For me it’s all about sticking to the plan that my team and the team here built and just following it.”

If the plan includes reducing the touches, the Eagles are better equipped to handle that this year. The addition of A.J. Dillon may be the most underrated move of the Eagles’ offseason. The maturation of Will Shipley is another undersold storyline.

This running game should be even better than last year, when the Eagles ran the ball on 55.7 percent of their offensive plays, which was the highest rushing rate in the league. They also led the NFL in rushing attempts with 621 and rushing yards with 3,084.

“I feel like we got a good versatile backfield, everybody has a little bit different part to their game,” said center Cam Jurgens. “A.J.’s that big back and Ship it seems like he’s good at doing about everything out there.”

Shipley has been dynamite in camp from running to catching the ball. In last week’s preseason game against the Bengals, he ripped off a 38-yard run.

“He’s got great hands,” said Barkley. “I think he’s probably the best route runner out of all the running backs on our team, and he has a great feel for seeing coverages, too. I’m sure it’s stuff he did in college, but it’s stuff he’s taking to another level.”

Dillon is a 250-pound load and can wear defenses down, especially as a game reaches the fourth quarter.

“That’s a big man,” said Lane Johnson. “I’d hate to tackle that man late in the fourth quarter, 250, 260-pound guy. He’s doing well. Will’s really playing well, but A.J. for how big he is, really light on his feet, can be powerful when he needs to, knows when to set up, let his blockers take time to set the block up, then go. We’re really good in the backfield.”