This offseason, the running back market in free agency played out far differently than it had in recent years. Several running backs got significant contracts, with the largest of those going to former New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley. He signed a three-year, $37.75 million contract and landed in a surprising spot -- with the division rival Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles have typically not invested much in the running back position in free agency, especially after the last time they did so worked out so poorly. Back in 2015, the Eagles signed another running back away from an NFC East rival when they handed DeMarco Murray a five-year, $42 million deal to leave the Cowboys, only to see him swiftly decline and last just one year in Philly.
But according to general manager Howie Roseman -- who, it should be noted, was not the one who signed Murray because he had at the time been demoted in favor of then-coach Chip Kelly -- the Eagles feel like there may have been something "being undervalued" in the running-back market of late.
Roseman told Sirius XM NFL Radio that signing Barkley was "a way to zig when everyone's zagging" at the position.
"It's hard to find difference-making players and people, and it's hard to find them for a cost," Roseman said. "Those guys, they go for a lot of money, and we felt like there was an opportunity to get one of those guys in Saquon and bring him to the team. There's risk in every decision you make, but we don't think there's any risk on the talent. We don't think there's any risk on the person. And we also feel like maybe -- not that it wasn't anywhere else -- but we have a good situation here with us in Philly to kind of maximize him. I don't think there's anyone when he came out of the draft that didn't think he wasn't a Hall of Fame-caliber talent and person. He's still young, and we're really excited to have him."
There is, of course, risk in signing Barkley. He's a running back, first of all. And second, he's a running back getting deep into his 20s, when players at the position typically fall off. He's also had trouble staying healthy throughout his career, and has exceeded 4 yards per carry just once since 2019. Playing behind Philly's offensive line and next to Jalen Hurts in the backfield will hopefully help on the latter issue, but the position he plays, the advancing age (for a running back), and the injury history are realities that are hard to overcome. For the Eagles, the hope is that he helps them win a Super Bowl before the downside of such a contract hits.
