The Eagles needed a fourth running back after Jason Huntley failed to earn the position over the summer and undrafted rookie Kennedy Brooks proved to be more of a developmental project than a quick fix.
That left Philadelphia GM Howie Roseman searching for an upgrade after the cut down to the initial 53 on Tuesday. To those on the outside, looking in, the first move was securing former New York Jets fourth-round pick La’Mical Perine for the practice squad.
Behind the scenes, though, Roseman had been monitoring the situation in San Francisco, when it became clear that the 49ers had soured on the No. 88 overall pick in the 2021 draft, Trey Sermon, and were preparing to move on.
Roseman discussed sending a late-round pick to the Niners for Sermon but took the calculated gamble of waiting things out. His San Francisco counterpart, John Lynch, continued his bluff past the deadline keeping Sermon as the fifth back on his initial 53.
Once offensive lineman Blake Hance was claimed off waivers from Denver, a roster spot was needed by the 49ers and Sermon lost out to undrafted rookie Jordan Mason of Georgia Tech.
Standing 19th on the waiver wire, the game of chicken paid off for Roseman when the Eagles were awarded Sermon.
Lynch said all the right things when it came to Semon but San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan soured on the now second-year back when Sermon got his opportunity to contribute last season, according to a source close to the 49ers.
Lynch, himself, intimated that as well before trying to spin the situation.
“On Trey, it’s been much-chronicled, his readiness last year. Not that he wasn’t ready. He wasn’t ready to play like we felt we needed him to last year,” the GM said. “To Trey’s credit, he was challenged, and he answered the bell in every way this year [in camp].”
“Shanahan is one of those coaches who will turn the page quickly [on a player] if he doesn’t see something,” the San Francisco source said.
The top backs with the 49ers are Elijah Mitchell, who was picked in the sixth round last year and excelled as a rookie, Jeff Wilson, and 2022 third-round pick Tyrion Davis-Price.
Ironically, San Francisco and Philadelphia may be the two most impressive running schemes in the NFL with Shanahan learning the outside zone from his father and Jeff Stoutland assembling an impressive system that emphasized angles and surfacing blocks correctly on double teams.
The difference could be connecting with the player.
Despite his youth, Shanahan has been around the game his entire life, and his football DNA is his family’s DNA, an old-school sentiment.
Sirianni is only about 18 months younger but connecting with players is his No. 1 coaching value and Sermon arrives in Philadelphia having also played with quarterback Jalen Hurts and Brooks at Oklahoma before transferring to Ohio State.
For the Eagles, Sermon is a low-risk investment that could pay dividends in the future.
“[The 49ers] like the other guys better and they feel the future might be better for them with these other guys,” former league executive Chris Landry said. “Now it doesn't mean they're right.
“... [The Eagles] got a back that's got some versatility. He’s pretty good. He’s not going to light it up but I think he can be successful. … I wouldn't overthink it. It’s not like oh there's anything sinister, he doesn't work hard, there's a problem or anything. I don't sense that at all. [The 49ers] said he had a really good camp. They just like the other guys better.”
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