The sign of a good football franchise is being able to replace players, coaches, and executives with better overall talent. Great teams are able to lose a plethora of each and still remain competitive through all the changes.
For the Philadelphia Eagles, a big part of the team’s success in the past few years has been their ability to run the football no matter who the running back is.
While Miles Sanders is coming off a career season of over 1,000 rushing yards and a pro-bowl appearance, the Penn State product is a free agent. Sanders faltered down the stretch which leads most analysts and fans to believe that he will not return to Philly next season.
The good news for the Eagles? They have a potential replacement for him already on their roster.
Kenneth Gainwell hasn’t had the success that Sanders has had in the regular season, but the playoffs are where the former Memphis product starred. Gainwell recorded over five yards a carry during the Eagles’ Super Bowl run while totaling over 180 yards on the ground.
Eagles all in?
While the Eagles could certainly look to have Gainwell be the lead back going into 2023, general manager Howie Roseman was careful to anoint anyone on the roster as the top guy.
“He’s (Gainwell) an impressive player. He can catch the ball and he can protect. We’ve seen it’s hard in this league to roll with one (lead) running back. We’ll continue to look at players at that position.”
If Kenny Gainwell is going to want to be the lead back going into 2023, he’ll have to show he can carry the load for an entire season. It’s clear that Philadelphia is going to be open to anything though to keep their run-game as one of the best in the NFL.
And if the team is as good at replacing their stars as they’ve been, they should have no trouble finding the right people for the job.
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