Being The Smartest Guy In The Room Has Advantages For Eagles RB

Shipley puts in an incredible amount of preparation, and the payoff should come this season with him and Dillon being the two options behind Barkley.

“Football is such a physical sport but where you can really find yourself separating, when the physical talents aren’t far apart from each other, is on the mental side, the IQ side, the pre-week film that you watch, all that stuff matters,” he said. “I think that’s something that is going to be able to take me from being good to eventually great to wherever else it takes me.”

During Tuesday’s practice, the Eagles threw the ball to Shipley four straight times. He says that the Eagles haven’t communicated exactly what his role will be behind Barkley, or how that will be shared with Dillon, but they have thrown the ball an awful lot to him this summer. They have also used Barkley and Dillon in the pass game.

Shipley isn't expected to play Friday night against the Jets, which means his snap load this summer will total 14, all of which came in only one preseason game. As a rookie, he played in two exhibition games with 40 snaps.

Exactly what the roles will be for Shipley and Dillon have yet to be communicated by the coaching staff, though Dillon played in the second preseason game while Shipley was given the game off.

“I’m blessed for sure to get a little bit of rest on the physical side of it, and I think I just have to continue to keep doing my job,” he said. “I think the role they see for me, I’m fitting very well into. I just want to continue to exceed that and exceed their expectations and show I can do more of what they’re asking of me. Whenever that opportunity comes, I’ll be ready for it.”