Forgotten Eagles running back reminding everyone who he is at training camp

When the Eagles gave former Green Bay Packers bowling ball of a running back, AJ Dillon, a one-year deal back in March, it did not exactly make front-page news. Such is life for the majority of "prove-it" low-risk/high-reward deals in the NFL, though.

With that being the case, the signing of Dillon is one Eagles fans shouldn't forget about, and may be more rewarding than anticipated.

Saquon Barkley carried the ball 345 times in the regular season alone a year ago during his historic 2,000-yard season. To assume that is sustainable would be foolish (and if that skepticism is proven wrong that is far from the worst thing in the world). The crazy thing is, in a lot of games last season the Eagles would sit Barkley so he could rest the last few minutes before the half and at the end of games if they were in hand. Even with that, he still had far and away his career high in carries.

The point is, it's more likely than not that the Eagles will need to give Barkley more rest periods in 2025 than they did in 2024 if they want him as refreshed as possible for the late-season stretch and the playoffs. For them to do that, they'll need another back capable of shouldering the load.

Now, Will Shipley is solid and should get better in his second year. However, given the anticipated increased workload, he'll need some help from the backup running backs.

Enter Dillon.

How Dillon can make an impact on the Eagles in 2025

Dillon is an absolute bruising bowling ball of butcher knives. He brings a hard-nosed running style that wears on defenses and keeps them up at night. He's perfect for the Eagles.

Dillon has indeed battled injury. What is also true is that he was more of a '1b' in Green Bay's backfield, and that should be his role again in Philadelphia, with Shipley presumably taking on a more 'Kenneth Gainwell' role. That makes Dillon's job easier and keeps his legs fresh, probably more so than they have ever been.

Dillon should be able to thrive in this new role. He can give the Eagles a much-needed power back that they haven't had since LeGarrette Blount. He's already had a good start to camp in his new role and has stated that he's determined to silence any doubters about how he'll perform in this new role, which he knows isn't limited.

AJ Dillon is a load and should be a handful for defenses. Picture him wearing teams down at the end of games (or the end of the calendar year when it gets cold). That's not even getting into the impact he could potentially have on the Tush Push/Brotherly Shove. Make no mistake, this signing could pay off in dividends, so keep a close eye on it.