Adrian Fedkiw
It’s no doubt the Philadelphia Eagles could use an upgrade at running back, but injury-prone, 30-year-old running backs aren’t the solution.
ESPN’s Tim McManus, however, has a different opinion.
McManus suggested during a post over the weekend that Charles would be an “intriguing” option for the Birds if he indeed gets cut by the Kansas City Chiefs.
With needs at several positions but not much money to go around, the Philadelphia Eagles will need to get creative this offseason as they build their team.
The Eagles have just under $10 million in cap space, per OverTheCap. They are expected to make several moves before the league year opens March 9 to free up resources but still won’t be in a position where they can afford to go too crazy in free agency. It seems reasonable that executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman & Co. could make one splash signing (wide receiver?), then wait for the second wave and search for lower-cost players to help bolster the roster.
The market will only grow over the next couple of weeks as teams make salary cuts. One name worth pondering if he shakes loose is Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles. The 30-year-old veteran is set to count more than $6 million against the cap in 2017. The Chiefs, who have only about $5 million in cap space at the moment, just signed C.J. Spiller on Friday, fueling speculation that Charles might be on the move.
Suggesting the Eagles should sign Charles makes sense. Head coach Doug Pederson spent three seasons as the offensive coordinator in Kansas City and with his pass catching ability, Charles is certainly a fit in the offense.
But I’m staying away.
Charles has basically missed the last two years due to injury. He tore his ACL in 2015 and meniscus this past season. He also tore his ACL back in 2011. There’s also this year’s NFL running back draft class, which is flooded with talented prospects. Whether Philadelphia decides to take one in the first round in Dalvin Cook or Leonard Fournette falls, draft say Cristian McCaffrey in the second or go with an under-the-radar option like Jamaal Williams or Kareem Hunt in the middle rounds, this is the route to go.
I’d think the Birds learned their lesson after the Ryan Mathews experiment.
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