Adrian Fedkiw
It’s a tear.
Doug Pederson wanted to make it known and shot down any “phantom IR” speculation questions about Donnel Pumphrey’s hamstring on Monday. Jeff McLane and Marcus Hayes kept peppering Pederson with the questions and Doug stood firm.
Take a listen.
The Eagles traded up in the fourth round to select the FBS’ all-time leading rusher Pumphrey and despite how atrocious he looked this preseason, the team kept five running backs and Pumphrey made the team. Many speculated that the “phantom IR” situation would come into play and when Pumphrey injured himself, it’s exactly what people assumed. Pumphrey carried the ball 26 times for only 49 yards during the preseason, a putrid 1.9 yards per carry. He tied fellow fourth-round rookie Mack Hollins for the team’s preseason receptions lead, but Hollins’ 13 catches went for 139 yards as opposed to Pumphrey’s 72.
Undrafted running back Corey Clement on the other hand totaled 105 yards on 28 attempts and looks like the better back right now. The game looks too fast for Pumphrey at the moment, and Pederson had a lot of plans for him. He had him lining up in the slot, with Darren Sproles in pony packages and in the backfield during OTAs and Training Camp. That’s a lot to digest for a rookie. I wouldn’t give up on him yet, but he certainly has a long, long way to go.
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