Countdown to Kickoff: Profile on Philadelphia Eagles No. 43 Darren Sproles

The Countdown to Kickoff series continues on with a look at Philadelphia Eagles running back Darren Sproles whose versatile skill-set makes him a big-time offensive weapon.

There are exactly 43 days until the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers open up the 2016 NFL regular season with a Super Bowl rematch. In the meantime, we at NFL Spin Zone are going to profile a player each day as we countdown the days to kickoff.

The Countdown to Kickoff series began with a look at No. 99 Joey Bosa and has continued on everyday since (check out all of the posts here).

Related Story: 2017 NFL Mock Draft

Upcoming Olympian/New England Patriots safety Nate Ebner was considered here, as was Cincinnati Bengals young safety George Iloka, but a well-known offensive weapon made the most sense.

Let’s take a look at Philadelphia Eagles running back Darren Sproles.

Sproles is about to enter the 11th season of his NFL career, including the third as a member of the Eagles. Sproles is not a traditional running back in any sense of the position, but he is an incredibly quick and elusive player who can impact the game in many ways.

More from Philadelphia Eagles

• Philadelphia Eagles just won the offseason NFL uniform competition
• 2023 NFL Predictions: Every Divisional Winner for the 2023 Season
• Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts keeps things in perspective
• 2023 NFL Season: Way too early picks for division winners
• Biggest Strength and Weakness for each NFC East team in 2023

Whether it is in the run game, as a receiver out of the backfield or as a returner, Sproles’ elite-level elusiveness and change of direction quickness makes him an incredible weapon with the ball in his hands.

The Eagles traded away running back DeMarco Murray this off season, with the only running back who they acquired being fifth-round rookie Wendell Smallwood. Sproles is undoubtedly going to be counted on heavily to help pick up the slack.

Ryan Mathews will likely be listed as the starter at the running back position on the depth chart, but Sproles is likely to be just as important of a player in the mix.

New Eagles head coach Doug Pederson comes to the team after leading the Kansas City Chiefs offense as their offensive coordinator the past three season. While in Kansas City, Pederson created a successful offense around running back Jamaal Charles, consistently putting him in ideal situations to make plays out of the backfield.

More from NFL Spin Zone

• Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
• Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
• Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
• Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
• Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens

While Charles is more of a full-time back than Sproles, I think we will see Pederson get Sproles involved in a similar manner. Pederson used Charles effectively in both the running game and as a strong receiver out of the backfield, successfully putting him in position to succeed by using his elite-level speed and elusiveness.

With some of the same qualities as Charles, Sproles could be used in a similar role. Obviously he is not going to become a full-time 20-carry a game running back overnight, but Sproles has a special skill-set that will be important in the Eagles’ offense.

The Eagles really do not have many big-time weapons in their offensive arsenal this season, but Sproles could easily step in to a major role and become one. If Pederson can successfully get him into space, then Sproles has the raw ability to make magic happen.

must read NFL: NFL All-Under-25 Team

Darren Sproles has a chance to become the single most productive and explosive offensive player for the Philadelphia Eagles this season.