Philadelphia Eagles: 3 Big takeaways from win vs. Giants in Week 6
By Jeremy Klump
3. Quarterback > Running Back
In Week 5, Eagles running back Jay Ajayi tore his ACL and is now out for the season. It led to a lot of rumors and speculation that the Eagles would trade for a running back because they now need one.
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Well, that may be true on paper, but one big takeaway from the game on Thursday night was that if you have an elite quarterback, it does not matter who your running back is. And if you have a quarterback that should retire, it does not matter if you have the greatest running back to enter the NFL.
What I am referring to, if you do not get what I am saying, is that Carson Wentz had undrafted free agent Corey Clement and 2016 fifth round pick Wendell Smallwood in his backfield on Thursday, while Eli Manning had Saquon Barkley. The No. 2 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft had 229 total yards and a score, which is amazing against the Eagles defense, but his team still got crushed. Smallwood and Clement combined for 120 total yards and a score and they won by 21.
What does this all mean? The Eagles do not need to trade for a running back. If they do, there is nothing wrong with it, but when you have a player like Wentz under center, you can get away without having a superstar at running back. Le’Veon Bell would obviously help the Eagles offense, but they may have bigger problems than running back this season. It also shows that the Giants better hit on a quarterback in the 2019 NFL Draft or selecting Barkley was a huge mistake.