Physical Carlos Hyde would be an ideal addition for Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles could use a little more oomph when it comes to their running game. Could veteran Carlos Hyde be the right man for the job?
Back in 2017, only two teams in the NFL gained more yards on the ground than the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Led by the trio of LeGarrette Blount, Jay Ajayi and Corey Clement and a well-schooled offensive front, Doug Pederson’s team displayed great balance throughout the year. And on Super Sunday vs. the New England Patriots, the Birds exploited Bill Belichick’s defense for 164 yards rushing in the club’s rousing 41-33 victory.
But one year later, only four teams in the NFL gained fewer yards on the ground than the then-defending Super Bowl champions. The departure of Blount via free agency and an injury to Ajayi put the team in a rough spot.
Last offseason, the Eagles swung a deal for then-Chicago Bears’ running back Jordan Howard and also used a second-round pick on Penn State’s Miles Sanders. The former led the team in rushing touchdowns (6) but would be limited to 10 games but Sanders would lead the team with 818 yards on the ground. Philadelphia rebounded to run for 121.2 yards per game – 11th in the league.
Howard is now a member of the Miami Dolphins. Sanders returns, as do Boston Scott and Clement. But they are the only three running backs currently on the roster with an NFL carry. And as Adam Caplan mentioned last week on 97.3 ESPN, the team has veteran Carlos Hyde in mind.
He comes off a career year in 2019, running for 1,070 yards for the Houston Texans. And somewhat inexplicably, he has not been re-signed by the defending AFC South champions (who did, of course, swing a trade for former Cardinals’ running back David Johnson).
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Hyde has made the rounds in recent years but he would add a power dimension that would complement the speed of Sanders. He’s a move-the-chains kind of player who could help Pederson’s team control the football when it counts most.
And he could help the Eagles the kind of ground attack that was pivotal to the 2017 NFL championship campaign.