Eagles agreeing to terms with Saquon Barkley is a radical departure for Howie Roseman

Saquon Barkley isn’t a typical running back decision under Eagles GM Howie Roseman, but it could work like a charm.

Generally speaking, the Philadelphia Eagles under general manager Howie Roseman have not put big money into running backs. D’Andre Swift, who led the team in rushing yards last season, did so on a small one-year deal, and that’s been par for the course.

So, what do we make of the fact that former New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley has agreed to terms with the Eagles on a new contract… and on this new contract?

Barkley, selected second overall out of Penn State in the 2018 draft, won Offensive Rookie of the Year with a league-high 2,028 yards from scrimmage. Last season for the Giants, behind an offensive line that was… well, interesting, Barkley totaled 1,242 yards from scrimmage. He ran 247 times for 962 yards and six touchdowns, forcing 31 missed tackles and gaining more than 15 yards on running plays 12 times. Add in his value as a receiver, and if Barkley can stay healthy, this is a pretty big win for the Eagles.

And when you factor in Barkley’s ability to create explosive run plays out of read-option and RPO looks, this becomes a highly interesting fit, because Jalen Hurts forces defenses to go every which way as a runner on those types of plays.