The Eagles Wire is equally complicit in driving the train for GM Howie Roseman to draft Bijan Robinson at No. 10 overall in the first round on Thursday night.
From an overall value standpoint, it didn’t make much sense regardless of Philadelphia owning two first-round picks.
The constant debate centered around Robinson potentially being a generational talent at running back. The Eagles had a Super Bowl window while the All-American was on his rookie deal.
Atlanta ended the drama, drafting Robinson at No. 8 overall, and then Philadelphia traded up to No. 9 overall to select Jalen Carter.
For the Bijan Robinson to #Eagles sycophants:
Howie Roseman was never going to expend a high draft pick on a RB. There are far too many cost-effective ways to address the position.
And with Swift, they now have an established two-way RB playing in a contract year. https://t.co/iHU2zM9Gyy
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) April 29, 2023
The defending NFC champion Eagles have significantly retooled the running back position after Miles Sanders departed in free agency for the Carolina Panthers. They signed former Seattle Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny to a one-year deal in March.
Then on Saturday, the final day of the NFL draft, Roseman bypassed drafting a running back, trading two late-round picks to Detroit for an established player in D’Andre Swift.
Swift and Penny are joining a running back room with returning contributors Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott.
On Saturday, the Eagles’ GM said this about the current state of ball carriers in Philadelphia.
“We liked our running backs,” Roseman said. “We didn’t go into the draft feeling like this was the position we had to have, but we felt like this player was somebody who could really add to our culture and add to our team.”
Swift, only 24 years old, rushed for 542 yards and five touchdowns on 99 carries (5.5 YPC) in 14 games last season and added 48 catches for 389 yards and three scores.
Like Penny, he suffered injuries and missed three regular-season games in 2022. A second-round pick in 2020, Swift has rushed for 1,680 yards and 18 touchdowns over three seasons.
“He’s got big-play ability as a runner and a receiver,” Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said on ESPN’s draft broadcast. “We saw it firsthand when we were in Detroit the first game of the season [in 2022].”
Robinson may go on to be an all-time player in the NFL. Still, he’s unlikely to outrush Philadelphia’s stable of running backs in 2023 while accruing wear and tear as a critical offensive piece for the rebuilding Atlanta Falcons.
Robinson will earn $21 million over five years of his rookie deal with the Falcons and land a signing bonus of $12 million.
If the former Longhorns star comes close to matching the 3,708 yards and 20 touchdowns that Miles Sanders amassed here in Philadelphia, then he’ll be in line for another contract worth upwards of $40 million in 2028.
That’s a minimum of $60 million that Howie Roseman can invest elsewhere.
In 2023, even with the addition of Swift, Eagles running backs will outrush their NFL counterparts while allocating a little over $8 million salary to the position.