Former Wisconsin running back Corey Clement’s future was unknown entering this offseason after an injury-riddled 2019 campaign…
Former Wisconsin running back Corey Clement‘s future was unknown entering this offseason after an injury-riddled 2019 campaign.
Yesterday that future became a little more clear as Clement signed a one-year contract with the team he helped lead to a Super Bowl in 2017, the Philadelphia Eagles.
The New Jersey native will play the 2020 season under a league-minimum contract, something in the neighborhood of $830,000, after the Eagles chose not to tender the running back while they awaited news about his shoulder injury.
This decision saved the Eagles more than 1.3 million, as had they not let the running back test the free agent market while rehabbing from his shoulder injury his 2020 salary would have been close to $2.1 million.
His reunion with the Eagles is probably the best move for his future, as while he battles to re-establish himself after two injury-riddled seasons he knows the Eagles’ system well and knows what roles best fit his skillset, a skillset that was on full display during his rookie season.
That season saw the New Jersey native burst onto the scene after being signed as an undrafted free agent after the 2017 NFL Draft.
He made the roster as a depth option at running back but, when Darren Sproles got injured and Donnel Pumphrey struggled to see the field, he received an early opportunity to make an impact and capitalized on that opportunity.
The highlight of his first stint in Philadelphia came in Super Bowl LII when he caught four passes for 100 yards and a touchdown, good enough to be considered the runner-up for Super Bowl MVP behind quarterback Nick Foles.
The Eagles have a solid young running back core in Miles Sanders and Boston Scott, but a role for Clement exists if he is able to stay healthy.
Corey Clement came to Wisconsin in 2013 as a four-star running back and the fifth-highest recruit from his home state of New Jersey…
[lawrence-newsletter]
Corey Clement came to Wisconsin in 2013 as a four-star running back and the fifth-highest recruit from his home state of New Jersey.
The Glassboro, N.J. product took no time finding a role for coach Gary Andersen’s team and he finished his freshman season with 547 rushing yards, good for third-highest on the team, a clip of 8.2 yards-per-carry and seven touchdowns in only eight games.
Clement then saw his role increase his sophomore season, still under Andersen, as he went on to play in all 14 games and carry the ball 147 times for 949 yards, 6.5 yards-per-carry and nine touchdowns in addition to catching 14 passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns.
The running back’s development and upward trajectory pointed towards an extremely productive year entering his junior season in 2015. Unfortunately, due to injuries Clement only saw the field during four games during the campaign and finished with just 48 carries for 221 yards.
Then along came 2016, the season that got Clement’s foot in the door at the next level.
Clement carried the ball 314 times during the impressive 11-3 season for the Badgers and finished the year with 1375 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground in addition to 12 catches for 132 receiving yards, good all together for over 1500 yards from scrimmage on 326 touches.
While Clement’s impressive career totals of 3092 yards and 36 touchdowns do not compare to those of former Badger greats at the position including Melvin Gordon III, Montee Ball, James White and Jonathan Taylor, his senior year performance caught the eyes of the NFL scouts and helped to get him signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent.
Despite Philadelphia having a plethora of running backs in their preseason training camp, the former Badger made the team as the fifth running back and special teamer. Then, thanks to some breaks and a few highlight plays, Clement found his way into the starting rotation and capitalized on his opportunity.
These breaks included a season-ending injury to veteran Darren Sproles and overall poor play from other running backs Donnel Pumphrey and Wendell Smallwood. And the highlight play, seen at the end of the drive in the video below, became Clement’s breakthrough moment as he became the go-to third down back for coach Doug Pederson’s offense.
Foreseen by nobody as the season approached, Clement landing in Philadelphia created a perfect storm for the former Badger as the Eagles went on to win the Super Bowl and he received the opportunity to produce on the world’s biggest stage, production which came via a different method than that from his college career.
Everybody knows that Clement was the guy who took the direct snap during Pederson’s famous “Philly Special” and set the play in motion. What isn’t as recognized from the game is his four catches for a team-leading 100 receiving yards and an incredible receiving touchdown midway through the third quarter, numbers which made him the runner-up in the Super Bowl MVP award race behind quarterback Nick Foles.
Unlike in college when he was utilized mostly in the ground game, Philadelphia’s Super Bowl game plan saw Clement receive five targets for, again, four catches, 100 yards and an impressive touchdown.
This performance was more than enough to solidify the former Badger’s roster spot on the team the following year as the Eagles looked to return to Super Bowl glory.
After his rookie year success, the 2018 and 2019 campaigns became a completely different story for Clement.
In addition to finding himself third on the running back depth chart to start the 2018 season, Clement’s production and efficiency dropped significantly during the playing time he did receive before he experienced a season-ending knee injury in Week 12.
Clement’s final touch during the Week 12 contest in Dallas, a four yard loss, became the final rush he would receive with the Eagles as he proceeded to miss the rest of the 2018 season and find himself on the injured reserve again in 2019 after he suffered a shoulder in Week 2.
After a promising start to his Eagle career as a rookie, Clement quickly lost footing with the team and after the 2019 season became an unrestricted free agent.
As of today the former Badger remains unsigned, though I will not be surprised if he receives another shot in the league with a training camp invite come August.
In a move that could be deemed shocking to many, the Eagles have announced that they’ll part ways with Super Bowl hero Corey Clement, choosing not to tender the restricted free agent.
#Eagles will not place RFA tender on RB Corey Clement.
Clement is scheduled to become a free agent at 4 pm on Wednesday.
Jets Wire takes a look at five running backs the Jets should target in free agency this offseason.
In 2019, the Jets ranked fourth in the NFL behind the Los Angeles Rams, Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots in terms of running back spending by cap dollars. New York allocated over $10 million to five different backs.
Now, with Le’Veon Bell’s at the top of the depth chart, New York ranks only second to Los Angeles in spending by cap dollars at the position. Gang Green will be searching for a backup to its All-Pro back, as Ty Montgomery was ineffective in limited use and Bilal Powell is getting up there in age.
Jalin Moore, an undrafted free agent out of Appalachian State, Josh Adams, Trenton Cannon and Kenneth Dixon still remain on the roster, but none of them have proven they can be a legitimate option behind Bell. The Jets need experience there, and free agency is the best place to find it.
With that said, here are five backup running backs the Jets should target in free agency.
Jordan Howard
(Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports)
When healthy, Jordan Howard was the perfect complement to Eagles rookie Miles Sanders.
Joe Douglas was part of the Chicago Bears personnel department that took Howard in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Douglas was then with the Philadelphia front office that sent a sixth-round pick to Chicago for Howard. If nothing else, the connections to Howard are there.
Howard appeared in 10 games and recorded 525 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns in 2019. He missed six games after suffering a shoulder injury in Week 9.
Howard is by no means flashy and won’t get any premier offers to be a team’s No. 1 back, but he’s proven to be a perfect complementary piece. He would pair excellently with Le’Veon Bell. The problem the Jets face is if Howard is willing to see a decrease in snaps due to Bell’s workhorse nature. That remains to be seen, but the Jets should definitely attempt to court Howard in free agency regardless.
4 positions for the Eagles that don’t need much attention in 2020
The Philadelphia Eagles are set to make sweeping changes to their roster, but they can be confident in what they have in certain positions.
The Eagles will likely overhaul things at wide receiver and cornerback, but there are several key positions that will only require minor changes or some subtle additions.
Here are four positions for the Eagles that don’t need much attention during the 2020 offseason.
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1. Quarterback
Carson Wentz is coming off arguably his best and most complete season as a pro. Wentz started all, 16 regular-season games, became the franchise’s first 4,000-yard passer and led the Eagles to another division title.
Nate Sudfeld didn’t play this season, but he’s still a capable quarterback and will probably be better served to return to the Eagles rather than seeking a starting spot in free agency.
