Philadelphia Eagles: Best Backfield In The NFL?

When Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly gained full control of all personnel decisions, many questioned whether or not it was the right move for the franchise. Kelly has only been coaching in the NFL for two seasons and has already made his fair share or controversial moves. One of the most questionable moves Kelly made was trading superstar running back LeSean McCoy for injury prone inside linebacker Kiko Alonso.

But Kelly had a plan at running back, he wanted to bring in more “one-cut, north/south runners” that were powerful and could hit a hole instead of dancing in the backfield. By signing DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews, Kelly brought in two of the better running backs that fit that mold in the entire league. Yet despite these moves, are the Eagles in a better situation than they were with McCoy in the backfield?

Well according to Marc Sessler of NFL.com, the Eagles haven’t only improved at running back this offseason but they have the best backfield in the NFL. Here’s exactly what Sessler and Daniel Jeremiah had to say about the Eagles’ group of running backs:

"1. Eagles: DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews, Darren Sproles, Kenjon Barner, Matthew TuckerPhilly’s deep and diverse backfield sits out there as the NFL’s finest in my book. Coming off his league-leading 392 carries last season, DeMarco Murray gives Chip Kelly the kind of one-cut runner he didn’t see in LeSean McCoy. Still, look for Ryan Mathews to serve a much bigger role than some expect with the Eagles. ESPN’s Louis Riddick came away from team OTAs saying: “Murray gets the headlines, but Ryan Mathews looks very good. And they like him. A lot.”Kelly also has Sproles to lean on, but after averaging just 3.8 carries per game, the 31-year-old back told Philly.com in May: “They told me that my role wouldn’t change.” Sproles has talked with Kelly, though, about using him more on passing downs, which can be expected this season.» NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah, a former scout for the Ravens, Browns and Eagles, also placed Philly at No. 1, saying: “Murray gets all the headlines and attention, but I’m even more intrigued to see what the role is for Mathews and Sproles. The way they do it, you go out there for a series. I think it’s going to be a good fit. I kind of worry about those secondary runners when you get a carry here, a carry there. But the Eagles with their tempo, (Mathews is) going to get a full series and he’s going to get a chance to get into a rhythm.”"

As Sessler mentioned, I also expect Mathews to be featured a bit more than people may think. They gave him quite a large contract for a player that many are expecting to just see a handful of carries each game. There’s a good chance that Murray, Mathews and Sproles all see the field throughout the game and each get at least 10 touches with Murray being the “workhorse” of the group.

It’s interesting that Jeremiah points out what Mathews and Sproles’ exact roles will be. Mathews is almost the same exact back as Murray but Sproles is completely different. He can line-up in the slot at wide receiver or also be a bit more of a shiftier runner than the other two are. Either way, it’ll be interesting to see Sproles’ role after appearing to fall out of favor last year to running back Chris Polk, who is now on the Houston Texans.

During the beginning of last season, Sproles seemed to be a key part of the Eagles’ attack on offense before dropping out of the rotation for no apparent reason. Hopefully he can be used on the field once again and not just as a punt returner. Either way, it looks like the arrow is pointing up for the Eagles’ backfield and it certainly could be the best unit in the NFL during the upcoming season.

Next: Philadelphia Eagles: What's The Plan At Inside Linebacker?

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