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Could Jamaal Charles still be an option for the Eagles?

By Justin Grasso

Oct 11, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (25) stretches out before the game against the Chicago Bears at Arrowhead Stadium. The Bears won 18-17. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 11, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (25) stretches out before the game against the Chicago Bears at Arrowhead Stadium. The Bears won 18-17. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /
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After the 2017 NFL Draft, the Eagles still don’t seem to have the running back position figured out, so could Jamaal Charles be an option?

Going into the draft, the Philadelphia Eagles knew they had a few key positions that needed to be addressed. With Ryan Mathews’ future with the organization still in question, the Eagles were expected to find their next workhorse back. Three rounds came and went, and running backs were flying off of the board. The Eagles didn’t seem eager to trade up for one until the fourth round. When they finally did, San Diego State‘s Donnel Pumphrey was an Eagle.

Pumphrey had 1,059 carries at the collegiate level, but his lack of size may affect his workload at the NFL level. If Mathews ends up getting cut or traded, the Eagles’ depth chart at running back will include Darren Sproles, Wendell Smallwood and Pumphrey. It’s been a long three days, and the Eagles still seem to need help at the running back position.

The market is still open…

One name that comes up when you think of available running backs is former Kansas City Chiefs star Jamaal Charles. The Eagles haven’t publicly pursued Charles, but Eagles head coach Doug Pederson told the media at the beginning of free agency that he would take a look at Charles’ as a possible option. For whatever reason, recently, the rumors of doing so went quiet.

The Eagles will be heading into OTA’s soon with their rookies and veterans, and they may want to think about adding a veteran to help the younger backs on the roster. Pederson praised Charles saying “he is a tremendous running back”. Unfortunately, with his injury history, quite a few teams have backed off from pursuing him. Charles is, no doubt, itching to get on an NFL roster. His agent David Mulugheta posted a video on Twitter reminding everyone that Charles is still working.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea for the Eagles to pursue Charles. He may not be the same back he was in 2014, but he could still be a valuable addition for this season. The Eagles’ 2017 draft class may have patched up a few holes on defense. Now, they need to patch up some holes in the offensive backfield. There’s been no word yet on whether Charles and the Eagles have been talking, but it could be a possibility very soon.

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