Philadelphia Eagles: The return of Pumphrey could hurt Adams this week

The two things standing in the way of Josh Adams making the Philadelphia Eagles roster is his health and Donnel Pumphrey.

The days are ticking down as the NFL season opener begins next Thursday. So we all know what this week calls for; Crazy final 53-man roster predictions, and tons of trades and releases. Although the Philadelphia Eagles don’t have any potential moves that could shock the fan base, they do have a few tough decisions to make regarding some critical position battles that we paid close attention to over the course of the offseason.

One of the most significant battles on the Eagles has been the running back position. No, not the starting running back job, but the fourth, or maybe even fifth running back slot on the roster. It’s no secret that the Eagles like to use a heavy rotation of runners, so the guy buried on the depth chart could potentially be just as crucial as the starter in some scenarios.

Last year, the Eagles were in a pickle as they had to decide on whether they should keep Donnel Pumphrey or Corey Clement on the roster. Somehow, both guys ended up making the team, and Pumphrey would eventually get put on the Injured Reserve, which put his rookie year on hold.

This season, Pumphrey walked into the Nova Care Complex with a different attitude. It was apparent that Pumphrey had a chip on his shoulder from all of the talks outside of the complex, but another set of injuries would keep Pumphrey out of the games for three-quarters of the preseason. This week, Pumphrey is set to make his 2018 debut against the New York Jets.

What does Pumphrey’s return mean for others?

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Third-year veteran running back, Wendell Smallwood took reigns of the backfield this preseason. Just like he has in the past three preseasons, Smallwood has looked decent. He was never exactly a standout, but he gets the job when called upon.

The only issue surrounding Smallwood is his health, and his ability to make big plays at times. If final cuts were today, Smallwood most likely makes the team. But after this week’s game, many are hoping to see Eagles undrafted rookie Josh Adams stand out from the bunch. Unfortunately, two obstacles are standing in the way of Adams chances of making the roster. One obstacle being his struggles to stay healthy. And the other being the Eagles curiosity of Donnel Pumphrey.

The Eagles were excited for Pumphrey all throughout the offseason, but they never got to utilize his improved skill set in an actual game yet. Considering this could be their final shot to see what they have in the second-year veteran, there’s a good chance that we see a ton of Pumphrey this week, which will cut into Adams’ opportunities.

What do the Eagles think of Adams?

If we’re honest, the Eagles don’t seem as high on Adams as the fan base is. Before issuing the undrafted rookie his four carries this past week, Doug Pederson attempted to use a ton of Smallwood, and even a significant amount of Matt Jones, despite his early game hiccups.

This week’s game will be the deciding factor, but it could quickly end up being a solo tryout for Pumphrey. If that’s the case and Pumphrey displays his upside as expected, we could see Adams get waived and sent to the practice squad. It was shocking enough to see Adams go undrafted, but it would be incredibly surprising to see him go unclaimed.

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The bottom line is that if Pumphrey somehow wins a spot based off of his performance this Thursday, we can assume that Adams will end up signing elsewhere eventually. Considering that the Eagles may be more intrigued with Pumphrey’s special teams value, it wouldn’t come as a surprise that the Eagles give him another chance and stash him away for another season.

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