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Philadelphia Eagles: Pros and Cons of bringing Darren Sproles back

By Justin Grasso

ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 14: Darren Sproles #43 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs the ball during the second half against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome on September 14, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 14: Darren Sproles #43 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs the ball during the second half against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome on September 14, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 24: Darren Sproles
PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 24: Darren Sproles /

The Cons

1. He’s just not the same player anymore

For his first three seasons in Philly, I would go as far as saying Sproles might’ve been the best offensive weapon. He totaled for 2,286 scrimmage yards and 14 touchdowns. Not to mention, he was excellent in the return game too. Over the last two years though, Sproles saw a major dip in production. Granted, he was injured, but that goes hand in hand with saying he’s not the same.

Sproles is 36 years old and has played in nine games over the last two seasons. Many say he has plenty of gas left in the tank, but it’s hard to drive when the vehicle is always breaking down. A limited role could be effective for Sproles, but then that brings me to the next point.

2. The Eagles tend to rely on Sproles often

When Sproles is on the field, the Eagles like to get him the ball. Although he’s probably a solid decoy since he can be such a threat to the defense, oftentimes it seems like the Eagles force him the ball when it isn’t necessary. The numbers won’t show that since he’s got such a small sample size over the last couple of seasons due to injury, but the idea is not far fetched.

All year long in 2018, the Eagles were getting solid usage out of making Josh Adams the feature back. Once Sproles returned to the field though, Adams quickly saw a dip in his carries. By the time playoffs rolled around, the Eagles didn’t have plans to use him. Instead, Sproles became the No. 1 back and averaged 1.5 yards-per-carry in the postseason. Not great.

3. Too many backs can stunt the young guy’s growth

It’s no secret the Eagles have a lot of running backs. I’d go as far as saying they have too many running backs. It’s understandable they want to utilize the committee, but sometimes the committee just confuses the entire offense. In this case, adding Sproles could hurt the offense. Don’t kid yourself if you believe the Eagles re-signed Sproles just to return punts. This guy is going to have a role on offense one way or another.

Not only does Sproles’ roster spot eliminate a younger guy such as Wendell Smallwood, Corey Clement, Josh Adams, or Boston Scott — but it also takes away potential production from some of the Eagles young hopeful stars such as Miles Sanders or Jordan Howard. Having Sanders and Howard as a one-two punch followed by Clement as the third back felt like a great situation.

Now that Sproles is in the mix though, one or two of these guys are going to see fewer snaps, which is disappointing considering Sproles is not the same player that he used to be. It may pain some to admit this, but Corey Clement as the third back is just as good, if not better than Sproles as the third back. Just remember, one of those guys were in the Super Bowl MVP conversation. The other was sidelined due to injury.

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