Philadelphia Eagles add running back: 3 facts on Elijah Holyfield, 3 reactions

The Philadelphia Eagles added running back Elijah Holyfield to the nest on Tuesday. Here are three fun facts (and three immediate reactions that are more serious).

The Philadelphia Eagles juggled their roster slightly on the Tuesday leading up to Sunday’s Wildcard Round game versus the Seattle Seahawks. Another running back has been added to the nest. This one is Elijah Holyfield.

This is actually pretty interesting, especially since it’s someone who plays a skill position. Here are three fun facts as well as three thoughts of a more serious nature. Let’s do some housekeeping first.

Here are three immediate reactions

1. The injuries have yet to slow down.

At this point, you have to wonder if the injuries will ever slow down or if Philly will simply just run out of bodies as yet another Eagle heads to the IR. Daeshon Hall is the newest Eagle to have his season end early.

2. What does this mean for Miles Sanders and Jordan Howard?

Jordan Howard was cleared for contact before the New York Giants game but got no work. There’s a slight panic in the fan base that he may not be completely ready to go if the team needs him. As far as Miles Sanders is concerned, ankle injuries are scary, especially if we’re discussing running backs, but no one has said he won’t play. It sounds like he’s dealing with a sprain.

3. How much will Holyfield play in the Wildcard Round?

Based on history, we can probably gather that Philly plans to go with Sanders, Howard, and Boston Scott. Holyfield may only be seen in an emergency situation.

Now, let’s have a little fun.

1. Here’s one of those narratives that you’re probably sick of hearing.

This will probably get a lot of mention over the course of the next few days (as if it hasn’t been said enough already). Elijah Holyfield is the son of former professional World Champion boxer Evander Holyfield. He’s from College Park, Georgia and played his college ball for the Georgia Bulldogs.

2. Here’s a nice comparison that was made when he entered the NFL. 

Lance Zierlein does a great job with the draft profiles on NFL.com, and he didn’t slack off with his critique of Holyfield. Prior to April, he compared the young guy to Mark Ingram, stating the former Bulldog has an ‘aggressive running style but possesses the suddenness to elude tacklers and blow past linebackers’.

3. Here’s his NFL resume so far. 

Holyfield has yet to see any in-game action. Following the conclusion of the most recent NFL Draft, he signed with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent on April 29th. He was waived on September 1st but re-signed to the practice squad. The Eagles signed him to their active roster on December 31st. We’ll see if anything major comes from this one.