2 Reasons to elevate Elijah Holyfield to this Philadelphia Eagles active roster

2. The Philadelphia Eagles need a power back who can pass protect.

Elijah Holyfield came out of Georgia which has been a running back factory in recent years with prospects like Todd Gurley, Nick Chubb, and DeAndre Swift. He’s more of a role player whereas those guys are lead backs but the Eagles don’t need Holyfield to be a lead back.

Coming into camp, he was considered the favorite for the fourth running back spot. He had been with the team since the end of the 2019 season so he had the most familiarity with the playbook. The ‘Birds’ also didn’t have a punishing back and Holyfield spent time with the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad so he had a bit of experience. Instead, the Eagles cut Holyfield along with Michael Warren and Adrian Killins, but he is still on the practice squad right now.

Defenses have been winning recently against the Eagles offensive line when they try to sneak Carson Wentz up the middle for first downs. Often, Sanders is making something out of nothing because of the lack of space created by the offensive line. It hasn’t been pretty. This is where Holyfield could contribute with his big frame and ability to keep his legs churning until he’s down. He’s a guy who can move the chains when called upon. His pass blocking ability was also something that scouts were highly impressed with during the draft process a couple of years ago.

Philly can’t afford to deal with Clement’s mistakes in pass protection and lack of production. It’s also questionable as to why Huntley has a roster spot at this point. Holyfield could make more of an impact in those three to six snaps that Clement is getting with his pass protection alone. He’s been in the building the whole season so he has to have a pretty good grasp on the playbook. They could feed him more if Sanders isn’t back soon. This week might be a good time to elevate him from the practice squad and see what he’s got.