Eagles schedule: Realistic expectations for Kenneth Gainwell in year two

Here are a few ideas on a respectable workload for Kenneth Gainwell.

As mentioned earlier, much is expected of Kenneth Gainwell in year two. CBS Sports’ Patrik Walker named him as a breakout candidate for the coming NFL regular season. Recently, Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay echoed that sentiment by stating the same thing.

The only thing that can (and probably will) prevent anyone from buying into every theory that they hear about Kenny posting huge numbers is the knowledge that Miles Sanders is Philly’s starter. He’s also in a contract season.

Couple that with the fact that they’ll both share time in the backfield with Boston Scott and, possibility, undrafted rookie free agent Kennedy Brooks (if he battles his way onto the roster), and it’s easy to make arguments that we won’t see the Eagles relying on a heavy dosage of Number 14 on game days.

This isn’t a bad thing. The common recent criticism of the Eagles’ offensive attack has been it can often become bland and one-player reliant. With DeVonta Smith entering a sophomore season of his own, with the addition of A.J. Brown, and with Dallas Goedert entering his first season as the top tight end on the Eagles’ depth chart, there are plenty of options in the offensive attack.

Think of guys like Quez Watkins and Kenneth Gainwell as the icing on the cake rather than the focal points. Kenny will shine when given the opportunity. He may even start two or three games. With all due respect, it’s hard to imagine Miles Sanders completing a full 18-week, 17-game season. History has shown us that he may miss some games due to injury at some point.