The rival New York Giants have made a few interesting transactions this week that should have the Philadelphia Eagles' attention.
New York landed a running back well-known in Pennsylvania and brought in a former Eagles player.
With the returning duo of Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy set to lead their running back group, new head coach John Harbaugh and company scooped free agent Najee Harris off the open market. In addition to Harris, the Giants also landed a familiar name to Philadelphia Eagles fans, inking linebacker Chandler Martin to a one-year deal.
Giants add two new players, as they try to keep pace with the Eagles
With four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons while in Pittsburgh, Harris made a minimal impact playing for Jim Harbaugh's San Diego Chargers last season, notching just 61 yards on 15 carries before succumbing to an Achilles injury.
Fans know well enough by now that Harbaugh has always had an affinity for punishing backs. Of course, Derrick Henry immediately comes to mind, but through the years he's leaned on the likes of Mark Ingram and Willis McGahee, while he also brought the bruising fullback Patrick Ricard with him to New York via Baltimore.
At 6-foot-1 and 242 pounds, Harris brings physicality to the table for the new regime in New York, adding another back to the mix while potentially pushing veteran backup Devin Singletary out of the picture.
One thing is for certain: Harbaugh is looking to establish a grueling ground game in New York now. While Tracy offers more quickness in the Giants' backfield, the trio of Skattebo, Ricard, and Harris is going to be knocking heads and looking to move not only the chains but bodies as well for that offense.
He's still not all the way back from that tough Achilles injury, but Harris could become a viable weapon within the NFC East before long.
Meanwhile, like Ricard, Martin brings strong Baltimore ties with him to Big Blue, but two very short stints in Philadelphia made this move a bit more intriguing than usual. Martin was, of course, cut twice by the Eagles, but is a talented linebacker who can serve as a special teams standout at full health.
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The second-year man out of the University of Memphis will add depth to the NYG linebackers unit, keeping a former Eagle in the NFC East this coming season.
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