D'Andre Swift was very solid during his first season as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. The team brought him in to replace Miles Sanders, and he exceeded all expectations.
In 16 games (15 starts), Swift rushed for 1,049 yards and scored five touchdowns, He also caught 39 passes for 214 yards and reached the end zone once as a receiver. Unfortunately, he's headed for free agency this offseason. While the Birds should absolutely try to bring him back, there's no guarantee that they'll be able to do so.
If Swift does ultimately ink elsewhere, here's a look at three potential replacements that the Eagles could add via free agency. Some have been mentioned in conjunction with Philly before.
Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
There are certainly some legitimate reasons to be wary of adding Henry at this point in his career -- namely his advancing age (30) combined with all of the wear and tear that his body has already endured. One can't ignore the potential for injury or a potential drop-off in production are both realistic possibilities.
He has yet to show signs of slowing down, which makes you think that he should still have a couple of [very] productive seasons ahead of him. After all, he's coming off of a Pro Bowl campaign for the Tennessee Titans.
This past season, he started in all 17 games for Tennessee and he put up some big numbers. On 280 attempts he compiled 1,167 yards, which is an average of 4.2 yards per carry. He also added 214 receiving yards and scored 12 total touchdowns. He certainly didn't look like a guy who was running out of gas.
Putting King Henry behind Philadelphia's strong offensive line could even help to extend his career. Plus his ability as a pass-catcher could make him a nice fit alongside Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia's revamped offense under new coordinator Kellan Moore.
Austin Ekeler, San Diego Chargers
Austin Ekeler's time with the San Diego Chargers is coming to an end. He made that pretty clear.
“I’m not going to be with these guys anymore, and it’s one of those journeys that I’ll always remember but sad that it has to end,” Ekeler said last month following the conclusion of Los Angeles' season.
Perhaps he'll continue his career with the Eagles. Philadelphia would be a good fit for Ekeler, according to David Kenyon of Bleacher Report.
"When healthy, [Ekeler] remains a valuable and versatile back," Kenyon wrote recently. "The question is how the 28-year-old is balancing role, money or team contention on what's likely the final pricey contract of his career.
"Dallas, for instance, may offer $7-8 million per year to make a splash. Philly is a great fit, although likely on a one-year offer."
Perhaps the biggest benefit of potentially adding Ekeler for the Eagles is his ability to catch passes out of the backfield. Ekeler had over 50 receptions and over 400 receiving yards in each of his past five seasons. He's also scored 30 receiving touchdowns over the course of his career.
Ekeler is the definition of a dual-threat back, and since one can only assume that there will be an added emphasis on the screen game in Philadelphia's offense moving forward, Ekeler could prove to be an excellent fit.
Devin Singletary, Houston Texans
Devin Singletary isn't quite as splashy of a name as the previous two on this list, but he could still prove to be an effective addition for the Eagles -- and an economical one.
Although not quite as explosive as the likes of Henry of Ekeler, Singletary could prove to be a cheaper option for Philadelphia, which could in turn open up salary cap space for the team to use elsewhere -- like or cornerbacks or linebackers.
Despite never having reached the 1,000-yard rushing mark in a season, Singletary has still been a very productive player. He had 898 rushing yards and 193 receiving yards in Houston last season, while averaging over four yards per carry and six yards per reception.
Plus, putting any back behind Philadelphia's dominant offensive line should help that back to look good and put up numbers. Just look what it did for Swift last season. After three seasons in Detroit, Swift came to Philly and had the best season of his career, by far. Perhaps the same thing could happen to Singletary.