On the heels of Saquon Barkley’s historic 2024 season, the Philadelphia Eagles quietly retooled their depth chart at running back.
The team opted to cut ties with longtime Eagle Kenny Gainwell and replaced him with former Green Bay Packers veteran A.J. Dillon. Second-year back Will Shipley is expected to be the biggest beneficiary, jumping up to the No. 2 spot behind Barkley entering training camp.
The Eagles are now in their off period between spring minicamp and the start of training camp in mid-July, and what once seemed like a sure roster spot for Dillion is now being labeled a “question mark” by some close to the team.
In his updated 53-man roster projection, Josh Davis of The Philly Special Show has Dillon on the bubble to make the Eagles’ initial 53-man roster:
“A.J. Dillon continues to be a question mark,” Davis said, citing reports from spring practices. “Here’s where I’m at, though. We know that Philly is going to stay committed to the ground game, and let’s not forget what history says about a back’s effectiveness coming off the type of season that Saquon Barkley just had. Now, I’m not saying Saquon couldn’t buck that trend, but I’d much rather have some extra depth there in case of an injury, or simply to give (No.) 26 more of a breather.”
Here’s what we know about the Eagles’ current depth chart and roster battle at the running back spot. Barkley, Shipley and fullback Ben VanSumeren are the “locks.” Dillon will presumably battle with Keilan Robinson, a 2024 fifth-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars who was waived following OTAs, for the No. 3 spot.
The Eagles could value Dillon’s prowess in pass protection, and his 250-pound frame adds an element of power to their backfield that hasn’t been there in recent seasons. Ultimately, this could come down to a numbers game, as Philly will almost certainly be keeping WR/RB combo Avery Williams as a return specialist.
Will the Eagles end up keeping four running backs (in addition to VanSumeren) or six wide receivers? Those questions likely won’t be answered until the end of training camp, when injured reserve spots and other factors could come into play.
Dillon missed all of the 2024 season with an injury and signed with Philly back in March for $1.3 million. Only $165,000 of that salary is guaranteed, though, so it’s certainly no guarantee that Dillon makes the initial 53 this August.
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