Most improved position groups in the NFL heading into the 2019 season

#3 Eagles running backs

I was going back and forth between the Eagles and the Ravens about who improved their backfield the most because both of them added a tough, hard-nosed veteran RB and a really talented rookie this offseason after I thought that they didn’t have anybody special at the position last year. I ended up going with the Eagles because of the lack of production we saw from them and the chaos they had on a weekly basis, not knowing who might emerge amongst that group.

Jay Ajayi looked slow and just couldn’t give you more than he was handed by the O-line, Corey Clement could not make the jump I expected him to and rookie Josh Adams was actually the most productive guy on that roster. Don’t get me wrong, Adams is a fine runner and he broke several long runs for Notre Dame his final year in college, but I always thought he was more of a straight-line speed guy, who didn’t see the field as well and couldn’t really create on his own.

So about a month before the draft, Howie Roseman saw the opportunity to trade a conditional sixth-round pick to the Bears for a guy in Jordan Howard, who was ultra-productive over his first two years in the league, but clearly wasn’t part of the plan that Matt Nagy had in Chicago. And when the draft rolled the Eagles selected Penn State’s Miles Sanders in the second round. That kid has some of the special stuff to make things happen that I referred to.

Sanders has that combination of shiftiness and explosiveness, but also the physicality that I really like. Philly went from averaging 4.5 yards per carry in 2017 to only 3.9 last year and even though the O-line will have to get back to that level as well, they now have the guys carrying the rock to give them a strong rushing attack once again.