D’Andre Swift excelled in his first season with the Philadelphia Eagles in the City of Brotherly Love. The team brought him in to replace Miles Sanders, and he much exceeded expectations.
Swift rushed for 1,049 yards and five touchdowns in 16 games (15 starts), while also catching 39 passes for 214 yards and one touchdown as a receiver. Unfortunately, he appears to be headed for free agency this offseason. While the Birds should make every effort to re-sign him, there is no assurance that they will be successful.
Let’s say he does sign elsewhere. Here are three prospective alternatives that the Eagles might sign in free agency. Some have already been discussed alongside Philadelphia.
Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
There are genuine reasons to be skeptical about adding Henry at this point in his career, including his advanced age (30) and the wear and stress that his body has already undergone. One cannot dismiss the possibility of injury or a decline in production; both are plausible possibilities.
He has yet to show indications of slowing down, which suggests that he still has a couple of [very] productive seasons ahead of him. After all, he is coming off a Pro Bowl season with the Tennessee Titans.
This season, he started all 17 games for Tennessee and put up some impressive numbers. On 280 attempts, he gained 1,167 yards, for an average of 4.2 yards per carry. He also had 214 receiving yards and scored 12 touchdowns. He didn’t look like someone who was running out of petrol.
Putting King Henry behind Philadelphia’s formidable offensive line may even help to extend his career. In addition, his pass-catching abilities might make him a good fit opposite Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia’s rebuilt offence under new coach Kellan Moore.
Austin Ekeler, San Diego Chargers.
Austin Ekeler’s tenure with the San Diego Chargers is drawing to a close. He made it fairly plain.
“I’m not going to be with these guys anymore, and it’s one of those journeys that I’ll always remember, but I’m sad that it has to come to an end,” Ekeler said last month after Los Angeles’ season concluded.
Perhaps he will continue his career with the Eagles. According to David Kenyon of Bleacher Report, Ekeler would fit quite well in Philadelphia.
“When healthy, [Ekeler] remains a valuable and versatile back,” Kenyon previously stated. “The question is how the 28-year-old is balancing duty, money, and team contention on what is likely to be his final lucrative contract.
“Dallas, for example, might offer $7-8 million a year to make an impression. Philly is an excellent fit, yet it seems likely that the offer will be for one year.”
Perhaps the most significant advantage of potentially adding Ekeler to the Eagles is his ability to catch passes out of the backfield. Ekeler had more than 50 receptions and 400 receiving yards in each of his previous five seasons. He has also scored 30 receiving touchdowns during his career.
Ekeler is the definition of a dual-threat back, and given that Philadelphia’s offence is expected to place a greater emphasis on the screen game in the future, Ekeler may be an ideal fit.
Devin Singletary, Houston Texans.
Devin Singletary’s name isn’t as memorable as the last two on this list, but he may still be an excellent and cost-efficient addition to the Eagles’ roster.
Although not as explosive as Henry or Ekeler, Singletary might be a more cost-effective choice for Philadelphia, freeing up salary cap room for the team to spend elsewhere, such as cornerbacks or linebackers.
Despite never reaching 1,000 yards rushing in a season, Singletary has been a highly effective athlete. Last season, he recorded 898 running yards and 193 receiving yards in Houston, with an average of more than four yards per carry and six yards per reception.
Plus, playing any back behind Philadelphia’s great offensive line should help that back look good and produce results. Consider what it did for Swift last season. After three seasons in Detroit, Swift moved to Philadelphia and enjoyed by far his best season. Perhaps the same thing will happen to Singletary.
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