Over the next three or so weeks (basically whenever there isn't other news to cover), we'll take a look at every player on the Philadelphia Eagles' roster, and how they fit with the team heading into training camp. Today we'll look at the running backs.

First, the depth chart:

There's a good chance that the Eagles will only keep three running backs on their initial 53-man roster, barring surprise exceptional preseason performances by Milton, Davis-Price, or Nichols.

Saquon Barkley

The Eagles' biggest financial investment in free agency was on edge rusher Bryce Huff, but Barkley was easily the biggest splash from a recognizable name perspective.

He was a rookie phenom after the Giants (insanely) made him the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, racking up 2028 yards from scrimmage and 15 TDs, taking home NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. In 2020, however, he tore an ACL, missing 14 games, and he had a down year in 2021 coming off of that injury. 

In 2022, Barkley had a comeback season, gaining 1650 yards from scrimmage and 10 rushing touchdowns while serving as the best offensive weapon on a Giants team that surprisingly went to the playoffs.

In 2023, the Giants franchise tagged Barkley to his dismay. He still showed up for training camp anyway and played the good soldier. During the season, the Giants cycled through three ineffective quarterbacks, and there were times when the Giants' offense was so bad that they simply gave the ball to Barkley over and over against stacked boxes. In 14 games, he carried 247 times for 962 yards and 6 TDs, with a yards per carry average of 3.89. While 3.89 yards per carry certainly isn't good, it was a hell of a lot better than all the other Giants' backs, none of whom rushed for better than 2.82 yards per carry.

Barkley's career rushing stats: 

And as a receiver: 

While not as explosive as he was earlier in his career, Barkley is still a complete back who can run inside, run outside, catch passes out of the backfield, and pass protect. Given the out-of-character money they spent on a running back, the Eagles no doubt view Barkley as a threat both as a runner and as a receiver. Receiving production from running backs was missing almost entirely from the Eagles' offense in 2023. 

In Philadelphia, Barkley will have a chance to run behind a good offensive line for the first time in his career. The 2023 Giants gave up 85 sacks, the second most in NFL history, and they weren't much better blocking in the run game.

Kenny Gainwell

The coaching staff seems to like Gainwell more than the media and fans, seeing as he began the 2023 season as the RB1. He lost that role after D'Andre Swift had two early-season monster performances against the Vikings and Buccaneers.

Gainwell then resumed his role as the third down / two-minute offense guy, and was otherwise also sprinkled in on occasion. His career rushing numbers are actually quite respectable.

Some fans have grown distasteful of Gainwell through no fault of his own because the offensive staff has overrated him, often giving him the ball in odd, out-of-place situations. For example, Gainwell somehow got 23 red zone carries in 2023. He had just 53 yards on those carries, for 2.3 YPC.

However, if properly used, Gainwell is fine as a second back. He is in the final year of his rookie contract.

Will Shipley

The Eagles drafted Shipley in the fourth round of the 2024 draft. 

In college, he was an immediate contributor in Clemson's offense as a freshman, and he had a big sophomore season when he rushed for 1182 yards and 15 TDs. His junior season was somewhat disappointing on a Clemson team that was no longer the powerhouse it once was. His career numbers as a runner:

And as a receiver: 

He also returned 34 kicks for 904 yards (26.6 avg) and 0 TDs during his college career.

Shipley has some versatility as a runner, receiver, and returner, and he ran a 4.39 40 at his pro day. He makes sense as an eventual RB2, especially with Gainwell in the final year of his contract in 2024, as noted above. A highlight reel: