To say the Eagles rushing attack has been lackluster this season would be an understatement. The emergence of Josh Adams in recent weeks has truly been a breath of fresh air to a backfield hampered by injury and a lack of implementation. Moving forward, the Birds don’t have a long term option at the position, or at least one they can hang their hat on. Of course, if any team were to take a chance on the recently cut Kareem Hunt, one would assume the Eagles are logically a perfect candidate. But unfortunately, it’s not that simple.
On the surface, it’s a match made in heaven. Hunt has dominated in Andy Reid’s offense which as we all know has extreme similarities to his the offense that his former Padwan, Doug Pederson, runs in Philly. This year alone, Hunt has accounted for 1,202 total yards (824 rushing and 378 receiving) with 14 touchdowns through 11 games. That’s the kind of production that would keep the weight off of Wentz’s shoulders and give Pederson confidence in balancing the offense, there’s no questioning that.
But this is a team that has done everything it can in recent years to rid the locker room of any players who aren’t fully ‘bought in’. The Kareem Hunt incident is extremely controversial and there are a multitude of viewpoints. Some believe Hunt should never play in the league again, others simply hope he gets the help he clearly needs before earning another chance. The fact of the matter is that regardless of whether you deem the incident to warrant a jail sentence, a lifelong suspension or none of these, it’s the smoke around the fire that’s more concerning for the Eagles.
The allegations that Hunt lied to the Chiefs with regards to the February incident are ultimately what led to his dismissal from the team, rather than the actions seen in the video. Frankly, that worries me, but that’s a topic for another article. That’s the type of behavior that Howie Roseman and Doug Pederson have done a tremendous job in eradicating.
If you think back to 2016 and how much the Eagles Head Coach had to put up with, it’s scary. From Umbrella incidents and the arresting and release of Josh Huff to strip club scandals, there was a lot to sift through. But with a few minor exceptions, that level of ‘drama’ has been sucked out of the locker room. Even when Daryl Worley was pulled over by the Police just days after he signed with the team, there was no hesitation in cutting him.
It’s easy to look at the Eagles franchise, remember names like ‘Mike Vick’ and just associate Philadelphia with being a ‘second-chance city’. I think to some degree, that’s true. But Hunt has now had a history of chances, all of which he’s thrown back in the face of the team. Vick served a jail sentence and underwent significant changes to prove to the world that he was a changed man. This incident is still so raw, Hunt hasn’t had a chance to do that yet.
The Eagles have placed a heavy focus on finding ‘the right guys’ for their team. It’s not just about athletic ability or production, because if that name is going to fracture a locker room or bring any unnecessary drama, the signing just won’t happen.
Kareem Hunt is an incredible talent, but a troubled one. Maybe Anger Management classes would help, maybe therapy would…but as of this very moment, casting the six-game suspension aside for the time being, it just does not make sense for a team who have somewhat lost some of their ‘camaraderie’ and identity, to risk tearing it all down by bringing in a player who just doesn’t fit the culture that the team are desperately trying to save.
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